Queen's Birthday

Jonathan Lemalu recognised in Queen's Birthday Honours List

Mr Lemalu is a Grammy Award-winning bass-baritone who has been performing internationally for over 20 years.

He said it was a complete surprise to be awarded the honour.

"I honestly didn't believe it. I thought it was a joke," Lemalu said.

"Hilarious in a way because it didn't sound like something that would be happening to me. Mum got a Queens honours in 2006 for services to the Pacific community. It felt cool in a way to follow in her footsteps."

     

Queen's Birthday honours: Pacific recognised

Tanya Muagututi'a and her husband, Posenai Mavaega, have been made Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Pacific performing arts.

Since the 1990s, Mavaega and Muagututi'a have provided numerous performing arts platforms for the Christchurch Pacific community to tell their stories

From 2001 to 2010, they delivered 10 Christchurch Pacific Arts festivals where local and international guests shared performance and exhibition spaces.

Pasifika should have education curated for them - Queen's Birthday Honouree

South Auckland primary school principal, Barbara Ala'alatoa, was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to education.

She said she was shocked to hear she was being recognised in such a way.

"It was a bolt from the blue but after my initial absolute excitement I feel, and it sounds like such a cliche, but it's incredibly humbling.

"But I take it...because education deserved to have the kudos attached to it that many other professions have and that all too often education doesn't," Ms Ala'alatoa said.