Estimated population as of 31 December: 3,762,300
Increase since 31 December 1995: 55,600 (1.50%)
Males per 100 Females: 97.3
Regal and viceregal
Head of State - Elizabeth II
Governor-General - The Rt Hon. Sir Michael Hardie Boys GNZM, GCMG, QSO
The 44th New Zealand Parliament continued. Government was The National Party, led by Jim Bolger. In the New Zealand general election, 1996 National was returned to power, but had to form a coalition with the New Zealand First.
Speaker of the House - Peter Tapsell then Doug Kidd
Prime Minister - Jim Bolger
Deputy Prime Minister - Don McKinnon then Winston Peters
Minister of Finance - Bill Birch
Minister of Foreign Affairs - Don McKinnon
See: Category:Parliament of New Zealand, New Zealand elections
Greens - Jeanette Fitzsimons and Rod Donald
Act - TBD
New Zealand First - TBD
United Future - TBD
Māori Party - TBD
Labour - TBD (Leader of the Opposition)
Progressives - TBD
United Future - TBD
Main centre leaders
Mayor of Auckland - Les Mills
Mayor of Hamilton - Margaret Evans
Mayor of Wellington - Mark Blumsky
Mayor of Christchurch - Vicki Buck
Mayor of Dunedin - Sukhi Turner
April: The New Zealand Tablet winds up. The weekly Catholic newspaper started publication in 1873.
Arts and literature
Bernadette Hall wins the Robert Burns Fellowship.
Montana New Zealand Book Awards:
Book of the Year/Cultural Heritage: Judith Binney, Redemption Songs - A Life of Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Turuki
First Book Awards
Fiction: Emily Perkins, Not Her Real Name
Poetry: James Brown, Go Round Power Please
Non-Fiction: Alex Frame, Salmond: Southern Jurist
f*INK, Dunedin's weekly entertainment magazine is founded
See 1996 in art, 1996 in literature, Category:1996 books
New Zealand Music Awards
Winners are shown first with nominees underneath.
Album of the Year: Shihad - Killjoy
Finn Brothers - Finn
Howard Morrison - Songs Of New Zealand
Max Lines - Beautiful Panflute I
Starlight String Quartet - Romantic Strings
Suzanne Prentice - 25th Anniversary
Single of the Year: OMC – How Bizarre
D-Faction - Down in the Boondocks
Herbs - French Letter '95
Jan Hellriegel - Manic
The Exponents - La La Lulu
Strawpeople - Sweet Disorder
Best Male Vocalist: Jon Toogood – Shihad
Greg Johnson
Dave Dobbyn
Best Female Vocalist: Teremoana Rapley
Sulata
Jan Hellriegel
Best Group: Shihad
The Exponents
The Mutton Birds
Finn Brothers
Rising Star Award: Kylie Harris
Bic Runga
Glen Moffat
Most Promising Male Vocalist: Paul Fuemana (OMC)
Jeremy Eade (Garageland)
Otis Frizzell (Joint Force)
Most Promising Female Vocalist: Bic Runga
Celia Mancini (King Loser)
Jordan Reyne
Most Promising Group: OMC
Garageland
Joint Force
International Achievement: Shihad
Finn Brothers
Dave Dobbyn
Supergroove
Best Video: Sigi Spath / Jo Fisher – You Gotta Know (Supergroove)
Greg Page - Honeyblonde (Throw)
M Noonan and J Frizzell - Static PTI (Joint Force)
Best Producer: Eddie Rayner - World Stand Still
Alan Jansson, Nathan Haines and James Pinker - Shift Left (Nathan Haines)
Malcolm Welsford - La La Lulu (The Exponents)
Best Engineer: Alan Jansson – How Bizarre (Omc)
Chris Sinclair - Black Sand Shore (Grace)
Malcolm Welsford - La La Lulu (The Exponents)
Best Jazz Album: Nathan Haines – Shift Left
Hattie St John - Flying High at Iguacu
Christchurch Polytechnic Sextet - Collaboration
Best Classical Album: Michael Houston - Beethoven Piano Sonatas from the Middle Period
Alexander Ivashkin and Tamas Vesmas - Alfred Schnittke
L Subramaniam - Pacific Rendezvous
Best Country Album: Kylie Harris – Let It Be Love
Glen Moffat - Somewhere in New Zealand Tonight
Kevin Greaves - Over the Storm
