2001 in New Zealand

Population

• Estimated population as of 31 December: 3,916,200
• Increase since 31 December 2000: 43,100
• Males per 100 Females: 96.2

  Incumbents

Regal and viceregal

• Head of State – Elizabeth II
• Governor-General – The Rt Hon. Sir Michael Hardie Boys GNZM, GCMG, QSO followed by The Hon Dame Silvia Cartwright PCNZM, DBE, QSO

  Government

• Speaker of the House – Jonathan Hunt
• Prime Minister – Helen Clark
• Deputy Prime Minister – Jim Anderton
• Minister of Finance – Michael Cullen
• Minister of Foreign Affairs – Phil Goff
• Chief Justice — Sian Elias

  Opposition leaders

• National – TBD
• Greens – Jeanette Fitzsimons and Rod Donald
• Act – TBD
• New Zealand First – TBD
• United Future – TBD
• Māori Party – TBD
• Labour – TBD
• Progressives – TBD
• United Future – TBD

  Main centre leaders

• Mayor of Auckland – Christine Fletcher then John Banks
• Mayor of Hamilton – Russell Matthew Remmington then David Braithwaite
• Mayor of Wellington – Mark Blumsky then Kerry Prendergast
• Mayor of Christchurch – Garry Moore
• Mayor of Dunedin – Sukhi Turner

  Events

• New Zealand establishes an embassy in Brasília, Brazil.

  Arts and literature

• Jo Randerson wins the Robert Burns Fellowship.
• Montana New Zealand Book Awards:
• *Montana Medal: Michael King, Wrestling with the Angel: A Life of Janet Frame
• *Deutz Medal: Lloyd Jones, The Book of Fame
• *Reader's Choice: Michael King, Wrestling with the Angel: A Life of Janet Frame
• *First Book Awards
• **Fiction: Karyn Hay, Emerald Budgies
• **Poetry: Stephanie de Montalk, Animals Indoors
• **Non-Fiction: Paul Tapsell, Pukaki: A Comet Returns

Music

[New Zealand Music Awards]

• Album of the Year: Zed – Silencer
• *Dave Dobbyn – Hopetown
• *Fur Patrol – Pet
• *Tadpole – The Buddhafinger'
• *Tim Finn / Dave Dobbyn / Bic Runga – Together in Concert: Live
• Single of the Year: Fur Patrol – Lydia
• *Eye TV – "One Day Ahead"
• *Shihad – Pacifier
• *Tadpole – Alright
• *Zed – Renegade Fighter
• Top Group: Zed – Silencer
• *Tadpole – The Buddhafinger
• *Shihad – Pacifier
• Best New Act: Betchadupa
• *Splitter
• *Dan Sperber & Luke Casey
• Top Male Vocalist: Nathan King
• *Jon Toogood
• *Dave Dobbyn
• Top Female Vocalist: Julia Deans
• *Renee Brennan
• *Libby Huirua
• Best Folk Album: Lothlorien – Greenwood Side
• *Run The Cutter – Passing Time
• *The Jews Brothers Band – My Yiddish Swing
• Best Jazz Album: The Rodger Fox Big Band – Ain't That The Truth
• *Erna Ferry – Devil May Care
• *Chris Mason Bentley Group – Karakia
• Best Classical Album: Strike – New Zealand Percussion Music
• *Michael Houston – Elusive Dreams: NZ Piano Music
• *New Zealand String Quartet – Gareth Farr: Owhiro
• Best Country Album: no award
• Best Gospel Album: The Parachute Band – Love
• *Solace – Solace
• *Invasion Band – Nga Mea Katoa
• Best Mana Maori Album: Wai – Wai 100%
• *Ruia & Ranea – Whare Maori
• *Big Belly Woman – Dance with the Wind
• Best Mana Reo Album: Whirimako Black -Shrouded in The Mist / Hinepukohurangi
• *Ruia & Ranea – Whare Maori
• *Wai – Wai 100%
• Best Children's Album: Liam Ryan & Carol Storey – The Present
• *Kids Music Company Singers – On A High Note
• *John Phillips – The Lost Property Box
• Best Compilation: Strawpeople – The Best of 1990–2000
• *HLAH – Blood on the Honky Tonk Floor
• *Various – Algorhythm 2
• Best Songwriter: Julia Deans – Lydia
• *Aaron Takona – Calling On

