George Henare
George Henare, of Grey Lynn, received the Insignia of a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the theatre. Mr Henare, pictured after the ceremony with his sister Emma Ngawhare, has continued to hold roles in theatre productions in both New Zealand and Australia. He has played many parts since, including Dracula, Sir Toby Belch and Julius Caesar and toured with the Australian productions of Jesus Christ Superstar and Phantom of the Opera. He has performed in television and film. He was named Talking Books Narrator of the Year in 2001 and won a Chapman Tripp Best Actor Award for his portrayal of Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman in 2006. Mr Henare was named in the Tairawhiti Museum Famous Faces book exhibition, received a Te Waka Toi Award for his contribution to Māori theatre, and was made an Arts Foundation of New Zealand Laureate in 2008.