Clarke Gayford unboxes Emmys won for Jacinda Ardern documentary
Clarke Gayford has shared a video unboxing the two Emmy Awards won by the documentary 'Prime Minister,' which chronicles the tenure of his wife, former New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern. The film is the first New Zealand production to win two Emmys.
Why it matters
The documentary's success marks a significant milestone for New Zealand's film industry and provides a personal look at high-stakes political leadership.
Clarke Gayford has shared a video of himself unboxing the Emmy Awards won by the documentary about his wife, former Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern. <a href="https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/04/08/clarke-gayford-bewildered-as-ardern-doco-lands-two-emmy-nominations/">Gayford was a producer</a> for the film, Prime Minister, which featured home videos he shot <a href="https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/07/05/ardern-tougher-than-public-saw-sacked-ministers-with-steel-new-book/">during Dame Jacinda's time in office</a>. It followed her as she responded to the Christchurch mosque shootings, the Whakaari eruption, the Covid-19 pandemic, and her pregnancy. Co-directed by Auckland-based filmmaker Michelle Walshe and American Lindsay Utz, the documentary won <a href="https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/05/29/jacinda-ardern-documentary-wins-emmy-award/">the top prize for best documentary</a> at the 2026 News & Documentary Emmy Awards. It also took the award for outstanding politics and government documentary. In an Instagram video, Gayford filmed himself opening the statuettes, saying they were "definitely the prettiest of all of the fancy statues that you can win".
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