South Pacific Pictures' programmes and people have taken top honours in the TV Guide Best on the Box People's Choice Awards. The Awards are decided by public vote and were announced yesterday. Shortland Street remained the people's choice, taking out the award for Best New Zealand Drama for the third year on a row. Shortland Street was also voted second most popular television programme in the poll, beating all TV shows except Coronation Street. South Pacific Pictures' stable mate Mercy Peak was second in the drama category.
In the individual awards, seventeen year old Calum Gittins won the Rising Star Award for his performance as Jake Valentine. Mercy Peak's Tim Balme was voted Best Actor, narrowly beating fellow cast member Craig Parker. Robyn Malcolm, who guest-starred in Mercy Peak, won the Best Actress category, with Shortland Street's Laura Hill a close second.