The Improv Aotearoa Awards 2026
We are excited to launch the Improv Aotearoa Awards: a new national celebration of improvisation across Aotearoa New Zealand.
Improv in Aotearoa is made up of a vibrant and diverse community of performers, teachers, directors, producers, technicians, volunteers, venues and audiences. From small local communities to internationally recognised festivals and companies, people across the motu are continually producing high-quality art. We want to recognise that in a way that honours the hours of work that go into creating our craft.
The first awards will be presented in June 2027, recognising eligible work and contributions from 1 June 2026 to 1 May 2027.
The Inaugural Awards
The Improv Aotearoa Improv Awards include five award categories recognising performance, community engagement, technical craft, innovation and sustained contribution to the artform.
Click below for full criteria and nomination forms.
Award Principles
Inclusive
The process should be open to different regions, communities, experience levels and forms of practice.
Credible
Recognition should be based on a process that the community understands and can trust.
Transparent
Eligibility, criteria, judging, governance and conflicts of interest should be clearly communicated.
Development-focused
The awards should strengthen the artform and the people within it, not simply create competition.
Why national improv awards?
The Improv Aotearoa Awards are here to celebrate the incredible work the community creates, champion the people behind it, and help more audiences, presenters and funders see the strength of improvisation in Aotearoa.
We want to:
Raise the visibility of improv and help new audiences discover it.
Recognise emerging and established artists.
Strengthen the case for funding, sponsorship, touring and programming opportunities.
Celebrate teaching, community-building, innovation and contribution, alongside performance and production.
Build stronger connections across regions and create a shared national story about the development of improv.
How judging will work
Once nominations close on 1 May, they will be assessed by a judging panel made up of community members with national representation. The panel is expected to include the NZIF Artistic Director, members of the Improv Aotearoa board, and other people nominated by the community.
NZIT recognises that conflicts of interest will be a real and significant consideration in a small, connected community where people often know, work with and support one another in different ways. The process will therefore be developed with a focus on transparency. NZIT will provide clear information about the make-up of the judging panel, the criteria used to assess nominations, and how conflicts of interest will be identified and managed. While this will not remove every complexity, the aim is to build a credible and workable process that can improve over time.
Making a national process genuinely national
Geography is one of the biggest design challenges. Artists and companies need a fair opportunity to take part regardless of where they are based or whether judges can attend their work in person.
The process will be designed to support participation from across the motu. This includes the opportunity to put up video submissions and include references from people in the wider theatre community.
How to get involved
There are several ways to get involved in the National Improv Awards. You can nominate work, people or contributions for the awards, nominate someone to be considered for the judging panel, or get in touch if you would like to donate a prize or support the awards in another way.
We also welcome conversation as the awards continue to take shape. If you have questions, ideas, concerns or offers of support, please contact Tara at tara@improvfest.nz.