Outrageous Fortune was the big winner at the inaugural film and television awards, with the show's star, and best actress winner Robyn Malcolm revealing work has already begun on a fifth season.
The awards are an amalgamation of the former awards programmes which have been run for the past three years: The New Zealand Screen Awards and the New Zealand Television Awards. On Friday an awards lunch was held to celebrate the achievements of those providing the expertise and support needed to make the industry thrive.
More than 21 categories were awarded at the lunch-time ceremony with the remaining 37 categories awarded in a black-tie ceremony in Auckland last night.
Seventy-seven judges spent more than 900 hours judging more than 660 entries this year.
There were 58 television, documentary, news and current affairs categories and 170 finalists , with broadcaster and actor Oliver Driver hosting the awards.
Out of the Blue, the film about the Aramoana massacre and TV3's Outrageous Fortune were big winners on the night, in an evening which provided few moments of relief for the audience who had to sit through several hours of speeches.
Malcolm, speaking to NZPA after she won best actress, said the New Zealand public had worked out that homegrown stories were better than anything from overseas.
"It's a dream job.
"I work with an extraordinary bunch of actors.
"We never drop the ball, and it's tempting to when you have a long running show like this."
The cast were already working on a fifth season which was unprecedented for a show of its type in New Zealand, she said.
Karl Urban, who won best supporting actor for Out of the Blue, told NZPA while the award was important it was a greater achievement to be able to make movies in the New Zealand film industry.
"To be able to continue to work in it is something I hold very dear to my heart."
Urban said it was still difficult to find roles in New Zealand given the myopic nature of the industry.
"If they're only making two films that year, and one of them is a kids film and one of them is a Maori story about a girl on a whale, you're out of luck.
"It's an amazing industry we've got and the films we make are reflective of its people and culture.
"That's what overseas people want to see, they don't want generic ripoffs of American films."
Urban said Out of the Blue was a reflection of those types of stories about New Zealand's culture, which was why it had been successful.
NZPA
Watch Film3's Kate Rodger interviewing winners on the night.