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The first time Moana Maniapoto and her band the Moahunters played in Russia, it was at a party in a club in Moscow.
"I was looking out the window at the Kremlin, chomping down caviar, it was so bloody unreal," recalls the Auckland singer.
"Boney M was on stage singing Rasputin and these ex-KGB generals were offering us vodka."
Maniapoto, one of five recipients of Arts Foundation of NZ Arts Laureates Awards last night, said she thought a shot of vodka to settle the nerves would come in handy at the ceremony in Wellington's Embassy Theatre, where each artist was presented with a Terry Stringer statuette and a cheque for $50,000.
The awards also went to Auckland Theatre Company artistic director Colin McColl, Auckland ceramics artist Merilyn Wiseman, Stratford-born dancer Sarah-Jayne Howard, who lives in Sydney, and Feilding-based pianist Michael Houstoun.
The awards, funded by the Lottery Grants Board and private donors, have been presented each year since 2000 in recognition of artists' achievements.
Maniapoto said that when the Arts Foundation phoned her with the news, she initially declined.
"I thought I wasn't flash enough. The person who rang me up said I might want to wait until they had finished their spiel which was, 'blah blah blah and then $50,000'. Holy hell. I'm not that noble that I can decline."
She said she would use some of the money to help fund the band's next album.
McColl said that when he heard he'd been selected as a laureate, "I was completely flummoxed. I was someone who got very excited about a $1000 Chapman Tripp Award.
"This is a serious amount of money. I never win anything."
He has been a major force in NZ theatre for more than 30 years. He said the award might help pay off his mortgage and he half-laughingly suggested he would use his status as a laureate to continue to lobby for the Auckland Theatre Company to have its own theatre.
Howard's family travelled to Wellington yesterday to watch what she described as "a little girl from Strattie" receive her award, presented by her "hero", choreography-dance legend Douglas Wright.
Howard, a freelancer, has travelled the world in productions and most recently appeared in Wright's Black Milk, which toured this country and Sydney last year.
She flies back to Australia tomorrow for a three-hand dance work she has also choreographed, called Roadkill, a "rather sinister" work about a couple stranded in the desert. It had a sellout season in London.
Wiseman won the $10,000 Premiere Portage Ceramic Award in 2005, and had a work featured on a $1.50 NZ Post stamp.
Trained in painting at Goldsmiths School of Art at the University of London, she discovered ceramics in the mid-60s while on holiday in Ireland and has been "hooked" ever since.
Describing the Arts Laureate money as "crazy", Wiseman said it would free her up to explore new ideas and "I do need to patch up some equipment".
Houstoun, this country's greatest classical pianist, used the awards to announce the release of a double album of solo piano music by New Zealand composers, including John Psathas, Douglas Lilburn and Ken Young.
* THE LAUREATES
Merilyn Wiseman: Leading ceramicist known for distinctive use of colour and texture. Work held in many national and international collections.
Michael Houstoun: Regarded as New Zealand's leading concert pianist. Regularly performs in Australia, Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong.
Moana Maniapoto: Singer/songwriter who pushes the boundaries of Maori music. Her current band Moana & The Tribe have played overseas in locations as diverse as Kanak villages in New Caledonia and the former Soviet Union.
Colin McColl: Theatre actor, director and producer. Has produced and directed more than 50 plays as art director of Wellington's Downstage and the Auckland Theatre Company.
Sarah-Jayne Howard: Dancer with successful international career. Has performed with major dance companies throughout New Zealand, Australia, Asia and Europe.
