“I’ve never seen a more community-minded comedian. That’s partly why his shows used to run long. He wanted the audience to get their money’s worth.” — James Nokise on fellow comedian and friend Tofiga Fepulea‘i winning New Zealand comedy’s largest award, the Topp Prize.
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“I tell audiences that I’m Māori, right out of the gate, because in Wellington people can be noticeably afraid to laugh. Even about things that are very mild, or jokes about my experience, because they’re worried about offending people.” — Kipling DC, 2026 nominee for the Billy T Award.
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“If I’m embarrassed, I’ll make a joke. If I feel scared, I’ll make a joke. If I don’t know the answer, I’ll make a joke.” — Opeti Vaka, stand-up comedian and nominee for this year’s Billy T Award at the 2026 New Zealand International Comedy Festival.
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“Probably 99 percent of what I talk about are things that my nan would hate.” — Joe Daymond.
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“Despite Pasifika women being some of the leading figures in my life, I never saw their myriad, colourful personalities reflected on screen.” — Litia Tuiburelevu on the new comedy sketch show ‘Sis’.
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