Hayes and Sami to drive Pride In Print awards night

TV celebrity Samantha Hayes and star actress Madeleine Sami will combine their talents to co-host this year’s Pride In Print Awards on May 23.

Awards manager Sue Archibald says the highly talented pair will bring a special blend of laughter and professionalism to fit with the culture of the awards night.

She says, “We needed two MCs who could project to an audience, keep things moving and inject their own personalities on to proceedings, yet at the same time ensure the serious business of the awards proceedings move smoothly. Sam and Madeleine will do just that. They understand how to connect to an audience and I am sure they will play a big part in making the evening go well.”

Currently, Hayes co-hosts the TV3 programme 3rd Degree. She has worked as a journalist and presenter for TV3’s news and current affairs division since 2006. Starting as Nightline’s arts and entertainment reporter, she took on the role of presenter for the show in September 2007. In 2010, she returned to 3News as a reporter, completing a stint as Australian correspondent. Three years later she moved to 3rd Degree as a journalist while also acting as a backup anchor for Firstline.

Sami, an acclaimed character actor and writer, has won numerous awards for her work including a best actress award at the Aotearoa Film and Television Awards and a New Zealand Script Writers Award award for best comedy script in 2011. She has starred television and film productions including Top of the Lake, The Jacquie Brown Diaries, Sione’s Wedding, Outrageous Fortune, Bro Town, The Insider Guide to Happiness, Ice House. She created, wrote and starred Super City.

Archibald says the theme for the evening, Power of Print, emphasises the visual impact print has across many industries, including such high-visibility landmarks as the Air New Zealand Hobbit plane decals and the America’s Cup yachts.

To help companies bring more team members to the Awards, Pride In Print has negotiated accommodation packages at SkyCity and SkyCity Grand. Visitors can obtain special room rates of $189 at SkyCity and $229 at SkyCity Grand (delegates need to enter the access code PRIDE to get the special rates when booking). The rates cover Thursday and Friday nights but, but with limited rooms available, it is a case of first in, first served.

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