The second biennial New Zealand Icon Awards (Whakamana Hiranga) are coming up next year and the Arts Foundation, who run it, are asking for suggestions from the general public as to whom they think the honour should be bestowed upon.

They’re also consulting arts organisations, patrons, and experts in their fields for input, but if you want to have a hand in the process, think of senior artists in any or all fields, obviously including literature, go to the rather nice Arts Foundation site and just e-mail them from there. All suggested names will be passed on to the Arts Foundation governors, who will choose seven recipients for the Icon Awards 2005. Nominations close on 31 January 2005.

The 2003 Icon Artists were Len Castle for his pottery; Janet Frame, Hone Tuwhare and Maurice Gee for literature; Ralph Hotere and Milan Mrkusich for their art; Russell Kerr for choreography; Sir Donald McIntyre, for opera; Diggeress Te Kanawa, and Sir Miles Warren, architect. So don’t choose them again; they’re sorted.

The Arts Foundation is an independent charitable trust, set up in 1998 to support and promote excellence in New Zealand arts. Another award was set up in 2000 – the Laureate Award – which is a substantial grant given to mid-career artists who have their best work still ahead of them. The Icon Awards, however, are purely to acknowledge and celebrate the talents and skills, mana and inspiration the recipients provide for New Zealand and New Zealanders. It’s hand on heart stuff all right and damn right too.