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It’s a double gong week for Rawiri Paratene.
Tomorrow the veteran actor will be at Government House in Auckland to be named an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
He was given the award in the New Year’s Honours list but hasn’t been able to pick it up until now because he’s been overseas touring with a Globe Theatre production of King Lear.
He’s also now the proud recipient of Te Waka Toi’s Te Tohu Toi Ke award for making a difference in the arts, which he got last weekend.
"I’ve received a few gongs over the years but this one I think means more to me than anything, partly because of past people that have won it: Moana Maniapoto, Whirimako Black, George Henare, Merata Mita, and so many visual artists as well. I’m pretty honoured to be in that line-up," Paratene says.
The award was particularly special because he was sharing the stage with other old friends and comrades, including Ngapuhi scholar Patu Hohepa, writer Rowley Habib, painter Darcy Nicholas who won this year’s supreme award, and waka tohunga Hec Busby and Jack Thatcher.
Copyright © 2013, UMA Broadcasting Ltd
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