Date 1969 | Country New Zealand | |
 | ||
Awarded for A lifetime of excellence in variety entertainment | ||
The Benny Award is the highest honour that can be bestowed to a New Zealand variety entertainer. It is presented annually by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand, a non-for-profit organisation and showbusiness club, founded in 1966 and awarded o a variety performer who has achieved "A lifetime of excellence in their field of the performing arts".
Contents
Nominations
Nominations for the Benny Award are accepted from VAC members and the recipient ultimately decided upon by past Benny recipients, making its presentation recognition of the highest degree by the New Zealand entertainment industry.
Naming
The Benny Award was named after its first recipient, legendary New Zealand variety performer Edgar Benyon (1902-1978) in 1969. The Benny statuette was designed and sculptured by magician Jon Zealando and features Greek muses Melpomene and Thalia - the traditional symbols of comedy and tragedy.
Recipients of the Benny Award include many New Zealand household names and figureheads of entertainment. The most recent award in 2016 Benny recipient was NZ icon Suzanne Prentice.