The Variety Artists Club of New Zealand Inc (VAC) is a non-for-profit organisation and

show business Show business, sometimes shortened to show biz or showbiz (since 1945), is a vernacular term for all aspects of the entertainment industry.''Oxford English Dictionary'' 2nd Ed. (1989) From the business side (including managers, agents, produc ...

club. It was founded in 1966 and became an incorporated society in 1972. The VAC was formed to promote goodwill within the New Zealand entertainment industry and foster a spirit of loyalty, friendship and cooperation between members. Each year the VAC presents a number of New Zealand entertainment awards including the prestigious Benny Award.

Formation and history

The Variety Artists Club of New Zealand Incorporated (VAC) was formed in 1966 with the name of The Variety Artists Convention. Founder members include Les Andrews QSM, Edgar and Doris Benyon, Lou Clauson QSM, Dave Cowel, Peter Evans, Eddie and Elaine Hegan,

Chic Littlewood Cecil "Chic" Littlewood (17 November 1930 – 11 January 2015) was a New Zealand television entertainer and actor. Biography Born on 17 November 1930 in southeast London, England, Littlewood originally worked as a baker. He had a gift for mimicr ...

, Pat McMinn OBE, Simon Mehana, Sally Metzger, Peter Newberry, Mary Throll, George Tumahai and Jon Zealando. The name was changed to The Variety Artists Club in 1968. In 1972 the club became an

incorporated society In New Zealand, an incorporated society is a group of at least 15 people who have applied for registration under the ''Incorporated Societies Act 1908''. Once registered the Society constitutes a distinct legal entity In law, a legal person ...

. The same year the VAC Benevolent Fund was established to serve as an aid to variety performers who were experiencing financial hardship.

Membership

Membership in the VAC is open to those with a link to the entertainment industry. Members include actors, comedians, composers, magicians, musicians, screenwriters, singers, speakers and other variety performers.

Theatrical agent A talent agent, or booking agent, is a person who finds jobs for actors, authors, broadcast journalists, film directors, musicians, models, professional athletes, screenwriters, writers, and other professionals in various entertainment or s ...

s and

technicians A technician is a worker in a field of technology who is proficient in the relevant skill and technique, with a relatively practical understanding of the theoretical principles. Specialisation The term technician covers many different speciali ...

also make up the membership.

Patrons

Patrons Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, arts patronage refers to the support that kings, popes, and the wealthy have provided to artists su ...

of the VAC are NZ Journalist and Media Personality David Hartnell MNZM and Gray Bartlett

MBE Mbe may refer to: * Mbé, a town in the Republic of the Congo * Mbe Mountains Community Forest, in Nigeria * Mbe language, a language of Nigeria * Mbe' language, language of Cameroon * ''mbe'', ISO 639 code for the extinct Molala language Molal ...

. Founding President Lou Clauson QSM was a patron of the club until his death in 2013. Dame Thea Muldoon, the wife of former

New Zealand Prime Minister The prime minister of New Zealand ( mi, Te pirimia o Aotearoa) is the head of government of New Zealand. The prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, leader of the New Zealand Labour Party, took office on 26 October 2017. The prime minister (inform ...

, Sir Robert Muldoon was Patron until her death in 2015.

Awards

Each year the VAC presents prestigious awards to those involved with the entertainment industry. The Benny Award is the highest honour that can be bestowed to a New Zealand variety entertainer. It is presented annually to a variety artist who has achieved a lifetime of excellence in their field of the performing arts. It was first presented to legendary New Zealand variety performer

Edgar Benyon Edgar Wilson Benyon (29 March 1901–14 September 1978) was a New Zealand magician, juggler and entertainer. He was born in Auckland, New Zealand on 29 March 1901. In 1969 the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand Inc created an award in his h ...

(1902–1978) in 1969. Recipients of the Benny Award include many New Zealand household names and figureheads of entertainment including

Ray Columbus Raymond John Patrick Columbus (4 November 1942 – 29 November 2016) was a New Zealand Benny Award-winning singer and songwriter, television host, music manager and entertainer, with a career spanning six decades. As the lead singer of Ray Colum ...

, Sir Howard Morrison,

Ricky May Richard Ernest May (22 November 19431 June 1988) was a New Zealand-born jazz singer and musician, best known for singing cover versions of numerous pop songs or jazz standards. He moved to Australia in 1962 where he worked mainly in theatre and ...

, Billy T. James, Dame Malvina Major, Rob Guest OBE and John Rowles OBE.

References

External links

Variety Artists Club of New Zealand Inc Website

Video : Red Carpet TV at the 2018 Benny Awards

Variety Artists Club of New Zealand Inc : Award Recipients

Edgar Benyon Biography - Encyclopedia of New Zealand

2011 Benny Award Night special on New Zealand television
{{Authority control Cultural organisations based in New Zealand Entertainment in New Zealand Performing arts in New Zealand Variety shows Culture in Auckland 1966 establishments in New Zealand