Bright young things

In a bold move bound to have raised eyebrows (perhaps among the 30-pluses), all ten finalists for the New Zealand Herald’s New Zealander of the Year award this year were under 30.

Sharing the award are Lorde, Eleanor Catton, and Lydia Ko, who all enjoyed dazzling success on an international level this year. (Lorde and Catton were also named by The Washington Post as ‘new faces of 2013’ to watch, alongside Edward Snowden and Snapchat founder Evan Spiegel.)

The Herald made Lorde, Catton and Ko their New Zealanders of the Year in a tie, arguing that their "exceptional talents" made one choice impossible.

The other finalists were Steven Adams, drafted in the NBA at the age of 20; Josh Jarvis, Fletcher Swan and Jayden Rutten, who saved the life of a drowning man; Dr Sudhvir Singh of Generation Zero (who spoke to us about urban density last week); social media maven Jamie Curry; ballet star Hannah O’Neill; All Black Kieran Read; and Ben Uffindell, founder of the satirical news site The Civilian.

As fantastic as it is to see the country’s talented teens and twenty-somethings recognised, it does have the effect of recalling a Civilian story that ran in the wake of Catton’s Booker victory.

But Uffindell told the NZ Herald’s David Fisher, “I try to tell people The Civilian is not a force for good. It is to amuse you and to make you think about things.” On Friday he spoke to Radio New Zealand’s Nine To Noon about his big year.

Uffindell was also described by Martyn ‘Bomber’ Bradbury as the sole “male success story” of 2013 (and “far too talented for the South Island”), on a par with Lorde, Ko and Catton – an honour Uffindell took with a pinch of salt.