It's a big week on the box for presenter Hayley Sproull.
It's a big week on the box for presenter Hayley Sproull.
There's no escaping Hayley Sproull this week. On Thursday night the host with the most presents the The Great Kiwi Bake Off Christmas special on TVNZ 1 and Have You Been Paying Attention's festive episode on TVNZ 2 before sharing the stage with music superstar Stan Walker to host the 56th Aotearoa Music Awards live on TVNZ 2 and OnDemand.
Sproull tells Spy the baking on Bake Offs' Xmas special is "outrageous" both in a comical and impressive sense and that she regards the HYBPA teams as some of the funniest people in the business.
Used to co-hosting Bake Off with gal pal Madeleine Sami, Sproull is buzzing about working with Walker, saying he has a really great sense of humour that she expects will see them both having a laugh on stage.
Sproull has an eclectic taste in music, a few of her faves include Mozart, Blindspott or Alien Weaponry, and before shifting into comedy she was a 10-year-old competitive concert pianist.
"I would never have imagined hosting these awards. I just hope my little inner classical girl feels cool enough among all these rock stars of our industry," she says.
The awards take place at Aotea Centre's Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, which Sproull thinks has the best acoustics in the country. Along with the plethora of nominated artists, there will be celebrity guests and a red carpet, although much depends on the traffic light settings. However the focus, as always for New Zealand's music's biggest night of the year, is ensuring the performances go seamlessly both live and into homes across the country.
Walker will open the show with a performance of his latest song, Come Back Home, then Sproull will join him after exercising her vocal chords beforehand to catch up.
Stan Walker will perform at, and co-host, the Aotearoa Music Awards on Thursday night.
Other performers include Harper Finn, L.A.B, Team Dynamite, TEEKS, Te Nūtube, and Troy Kingi, whom Sproull is most excited about seeing.
Sproull says she's not comparing herself to previous hosts, but is pleased she's working with a veteran. This is Walker's third time as host.
"I've been lucky enough to go to the awards a couple of times but I'm trying not to compare myself too much to the ghosts of hosts past," she says. "I think after everything we've all gone through this year, Stan and I just want to get on stage together and have a lot of fun. And look damn good while doing it."
To do this Sproull has two custom looks for the event. The first is a glamourous dress that was a collaboration between stylist-to-the-stars Sammy Salsa and Fashion Designer, Project Runway NZ alumni Judy Gao, and the second is a bespoke power suit designed by Salsa.
While she's hosting here, she's on the other side of the award fence having been nominated for Best Presenter Entertainment at the NZTV Awards, which are being held in March at Shed 10.
"I'm pretty fizzed about being nominated, to be honest," she says, beaming. "I've often felt like the young kid of television, so to be recognised in this way is just really nice! Also, you don't have to ask me twice to get dressed up and rub shoulders with TV royalty."
But before that, Sproull is looking forward to some downtime after this week and into the holidays.
"After being stuck in lockdown, I'm just looking forward to seeing my family. It's been a tough one for many, so I can't wait to just sit on the deck with my nearest and dearest with a fizzy wine and a bloated belly!"
