What the Folk!

McKenzie honoured
'Where's my invite to Buckingham Palace?'
MICHELLE DUFF
Last updated 05:00 04/06/2012


Mr Bret Peter Tarrant McKenzie - for services to music and film, to be an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM).

The after party won't be as glitzy, but other than that Bret McKenzie reckons that receiving a Queen's Birthday honour shouldn't be too different from winning an Oscar.

"I don't think Tom Cruise will be at the party, but other than that I imagine [it will be] very similar," McKenzie said after finding out that he has been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

"I presume there will be some sort of tea party. I'm hoping this gets me an invite to Buckingham Palace, actually."

The Wellington comedian was honoured for his services to music and film in the honours list today, an inclusion that surprised the Oscar-winning half of Flight of the Conchords.

"I received a very fancy looking envelope from the governor-general, it looked very serious before I opened it. Now I'm wondering, do I get a special uniform now I'm an officer?" McKenzie said.

"I was very surprised, surprised and honoured. I've never worked in music and film in order to get this honour, but yeah, it's great, I'm really into it."

McKenzie won an Academy Award in March for his song, Man or Muppet, which he wrote for The Muppets while musical supervisor of the movie last year.

He won a Grammy Award with Jemaine Clement in 2007, had a role in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and has played in various Wellington bands, including The Black Seeds.

McKenzie is one of the lead actors in Two Little Boys, a feature film by Duncan and Robert Sarkies that premiered at the Berlin Film Festival and will screen in New Zealand later in the year.

McKenzie, who has been back in Wellington for about a month, is now busy preparing for the Flight of the Conchords tour of New Zealand and Australia that kicks off this month.

That's when he's not at home with his two young kids.

"A lot of people ask me where I keep my Oscar, and for those people who are wondering, it's on top of the piano next to the nappy cream. I think that paints a fairly accurate picture of what my life is like at the moment."

How down-to-earth of him - "on top of the piano next to the nappy cream". Love it!

I can't wait to hear what they say about it during tour. I hope some fan gives Jemaine an award during a show, lol.

A tad awkward in places, like when he doesn't want to talk about how Jemaine would react.

And Bret...you may not have saved anyone's life with your contributions but you make so many of us very happy!

Bret McKenzie receives Order of Merit honour


McKenzie receiving his New Zealand Order of Merit medal (Photo: Government House)

By Emma Jolliff

New Zealand musician, comedian, producer and actor Bret McKenzie has become an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

He received the award for services to music and film at Government House today from Governor General Sir Jerry Mateparae.

It follows his Academy Award earlier this year for his song 'Man or Muppet' which he wrote for the 2011 film The Muppets.

As one half of comedy duo Flight of the Conchords with Jemaine Clement, he also won a Grammy Award for the best comedy album in 2007 for The Distant Future.

(Photo: Emma Jolliff / 3 News)

Chef beats Conchord to the laughs at investiture ceremony
By Matthew Backhouse
7:24 PM Thursday Sep 6, 2012

He may have been in the company of award-winning comedy songwriter Bret McKenzie, but restaurateur Al Brown got most of the laughs at an investiture ceremony in Wellington today.

When Governor-General Lieutenant General Sir Jerry Mateparae struggled with the clasp on Brown's New Zealand Order of Merit insignia, the Wellington chef took off his glasses and offered them to Sir Jerry.

With a cheeky smile and a laugh, Sir Jerry obliged and put the glasses on, to laughter from the hundreds of guests at Government House.

A relaxed and humbled Brown told APNZ after the ceremony that Sir Jerry got "stuck" with the pin, so he tried to help him.

"It's quite hard to get the pin in and he didn't have his glasses on. I had mine on, but I couldn't actually see what he was doing so I took mine off and offered them to him.

"It was a lovely, light-hearted sort of moment and I enjoyed it immensely. It took the ice off, no worries."


Brown, who was made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, is well known as a TV presenter, food writer and restaurateur.

His Logan Brown restaurant is an award-winning Wellington institution and his Auckland restaurant Depot, which opened last year, was named supreme winner at this year's Metro/Audi Restaurant of the Year Awards.

Brown said it was "overwhelming" to be honoured for his services as a chef.

Oscar and Grammy award-winning songwriter and actor Bret McKenzie said he felt humbled to be made an officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to music and film.

"All those people in there have given so much to the community."

McKenzie said the ceremony was "more intimate than the Oscars" in March, where he won Best Original Song for his Muppets movie track Man or Muppet.

The Flight of the Conchords member was able to bring his parents, wife, brother and brother's fiance - unlike at the Academy Awards, where only one guest was allowed.

And also unlike the Oscars in Hollywood, McKenzie didn't have to travel far.

"I live five minutes away, so it's a very convenient awards ceremony."

McKenzie said he was "currently in negotiations with Kermit the frog" to work on another Muppets movie.

He and Brown were among dozens of recipients to be honoured at investiture ceremonies in Wellington this week.

- APNZ

Musician among medallists
KERRY MCBRIDE
Last updated 05:00 07/09/2012


ROSS GIBLIN/Fairfax NZ MUPPET MEDAL: Bret McKenzie received the ONZM at an investitures ceremony at Government House. The ceremony’s ‘‘more intimate than the Oscars’’, he said.


More Muppet musicality could be on the way from Bret McKenzie, after he hinted at working with Kermit the Frog again following an investiture ceremony yesterday.

McKenzie was at Government House receiving a Queen's Service Order medal when he said another Muppet film could be on the table. "I am currently in negotiations with Kermit the Frog to maybe do another Muppet movie."

He said the green amphibian was "hard to get on the phone", and Miss Piggy had "nothing to do with the contracts".

McKenzie won an Academy Award for his song Man or Muppet in last year's The Muppets, and won a Grammy in 2007 with bandmate Jemaine Clement for their Flight of the Conchords album The Distant Future.

It was a wonderful feeling to be recognised at the yesterday's investiture ceremony among so many incredible people, he said.

"All of those people have given so much to the community, so it's very humbling to be recognised next to a guy who is trying to cure cancer."

Receiving his medal was a special moment because he was the third generation in his family to receive one.

The ceremony was a lot more personal than his trip to the Oscars, he said. "It's more intimate than the Oscars. They are both very different. It is much more personal and much more New Zealand, or Kiwi."

Sir Roderick Deane also received his knighthood at the ceremony, for his services to business and the community, while KiwiRail chairman John Spencer and chef Al Brown were honoured for their services to their industries.

But Brown's medal gave Governor-General Sir Jerry Mateparae some grief during the ceremony, prompting the well-known restaurateur to offer Sir Jerry a loan of his glasses to help pin it on.

"Those little pins can cause trouble at the best of times, but I think he was having trouble seeing," Brown said. "At least it gave everyone a bit of a chuckle."

Being in the room with people who had achieved so much was a complete honour.

"These people have done so much in so many different ways, so it's so nice to feel like you really are part of the fabric of New Zealand."

Bret McKenzie receives the Insignia of an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit from the Governor-General.