TONIGHT ` ON THE EVE OF HER UNITED NATIONS ADDRESS, THE PRIME MINISTER CHARMS THE LATE NIGHT TV AUDIENCE, AS DONALD TRUMP MAKES ANOTHER BOMBSHELL ACCUSATION. ACCUSED OF ASSAULTING A STAFFER. ALL OVER A MISSED PHOTO-OP, ACCORDING TO A LEAKED REPORT INTO THE ACTIONS OF SACKED MINISTER MEKA WHAITIRI. AND THE SUCKER PUNCH ` THE OCTOPUS GIVING A FACE FULL OF TENTACLES TO A KAYAKER AFTER BEING FLUNG BY A SEAL. CAPTIONS BY JULIE TAYLOR AND ELIZABETH WELSH. CAPTIONS WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF NZ ON AIR. COPYRIGHT ABLE 2018 OUR PRIME MINISTER JACINDA ARDERN MAKES HER DEBUT SPEECH TO THE UNITED NATIONS ASSEMBLY TOMORROW ` ANOTHER BIG STEP ON THE WORLD STAGE. BUT AHEAD OF HER BIG MOMENT, U.S. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP HAS CAUSED SHOCKWAVES BY ACCUSING CHINA OF ELECTION INTERFERENCE. OUR U.S. CORRESPONDENT REBECCA WRIGHT IS COVERING EVENTS IN NEW YORK. JACINDA ARDERN AMONG FRIENDS THIS MORNING, TALKING TRADE WITH CHILE'S PRESIDENT SEBASTIAN PINERA AND CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER JUSTIN TRUDEAU. AT THE SAME TIME, ACROSS TOWN, A FAR TENSER GATHERING ABOUT TO UNRAVEL. PRESIDENT TRUMP CHAIRING HIS FIRST SECURITY COUNCIL MEETING. THE SECURITY COUNCIL IS CALLED TO ORDER. AND WITH THE WORLD WATCHING, DROPPED A BOMBSHELL. REGRETTABLY, WE FOUND THAT CHINA HAS BEEN ATTEMPTING TO INTERFERE IN OUR UPCOMING 2018 ELECTION ` AGAINST MY ADMINISTRATION. THEY DO NOT WANT ME OR US TO WIN, BECAUSE I AM THE FIRST PRESIDENT TO EVER CHALLENGE CHINA ON TRADE, AND WE ARE WINNING ON TRADE. WE ARE WINNING AT EVERY LEVEL. THE CHINESE DELEGATION VISIBLY STUNNED AND LEFT SCRAMBLING TO RESPOND. TRANSLATOR: WE REFUSE TO ACCEPT ANY UNWARRANTED ACCUSATIONS AGAINST CHINA. PRESIDENT TRUMP DIDN'T PROVIDE ANY DETAIL AT THE TIME, BUT IT APPEARS THAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT TARGETED TRADE MEASURES TO APPLY POLITICAL PRESSURE TO HIS ADMINISTRATION BY CHINA. IT'S A REMARKABLE CHILLING IN THE RELATIONSHIP AMID ESCALATING TRADE TENSIONS. BUT THE PRESIDENT HAD MUCH MORE TO SAY AT A WILD AND FREEWHEELING PRESS CONFERENCE LATE TODAY, INCLUDING WHY WORLD LEADERS WERE LAUGHING DURING HIS SPEECH TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. THEY WEREN'T LAUGHING AT ME. THEY WERE LAUGHING WITH ME. WE HAD FUN. THAT WAS NOT LAUGHING AT ME. TONIGHT, APPEARING ON THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT,... PLEASE WELCOME, PRIME MINISTER OF NEW ZEALAND, JACINDA ARDERN. ...THE PRIME MINISTER WAS ASKED WHAT SHE HEARD ON TUESDAY. ARE YOU TRYING TO CREATE A DIPLOMATIC INCIDENT RIGHT NOW? AND YOU JOINED IN? NO, I OBSERVED. (AUDIENCE LAUGHS) ARDERN WAS POLISHED AND RELAXED AND SEEMED TO ENJOY THE BANTER. CAN PEOPLE JUST WALK UP TO YOU AND TALK TO YOU IN NEW ZEALAND? YES, ABSOLUTELY. IN FACT, I'VE STOPPED AND HAD CONVERSATIONS IN THE MOST AWKWARD OF SITUATIONS ` MATERNITY-BRA SHOPPING, GROCERY STORE. SO, NOW SHE HAS JUST ONE MORE AUDIENCE TO IMPRESS ` THE PRIME