Regal and viceregal
Head of State - Elizabeth II
Governor-General - The Rt Hon. Sir Michael Hardie Boys GNZM, GCMG, QSO
The 45th New Zealand Parliament continued. Government was The National Party, led by Jim Bolger, in coalition with New Zealand First, led by Winston Peters.
Speaker of the House - Doug Kidd
Prime Minister - Jim Bolger then Jenny Shipley
Deputy Prime Minister - Winston Peters
Minister of Finance - Bill Birch
Minister of Foreign Affairs - Don McKinnon
Labour - (37 seats) Helen Clark (Leader of the Opposition)
Alliance - (13 seats) Jim Anderton
ACT New Zealand - (8 seats) Richard Prebble
United New Zealand- (1 seat) Peter Dunne
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
8 February: Stephen Anderson, 24, shoots 11 people, killing 6 of them (including his wife and parents) at Raurimu.
16 July: List MP Alamein Kopu resigns from the Alliance Party but remains a member of parliament. This causes controversy because Kopu has signed contracts with the party that she would resign from Parliament should she leave the party.
10 September: Parliament's privileges committee finds that Alamein Kopu is entitled to remain an independent MP.
Argentina reopens its embassy in Wellington (closed since 1982).
Arts and literature
Paddy Richardson wins the Robert Burns Fellowship.
Montana New Zealand Book Awards:
Book of the Year/Cultural Heritage: Jessie Munro, The Story of Suzanne Aubert
First Book Awards
Fiction: Dominic Sheehan, Finding Home
Poetry: Diane Brow, Before the Divorce We Go To Disneyland
Non-Fiction: Jessie Munro, The Story of Suzanne Aubert
See 1997 in art, 1997 in literature, Category:1997 books
New Zealand Music Awards
Winners are shown first with nominees underneath.
Album of the Year: Strawpeople - Vicarious
Emma Paki - Oxygen of Love
Garageland
OMC
The Mutton Birds
Single of the Year: DLT Featuring Che Fu - Chains
Bic Runga
Garageland
Strawpeople
The Mutton Birds
Best Male Vocalist: Che Fu - Chains
Jeremy Eade (Garageland)
Jon Toogood (Shihad)
Best Female Vocalist: Bic Runga
Emma Paki
Fiona McDonald (Strawpeople)
Best Group: Garageland
Shihad
The Mutton Birds
Most Promising Male Vocalist: Daniel Haimona (Dam Native)
Andrew Tilby (Breathe)
Ed Cake (Bressa Creeting Cake)
Most Promising Female Vocalist: Lole Usoalii
Andrea Cook
Maryanne Antonuvich (D Faction)
Most Promising Group: Dam Native
Bike
Bressa Creeting Cake
Cinematic
International Achievement: OMC
Crowded House
Jane Campion
Peter Jackson
Best Video: Sigi Spath & Joe Lonie – if I Had My Way (Supergroove)
Kevin Sprig - La La Land (Shihad)
Jonathan King - Behold My Kool Style (Damn Native)
Best Producer: Malcolm Welsford / Karl Steven - Backspacer (Supergroove)
Alan Jansson - How Bizarre
Eddie Raynor - ENZSO
Best Engineer: Rick Huntington / Alan Jansson – How Bizarre (OMC)
Chris Van Der Geer (Strawpeople)
Malcolm Welsford - Backspacer (Supergroove)
Best Jazz Album: Bluetrain – No Free Lunch
Jazz in the Present Tense - Jazz in the Present Tense
Nairobi Trio - Shelf Life
Best Classical Album: the Nzso, Janos Furst, Michael Houston – Live : Tower Beethoven Festival
New Zealand String Quartet - Bartok String Quartet 1-5
Alexander Ivashin & Tama Vesmas - Sergie Prokofiev
Best Country Album: Coalrangers – Coast to Coast
Dennis Marsh - Out Of Nashville
Bartlett, Dugan, Vaughan - Together Again
Best Folk Album: Wild Geese – Betwixt Time and Place
Michael Scorey - Angel Station
Bob Bickerton - Music in the Glen
Best Gospel Album: Max Jacobson – Found
The Lands - Arbor Day
Evan Silva - Aint No Two Ways About It
Best Mana Maori Album: Emma Paki – Oxygen of Love
DLT - The True School
Dam Native - Behold My Kool Style
Best Mana Reo Album: St Josephs Maori Girls College - a Gift of Song
Te Kura Tuatahi Me Te Ropu Kapahaka O Ranana - Te Wainui A Rua
Turakina Maori Girls College - Mana Wahine
Best Childrens Album: Universal Childrens Audio - Waiata Karahere
Helen Willberg - Ranona Moemoea
Love To Sing Choir - Love My First Songbook
Best Polynesian Album: Annie Crummer – Seventh Wave
Felise Mikaele -Se Taitau
The Five Stars - Samoa Ea
Best Songwriter: Dl Thompson, C Ness, A McNaughton, K Rangihuna – Chains (DLT Feat Che Fu)
Paul Casserley, Fiona McDonald, Greg Johnson - Boxers (Strawpeople)
Bic Runga - Bursting Through
Best Cover: Wayne Conway – ENZSO (ENZSO)
Jeremy Takacs, Karl & Jon - Shihad
Rick Huntington And Alan Jansson - How Bizarre (OMC)
See: 1997 in music
Benny Award presented by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand to Paul Bennett.
Radio and television
CanWest takes complete ownership of TV3 and launches TV4.
TVNZ broadcasts MTV.
July: Prime Television in Australia purchases 34 licences covering all major New Zealand centres.
See: 1997 in New Zealand television, 1997 in television, List of TVNZ television programming, Category:New Zealand television, TV3 (New Zealand), Category:New Zealand television shows, Public broadcasting in New Zealand
Lost Valley (film)
Topless Women Talk About Their Lives
See: Category:1997 film awards, 1997 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1997 films
See: NZ Internet History
Peter Buske wins his first national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:20:49 on 8 March in New Plymouth, while Terri-Lee Farr claims her first in the women's championship (2:55:20).
Beatrice Faumuina became the first New Zealander to win an event at a World Athletics Championships.
The Men's NBL was won by the Auckland Stars
Tall Blacks
Various Tours, New Zealand cricket team
New Zealand Open won by Greg Turner
New Zealand Trotting Cup: Iraklis
Auckland Trotting Cup: Kate's First
Silver Ferns
National Bank Cup
The Auckland Warriors competed in the breakaway Super League and finished 7th out of 10 teams.
Waikato won the Super League Challenge Cup, defeating Canterbury 34-18 in the final. Waikato also won the Rugby League Cup.
25 April, New Zealand lost to Australia 22-34
26 September, New Zealand defeated Australia 30-12
Super 12
Rugby Union World Cup
National Provincial Championship
Bledisloe Cup
Tri Nations Series
Ranfurly Shield
Ballinger Belt – Ross Geange (Masterton)
The Chatham Cup is won by Central United who beat Napier City Rovers 3—2 in the final (after extra time).