Who should be the recipient of the 2016 Equity Lifetime Achievement Award presented by Foxtel?

2015 recipient Grant Page enjoys his Lifetime Achievement award ceremony surrounded by friends and family. 

This unique award was launched in 2009 to honour the achievements of a leading Australian performer who has had a distinguished career and been an inspiration to other Australian performers.

Equity New Zealand is thrilled to announce that Elizabeth McRae is the recipient of the 2016 Equity Lifetime Achievement Award presented by Ryman Healthcare.

Elizabeth McRae started her acting career in the 70s with a string of TV and film credits including "Terry and the Gunrunners", "Go Girls", "A Death in the Family" and "Rest for the Wicked". She is best known however for her role of receptionist Marjorie in the hit TV series "Shortland Street".

Who do you think should be the recipient of the 2016 Equity New Zealand Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by Ryman?

Dame Kate Harcourt accepts in 2015 Equity New Zealand Lifetime Achievement Award

This year one lucky student Equity member in their final year of drama school will have the opportunity spend a week working alongside the cast and crew of Neighbours.

The one week internship will provide a unique opportunity to go behind-the-scenes of this hugley successful Australian television production and spend time with key cast members as well as the casting, wardrobe, scheduling, script, art make-up and editing departments.

Neighbours producer Natalie Lynch says: “Neighbours and FremantleMedia is thrilled to work with MEAA on this fantastic initiative and we can't wait to welcome the successful applicant to the show.”

 Applications have now closed.

Whitney Richards reads to primary school children as part of the Storyville program

Storyville is the Equity Foundation’s new literacy initiative, which harnesses the talent of performers to encourage children to read. Storyville targets schools with socio-economic disadvantage or where for a majority of students, English is a second language. Storyville is modelled on the hugely successful SAG-AFTRA Foundation BookPALS program in the U.S, where volunteer actors read to over 100, 000 children in schools, hospitals, libraries and social service agencies each month.

Three Australian television casts have been selected from an impressive group of nominees to win the 6th Annual Equity Ensemble Awards.

It was the performances in the second series of ABC comedy Utopia, SBS drama The Principal and Seven miniseries Peter Allen: Not the Boy Next Door that most impressed Australian actors.