MINISTER MAKES HER DEBUT SPEECH TO THE UN TOMORROW. GOOD LUCK WITH THE TARIFFS AND EVERYTHING. AND GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR SPEECH TOMORROW. I HOPE EVERYONE LAUGHS. NO PRESSURE (!) REBECCA WRIGHT, 1 NEWS, NEW YORK. AND ANOTHER LITTLE SNIPPET NOW FROM JACINDA ARDERN'S APPEARANCE ON THE LATE SHOW ABOUT THE PRIME MINISTER'S BRIEF CHAT WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP ABOUT THOSE TARIFFS. IN FACT, I HAD A VERY BRIEF ENCOUNTER WITH THE PRESIDENT AT A RECEPTION AS PART OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY WEEK OF EVENTS, AND I DID RAISE IT WITH HIM. MM-HM. AND HOW DID THAT GO? WELL, IT WAS` THERE WAS A SLIGHT DISTRACTION. MY PARTNER KNOCKED OVER A FLAGPOLE, WHICH DISRUPTED` (AUDIENCE LAUGHS) WHILE YOU WERE TALKING TO PRESIDENT TRUMP? RIGHT AT THE END OF IT. SO I MENTIONED THIS. HE ACKNOWLEDGED WE WERE STILL WORKING ON IT, WHICH WE ARE. GOOD, GOOD. AND THEN... THEN THE FLAG WENT DOWN. (AUDIENCE LAUGHS) WAS IT AN AMERICAN FLAG? I DIDN'T CATCH WHICH FLAG IT WAS. CLARKE WAS SCRAMBLING TO FIX THE SITUATION, SO... IF SECURITY DID NOT ESCORT YOU TO THE BORDER, THEN IT WASN'T AN AMERICAN FLAG. WELL, AS I TURNED AROUND, HE WAS HOLDING THIS` WHAT I CAN ONLY DESCRIBE AS A LONG METAL PRONG, WHICH I THINK WAS THE DEVICE THAT SPLAYS THE FLAG. OH, OK. AND I'M SUPRISED NO ONE LEAPT ON HIM AT THAT POINT, BECAUSE IT LOOKED LIKE A WEAPON. AN INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN LAUNCHED AFTER THE LEAKING OF A REPORT INTO THE ALLEGED ASSAULT BY SACKED GOVERNMENT MINISTER MEKA WHAITIRI. THE UNNAMED VICTIM WAS LEFT PHYSICALLY BRUISED BY THE INCIDENT. POLITICAL REPORTER MAIKI SHERMAN HAS THE DETAILS. THIS TRIP TO GISBORNE BY THE PRIME MINISTER WAS A MAJOR COUP FOR LOCAL MP MEKA WHAITIRI. I'M REALLY PLEASED THAT THE PRIME MINISTER AND SENIOR MINISTERS ARE HERE TODAY. SO PLEASED, IN FACT, THE MP DETERMINED TO MAKE THE MOST OF IT. IT'S BEEN REVEALED THIS MEDIA INTERVIEW SPARKED THE INCIDENT. WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE WAY WE FUND HEALTH SERVICES. MPs USUALLY STAND BESIDE THE PRIME MINISTER IN THESE SITUATIONS. MEKA WHAITIRI WAS ANGRY SHE MISSED IT. THE STAFF MEMBER TOLD THE INVESTIGATION THE MP CAME UP FROM BEHIND HER AND GRABBED HER ARM. SHE SAYS IT LEFT BRUISING AND THERE ARE PHOTOGRAPHS. OBVIOUSLY, THE MOMENT THAT I GOT THE REPORT, I MADE MY DECISION. I, OF COURSE, WAS NOT HAPPY WITH WHAT I READ. THE STAFF MEMBER DESCRIBED BEING GRABBED, SAYING... MEKA WHAITIRI DENIES ANY PHYSICAL CONTACT, SAYING... THE INVESTIGATOR REPORTEDLY FOUND THE STAFFER'S VERSION OF EVENTS MORE LIKELY. THE INCIDENT SPARKED DEBATE IN PARLIAMENT THIS WEEK. YOU DO NOT GO AROUND LAYING HANDS ON OTHER PEOPLE TO THE EXTENT THAT IT LEAVES BRUISING. THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS WAS IN THE PROCESS OF PREPARING A SANITISED VERSION OF THE REPORT FIT FOR PUBLIC RELEASE, BUT TODAY'S REVELATIONS HAS SEEN IT LAUNCH AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE LEAK. THE NOW FORMER MINISTER MEKA WHAITIRI WASN'T AT PARLIAMENT TODAY, BUT EARLIER THIS WEEK FRONTED MEDIA. I'M GOING TO TAKE TIME NOW TO REFLECT AND LOOK AT WAYS OF IMPROVING MYSELF. THE MP CONTINUES TO BE BACKED BY HER MAORI CAUCUS COLLEAGUES. LAST WEEK, JACINDA ARDERN HINTED SHE COULD BE BACK. I, OF COURSE, LIKE TO LEAVE A PATH FOR MINISTERS. