Māori and Pasifika designers have taken out the top honours at the 2024 PANZ Book Design Awards, held in Auckland this evening.

The supreme award, the Gerard Reid Award for Best Book sponsored by Nielsen BookData, went to Rewi: Āta haere, kia tere by Jade Kake and Jeremy Hansen (Massey University Press), a tribute to the late architect Rewi Thompson.

The book’s cover was designed by Tyrone Ohia and Eva Charlton from design agency Extended Whānau, and the interior by Tyrone Ohia, Eva Charlton, Max Quinn-Tapara (Extended Whānau) and Katrina Duncan.

The designers are credited with crafting a work of bold elegance, where every detail — from the colour palette to the thoughtful typography — celebrates Rewi’s legacy.

The judging panel said the approach from the design team can be summed up in the he mihi at the opening of the book: “We battle, strive and live to tame this great fish that Māui caught. Our youthfulness allows us to be playful, energetic, lively, enthusiastic and experimental and not overburdened by the weight of our past.”

Rewi: Āta haere, kia tere and Pacific Arts Aotearoa, edited by Lana Lopesi (Penguin Random House NZ in association with Pacific Arts, Creative New Zealand Toi Aotearoa) and designed by Shaun Naufahu (Alt Group) and Katrina Duncan, were vying for the top spot in three of the most hotly contested categories.

Pacific Arts Aotearoa was the winner of the Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand Award for Best Typography while Rewi: Āta haere, kia tere took out the HarperCollins Publishers Award for Best Cover, before the shock announcement that both titles would receive the honour of Penguin Random House New Zealand Award for Best Illustrated Book.

The judges were split down the middle and felt strongly that both books were equally worthy of the prize so made the unusual decision to award it to two titles.

Finally, attendees at the ceremony had the chance to vote for the book they considered most beautiful. The audience clearly agreed with the judges and Rewi: Āta haere, kia tere was awarded the Booksellers Aotearoa New Zealand People’s Choice Award.

Other winners included Past the Tower, Under the Tree: Twelve Stories of Learning in Community edited by Balamohan Shingade and Erena Shingade (GLORIA Books) designed by Katie Kerr, which won the Upstart Press Award for Best Non-Illustrated Book. While The Observologist by beloved children’s author and illustrator Giselle Clarkson (Gecko Press) designed by Vida Kelly, was awarded the Scholastic New Zealand Award for Best Children’s Book.

The highly anticipated Allen & Unwin Award for Best Commercial Book for Adults went to Fungi of Aotearoa by Liv Sisson (Penguin Random House NZ), designed by Carla Sy. And the always hotly contested 1010 Printing Award for Best Cookbook was taken out by Enjoy: Food Worth Sharing with the People You Love by Kelly Gibney (Beatnik), designed by Sally Greer.

The awards also recognise the best in Aotearoa’s vibrant educational publishing scene with the Lift Education Award for Best Educational Book or Series — Primary going to Kuwi & Friends He Puka Ngohe: Activity Book by Kat Quin, translated by Pānia Papa (Illustrated Publishing), designed by Kat Quin and Chelsea McKirdy. The Lift Education Award for Best Educational Book or Series — Secondary/Tertiary was won by Reo Ora – Ko Te Weu Level Three: A Māori Language Course for Intermediate Learners by Rāpata Wiri (Huia Publishers), designed by Camilla Lau

The PANZ Book Design Awards were established by the Publishers Association of New Zealand (PANZ) to promote excellence in, and provide recognition for, the best book design in New Zealand.

The 2024 PANZ Book Design Award Winners are:

Gerard Reid Award for Best Book sponsored by Nielsen BookData

• Rewi: Āta haere, kia tere by Jade Kake and Jeremy Hansen (Massey University Press). Cover designed by Tyrone Ohia & Eva Charlton (Extended Whānau), interior by Tyrone Ohia, Eva Charlton, Max Quinn-Tapara (Extended Whānau) & Katrina Duncan

Penguin Random House New Zealand Award for Best Illustrated Book (Joint winners)

• Pacific Arts Aotearoa edited by Lana Lopesi (Penguin Random House NZ in association with Pacific Arts, Creative New Zealand |Toi Aotearoa). Cover designed by Shaun Naufahu (Alt Group), interior by Shaun Naufahu (Alt Group) & Katrina Duncan

