Aroha Edward Awarau (born

Hāwera Hāwera is the second-largest centre in the Taranaki region of New Zealand's North Island, with a population of . It is near the coast of the South Taranaki Bight. The origins of the town lie in a government military base that was established i ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

) is a journalist and playwright. He won the 2008 New Zealand Magazine Journalist of the Year (Mass Market) at the annual Magazine Publisher's Association Award. He was a finalist again for the same award in 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2016. In 2013 he was awarded the NZ Celebrity and Entertainment magazine journalist of the year at the Magazine Publisher's Award. He is a former news editor for the Woman's Day magazine, and a senior writer at ''

New Zealand Woman's Weekly The ''New Zealand Woman's Weekly'' is a weekly New Zealand women's magazine published by Are Media. , it had a circulation of 82,040, third by paid sales after ''TV Guide'' and ''New Zealand Woman's Day''. History On 8 December 1932, journalis ...

''. He is currently a story producer for the

Māori Television Māori or Maori can refer to: Relating to the Māori people * Māori people of New Zealand, or members of that group * Māori language, the language of the Māori people of New Zealand * Māori culture * Cook Islanders, the Māori people of the Co ...

current affairs show Native Affairs. Awarau is also a successful playwright, with his first play ''Luncheon'', starring accomplished NZ actress

Jennifer Ward-Lealand ' Jennifer Cecily Ward-Lealand (born 8 November 1962) is a New Zealand theatre and film actor, director, teacher and intimacy coordinator. She has worked for 40 years, appearing in over 120 theatre performances: Greek, Shakespeare, drama, comed ...

and directed by

Katie Wolfe Katie Wolfe (born 1968) is New Zealand actor and film and stage director. She was in the New Zealand television series ''Marlin Bay'' in the 1990s, ''Shortland Street'' in the late 1990s and ''Mercy Peak'' for two years (2000 - 2001). Her screen d ...

, winning Best Play at the 2014 New Zealand Script Writing Awards. His second play "Officer 27" was a finalist at the NZ Adams Playwriting awards and the New Zealand Script Writing Awards in 2016. His short film ''Home'' premiered at the

imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival The imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival is the world's largest Indigenous film and media arts festival, held annually in Toronto in the month of October. The festival focuses on the film, video, radio, and new media work of Indigenous, Abori ...

in Toronto. Awarau has a degree in film and television from the

University of Waikato The University of Waikato ( mi, Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato), is a Public university, public research university in Hamilton, New Zealand, Hamilton, New Zealand established in 1964. An additional campus is located in Tauranga. The university perfo ...

, and a journalism degree from the

Auckland University of Technology Auckland University of Technology (AUT) ( mi, Te Wānanga Aronui o Tāmaki Makau Rau) is a university in New Zealand, formed on 1 January 2000 when a former technical college (originally established in 1895) was granted university status. AUT ...

. After leaving Waikato University in 1998, Awarau worked in the New Zealand film industry for two years, working on films such as '' What Becomes of the Broken Hearted?'' and ''

The Price of Milk ''The Price of Milk'' is a 2000 New Zealand romantic fantasy film. It was directed by New Zealand actor and director Harry Sinclair. Plot In rural New Zealand, a farmer, Rob (Karl Urban), gets engaged to his love, Lucinda (Danielle Cormack ...

''. Awarau also had a short stint as a stand up comedian, becoming a finalist in the Raw Quest, a national competition to find the best new comedian and appeared as a contestant in the reality show ''So You Think You’re Funny?'', a competition to find New Zealand's funniest new comedian. While still at high school Awarau was the first writer to become a three-time winner of the Ronald Hugh Morrieson Literary Award. The annual award was created by the

South Taranaki District Council South Taranaki is a territorial authority on the west coast of New Zealand's North Island that contains the towns of Hāwera (the seat of the district), Manaia, Ōpunake, Patea, Eltham, and Waverley. The District has a land area of 3,575.46 ...

to commemorate Hāwera's most famous author,

Ronald Hugh Morrieson Ronald Hugh Morrieson (29 January 1922 – 26 December 1972) was a novelist and short story writer in the New Zealand vernacular, who was little known in his home country until after his death. He earned his living as a musician and music teacher ...

. In October 2019 he was presented with a Scroll of Honour from the

Variety Artists Club of New Zealand The Variety Artists Club of New Zealand Inc (VAC) is a non-for-profit organisation and show business club. It was founded in 1966 and became an incorporated society in 1972. The VAC was formed to promote goodwill within the New Zealand enterta ...

for his contribution to New Zealand entertainment.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Awarau, Aroha Edward Auckland University of Technology alumni Living people New Zealand journalists University of Waikato alumni Year of birth missing (living people) People from Hāwera 21st-century New Zealand dramatists and playwrights New Zealand male dramatists and playwrights People educated at Hawera High School