• Best Producer: Dave Long – Pet
• *Malcolm Welsford – The Buddhafinger
• *Paul Casserly & Joost Langeveld – No New Messages
• Best Engineer: Sam Gibson – Betchadupa EP
• *Malcolm Welsford – The Buddhafinger
• *Mike Gibson – Pet
• Best Video: Alex Sutherland & Michael Lonsdale – Touchdown
• *Greg Page – "One Day Ahead"
• *Wade Shotter & Jamie Dower – Silent Film
• Best Cover: Wayne Conway – Hopetown
• *Monique Facon – The Buddhafinger
• *Andrew B White & Jade Weaver – Pet
• New Zealand Radio Programmer Award: Rodger Clamp – More FM Auckland & Channel Z
• *Andi Dawkins – More FM Christchurch and Dunedin
• *Brad King – The Rock Network
• Outstanding International Achievement: Shihad
• *Deep Obsession
• *Salmonella Dub

Performing arts

• Benny Award presented by the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand to Gray Bartlett MBE.

  Radio and television

Film

• Crooked Earth

Internet

Sport

• See: 2001 in sports, :Category:2001 in sports

  Athletics

• Alastair Snowdon wins his first national title in the men's marathon, clocking 2:22:12 on 3 June in Christchurch, while Anne Clarke claims her first as well in the women's championship.

  Basketball

• The Men's National Basketball League was won by the Waikato Titans who beat the Wellington Saints 112–97 in the final, the Titans having finished top of the league with 15/16 wins.
• The Women’s National Basketball League was won by the Wellington Swish

  Cricket

• New Zealand cricket team
• The State Championship was won by the Wellington Firebirds

  Golf

• New Zealand Open, :Category:New Zealand golfers in overseas tournaments.

  Horse racing

Harness racing

• New Zealand Trotting Cup: Kym's Girl
• Auckland Trotting Cup: Holmes D G

  Thoroughbred racing

Netball

• Silver Ferns
• National Bank Cup

  Rugby league

• Bartercard Cup won by the Hibiscus Coast Raiders who were also the minor premiers
• The New Zealand Warriors cane 8th of 14 teams in the NRL, qualifying for the playoffs for the first time. They were knocked out in the first round by minor premiers, Parramatta Eels, 56–12.

  Rugby union

• The Super 12 competition was won by the Brumbies, the first win by a non-NZ team. No NZ teams made the semifinals.
• National Provincial Championship: Division 1, Canterbury, Division 2: Hawke's Bay, Division 3: South Canterbury
• the Bledisloe Cup was won by Australia who won both games.
• the Tri Nations Series was won by Australia, with two wins and a draw. New Zealand came second with two wins.
• The Ranfurly Shield was held by Canterbury all season, with successful defences against Buller 69-3, Sth Canterbury 103-0, Nelson Bays 67–10, Bay of Plenty 72–3, Wellington 31–29, Taranaki 38–17, Auckland 38–10, Waikato 52-19

  Shooting

• Ballinger Belt – Murray Steele

  Soccer

• The New Zealand National Soccer League was relaunched as a winter competition with 10 teams and finals playoffs. The winner was Napier City Rovers.
• The Chatham Cup is won by University - Mount Wellington who beat Central United 3–3 in the final.