• Rewi: Āta haere, kia tere by Jade Kake and Jeremy Hansen (Massey University Press). Cover designed by Tyrone Ohia & Eva Charlton (Extended Whānau), interior by Tyrone Ohia, Eva Charlton, Max Quinn-Tapara (Extended Whānau) & Katrina Duncan

Upstart Press Award for Best Non-Illustrated Book

• Past the Tower, Under the Tree: Twelve Stories of Learning in Community edited by Balamohan Shingade and Erena Shingade (GLORIA Books). Designed by Katie Kerr

Scholastic New Zealand Award for Best Children’s Book

• The Observologist by Giselle Clarkson (Gecko Press). Designed by Vida Kelly

Allen & Unwin Award for Best Commercial Book for Adults

• Fungi of Aotearoa by Liv Sisson (Penguin Random House NZ). Designed by Carla Sy

1010 Printing Award for Best Cookbook

• Enjoy: Food Worth Sharing with the People You Love by Kelly Gibney (Beatnik). Designed by Sally Greer

HarperCollins Publishers Award for Best Cover

• Rewi: Āta haere, kia tere by Jade Kake and Jeremy Hansen (Massey University Press). Cover designed by Tyrone Ohia & Eva Charlton (Extended Whānau)

Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand Award for Best Typography

• Pacific Arts Aotearoa edited by Lana Lopesi (Penguin Random House NZ in association with Pacific Arts, Creative New Zealand|Toi Aotearoa). Cover designed by Shaun Naufahu (Alt Group), interior by Shaun Naufahu (Alt Group) & Katrina Duncan

Lift Education Award for Best Educational Book or Series — Primary

• Kuwi & Friends He Puka Ngohe: Activity Book by Kat Quin, translated by Pānia Papa (Illustrated Publishing). Designed by Kat Quin and Chelsea McKirdy

Lift Education Award for Best Educational Book or Series — Secondary/Tertiary

• Reo Ora – Ko Te Weu Level Three: A Māori Language Course for Intermediate Learners by Rāpata Wiri (Huia Publishers).  Designed by Camilla Lau

Booksellers Aotearoa New Zealand People’s Choice Award

• Rewi: Āta haere, kia tere by Jade Kake and Jeremy Hansen (Massey University Press). Cover designed by Tyrone Ohia & Eva Charlton (Extended Whānau), interior by Tyrone Ohia, Eva Charlton, Max Quinn-Tapara (Extended Whānau) & Katrina Duncan

ENDS

THE JUDGING PANEL

Anna Brown
Anna Brown is a New Zealand-based designer and typographer. Working with visual artists, curators and musicians she investigates through form, materials and typography how the vehicle of the book can animate and amplify the content it contains. She is the Director of Toi Āria — Design for Public Good, a research unit harnessing design for positive social change. Anna is a Professor at Massey University’s College of Creative Arts.

Te Kani Price
Te Kani Price (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Te Whakatōhea) is a Programme Manager and Creative Director at HUIA Publishers. Delivering daring book covers and interiors for the past decade that bring an authentically Aotearoa perspective. Te Kani designs together with the in-house team at HUIA with manaakitanga as its core value. In 2022 Te Kani won Emerging Designer at the PANZ Book Design Awards.

Chloe Blade
Chloe Blades is a bookseller, social media manager and book club host at Unity Books in Auckland, which won Best Bookshop in the World at the 2020 London Book Fair. Alongside reviewing books on TVNZ’s Breakfast Show, she has written for The Spinoff, WOMAN magazine and Crane Brothers. Last year, Chloe received a RISE Booksellers scholarship to go to San Francisco and work at the Booksmith in Haight-Ashbury. Chloe holds a BA(Hons) in English Literature from Loughborough University.

Simon Waterfield
Simon Waterfield is a designer at Lift Education, with expertise in educational and literacy design and children’s publishing. Simon holds a Bachelor of Design from Wellington Polytechnic/Victoria University and has twice previously been a judge for the PANZ book design awards, as well as being shortlisted. He has chaired sessions with children’s book creators Oliver Jeffers and Leo Timmers, and has been a judge for The Arts Foundation’s Mallinson Rendel Illustrators Award (2015 and 2017).

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