Best Folk Album: Rua – Harbour Lights
Chris Thompson - Song for Laura
Peter Skandera and Dave Maybee - Acoustic Spirit
Best Gospel Album: Brent Chambers – Living Sacrifices
Alastair Brown - Narrow
Paul Stephens - Apocalypse
Best Mana Maori Album: Southside of Bombay with Mina Ripia – Kia Mau
Maree Sheehan - Past to Present
Moana and The Moahunters - Give it Up Now
Ruia - Ka Tangi te Tiitii Ka Tangi to Kaakaa
Best Mana Reo Album: Southside of Bombay with Mina Ripia – Kia Mau
Ruia - Ka Tangi te Tiitii Ka Tangi te Kaakaa
Moana and the Moa Hunters - Akona Te Reo '95
Best Children's Album: Nga Pihi - 1 & 2
Radha and the Kiwis - Sing the World Around
Kids TV - You and Me Songbook (Suzy Cato)
Best Polynesian Album: Southside of Bombay - Umbadada
D-Faction - Down in the Boondocks
John Akaata - Ura Mai Koe
Purest Form - If I Fell/U Can Do It
Best Songwriter: Mark Tierney / Paul Casserly / Anthony Ioasa - Sweet Disorder (Strawpeople)
Glen Moffat - Somewhere in New Zealand Tonight
Greg Johnson - Don't Wait Another Day
Best Cover: Alec Bathgate – Abbasalutely
Chris Knox - Songs of You and Me
Neil Finn and Wayne Conway - Finn
See: 1996 in music
Benny Award presented by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand to Keith Leggett.
Radio and television
See: 1996 in New Zealand television, 1996 in television, List of TVNZ television programming, TV3 (New Zealand), Public broadcasting in New Zealand
The New Zealand Government sells the Radio New Zealand commercial arm to Clear Channel creating The Radio Network
Broken English
Chicken
Jack Brown Genius
Flight of the Albatross
Someone Else's Country
The Frighteners
The Whole of the Moon
See: Category:1996 film awards, 1996 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1996 films
See: NZ Internet History
Phil Costley wins his first national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:20:32 on 27 October in Auckland, while Tracey Clissold claims her first in the women's championship (2:39:03).
The NBL was won by Auckland.
Various Tours, New Zealand cricket team, Chappell–Hadlee Trophy, Cricket World Cup
New Zealand Open
Check Category:New Zealand golfers in overseas tournaments.
New Zealand Trotting Cup: Il Vicolo - 2nd win
Auckland Trotting Cup: Sharp And Telford
Silver Ferns
National Bank Cup
New Zealand at the 1996 Summer Olympics
The Lion Red Cup was won by the Counties Manukau Heroes who beat the Waitakere City Raiders 34-22 in the grand final. Waitakere were the minor premiers.
In their second season the Auckland Warriors placed 11th of 20 teams in the Australian National Rugby League competition. They had been in finals contention until losing their last six games.
5 October, New Zealand defeated Papua New Guinea 62-8
11 October, New Zealand defeated Papua New Guinea 64-0
The 1996 Great Britain Lions tour saw the three Tet matches played in New Zealand:
18 October, New Zealand defeated Great Britain 17-12
25 October, New Zealand defeated Great Britain 18-15
1 November, New Zealand defeated Great Britain 32-12
Category:Rugby union in New Zealand, Super 14, Rugby Union World Cup, National Provincial Championship, Category:All Blacks, Bledisloe Cup, Tri Nations Series, Ranfurly Shield
Ballinger Belt – Graeme Ballinger (Levin)
The National Summer Soccer League was inaugurated to replace the New Zealand National Soccer League, so there was no 1996 league champion.
The New Zealand national soccer team placed third in the OFC Nations Cup, which this year was played as a league rather than a tournament.
The Chatham Cup is won by Waitakere City F.C. who beat Mt Wellington 3—1 in the final.