  Births

• 9 February – Eve Thomas, swimmer
• 6 March – Zoi Sadowski-Synnott, snowboarder
• 27 March – Valentina Ivanov, tennis player
• 8 May – Edward Osei-Nketia, athlete
• 11 June – Ben Waine, association footballer
• 14 June – Maggie Jenkins, association footballer
• 15 June
• * Chelsey Edwards, swimmer
• * Tupou Neiufi, swimmer
• * George Stoupe, tennis player
• 20 June – Elys Ventura, tennis player
• 26 June – Anna Leat, association footballer
• 11 September – El Segundo, Thoroughbred racehorse
• 14 November – Galleons Sunset, Standardbred racehorse
• 23 November – Nico Porteous, freestyle skier
• 29 November – Xcellent, Thoroughbred racehorse
• 1 December – Alice Robinson, alpine skier
• 10 December – Sam Sutton, association footballer
• 21 December – Finn Fisher-Black, cyclist

  Deaths

January–March

• 13 January – William Fraser, politician
• 30 January – Jean Coulston, cricketer
• 1 February
• * Roy Dalgarno, artist
• * Sir Robert Mahuta, Māori leader
• 4 February – Sir David Beattie, jurist, Governor-General
• 27 February – Selwyn Toogood, radio and television personality
• 4 March – Herbert Green, obstetrician and gynaecologist

  April–June

• 8 April – Elsie Locke, writer, historian and activist
• 10 April
• * Nyree Dawn Porter, actor
• * Red Anchor, Thoroughbred racehorse
• 11 April – Sir Thaddeus McCarthy, jurist
• 20 April – Bert Sutcliffe, cricketer
• 22 April – Trevor de Cleene, politician
• 24 April – Lindsay Daen, sculptor and artist
• 5 May – Roger Hill, World War II naval commander
• 18 May – Sir Alan Westerman, public servant
• 19 May
• * Sir Alan Hellaby, businessman
• * Harry Mahon, rowing coach
• 21 May
• * Erkin Bairam, economics academic
• * Cecil Murgatroyd, non-serious politician
• 2 June – Sir Kenneth Hayr, RAF air marshal
• 6 June – Douglas Lilburn, composer
• 8 June – Duncan MacIntyre, politician
• 13 June – Gordon Christie, politician
• 20 June – Wallace Reyburn, writer
• 30 June – Jack Finlay, rugby union player and coach, soldier

  July–September

• 4 July – Charlie Saxton, rugby union player, cricketer
• 6 July – Derek Freeman, anthropologist
• 8 July – John O'Shea, filmmaker and actor
• 18 July – Ritchie Johnston, cyclist
• 19 July
• * Charles King, cyclist
• * Peter Lucas, rower
• 25 July
• * Levi Borgstrom, wood carver
• * Alan Kirton, agricultural scientist
• 27 July
• * George Cholmondeley-Tapper, motor racing driver
• * Van der Hum, Thoroughbred racehorse
• 30 July – Thomas Wells, cricketer and educator
• 5 August
• * Kenelm Digby, lawyer, jurist, public servant
• * Patricia Woodroffe, fencer
• 7 August – Dick Dunn, boxing coach
• 8 August
• * Robin Penhearow, cricketer
• * Peter Sinclair, radio and television personality
• 25 August – Bill Pratney, cyclist and politician
• 1 September – Sir John Robertson, ombudsman
• 31 August – Rex Forrester, hunter and fisherman
• 21 September – Andrew Bradfield, computer programmer
• 23 September – Allen Curnow, poet and journalist
• 28 September – Jack Skeen, rugby union player
• 29 September – Shona McFarlane, artist, journalist and television personality

  October–December

• 8 October – Ray Williams, rugby union player
• 10 October – Norm Wilson, rugby union player and television personality
• 14 October – Sir Philip Adams, diplomat
• 26 October – John Platts-Mills, politician
• 30 October − Jack Scott, politician
• 6 November – Peter Newman, economist
• 10 November – Enid McElwee, fencer
• 13 November
• * Jack Griffiths, rugby union player, soldier
• * Mayzod Reid, diver
• 6 December – Sir Peter Blake, yachtsman
• 14 December – Reg Singer, association football player
• 20 December
• * Manuhuia Bennett – Anglican bishop
• * Dame Miraka Szászy, Māori leader
• 29 December – Brian Bansgrove, film gaffer