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT SHE'S SETTING A VERY LOW BAR AND A LOW STANDARD. THE POLICE TODAY REITERATED THAT AFTER SPEAKING WITH THE ALLEGED VICTIM, THERE WILL BE NO FURTHER ACTION. MAIKI SHERMAN, 1 NEWS. WELLINGTON AIRPORT'S HOLDING OUT ON SAFETY, ACCORDING TO THE PILOTS UNION. THE AIRPORT'S APPLIED TO EXTEND ITS RUNWAY TO CATER TO LONG-HAUL FLIGHTS, BUT CLAIM THERE'S NO NEED TO INCREASE SAFETY AREAS FOR THOSE LARGER PLANES. MICHAEL CROPP TAKES A LOOK AT THE TRICKY DECISION THE DIRECTOR OF CIVIL AVIATION HAS TO MAKE. A WHITE-KNUCKLE LANDING IN WINDY WELLINGTON ONTO A RUNWAY WITH 90M OF EXTRA STOPPING DISTANCE AT EITHER END. IT IS SUCH A CRITICAL FLIGHT SAFETY ISSUE FOR THE TRAVELLING PUBLIC. YOU MIGHT NOT BE AWARE OF IT TUCKED UP IN THE PLANE, BUT SAFETY AREAS ARE DESIGNED TO GIVE PLANES EXTRA ROOM TO STOP IN AN EMERGENCY TO MINIMISE THE CHANCES OF THIS KIND OF OVERRUN. (WHISTLES SCREECH) IN WELLINGTON, THE SAFETY AREAS ARE 90M LONG, THE MINIMUM REQUIRED BY LAW. THERE ARE BIG DROP-OFFS AT EITHER END, AND PILOTS WORRY ABOUT WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THERE WAS AN OVERRUN. WELLINGTON AIRPORT AND DIRECTOR SHOULD BE LOOKING AT THE INTERNATIONAL BEST PRACTICE, WHICH WE BELIEVE IS 240M. IN 2015, THE CIVIL AVIATION DIRECTOR AGREED TO WELLINGTON AIRPORT'S PROPOSAL TO EXTEND ITS RUNWAY, WITHOUT EXTENDING THE SAFETY AREAS. BUT THE PILOTS ASSOCIATION LAUNCHED A LEGAL CHALLENGE THAT WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE SUPREME COURT, WHICH FOUND SAFETY AREAS SHOULD IDEALLY BE 240M IF PRACTICABLE AND NO SHORTER THAN 90M. AND THE CIVIL AVIATION DIRECTOR SHOULD HAVE CONSIDERED FACTORS SUCH AS IMPROVING SAFETY IN HIS DECISION MAKING. AND WHAT IS PRACTICABLE NEEDS TO BE ASSESSED IN CONTEXT. NOW, WELLINGTON AIRPORT'S TRYING AGAIN, APPLYING TO KEEP THE 90M SAFETY AREAS, BUT LENGTHEN THE RUNWAY, SAYING IT'S CONSISTENT WITH THE SUPREME COURT'S REASONING. IT'LL ALSO COST AROUND A MILLION DOLLARS A METRE TO EXTEND THE RUNWAY SAFETY AREA OR RESA, A COST IT SAYS CAN'T BE JUSTIFIED. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC AS WELL AS THE CREW THAT FLY THE AEROPLANE. AND THERE'S WELL-DOCUMENTED BEST PRACTICE THAT 240M RESA IS THE MOST SAFE PRACTICE FOR AIRPORT RUNWAYS INTERNATIONALLY. THERE IS AN ARGUMENT THAT 90 IS SAFE. THERE'S NOTHING TO SUGGEST THAT WELLINGTON IN ITS PRESENT CONFIGURATION IS ANYTHING OTHER THAN SAFE. THE AIRPORT DECLINED TO SPEAK TO 1 NEWS, BUT SAYS IT COULD EXTEND TO 140M SAFETY AREAS AT A PRICE TAG OF $44 MILLION IF IT BUILDS RIGHT TO THE EDGE OF THIS BOUNDARY. IT'D GIVE PLANES MORE ROOM TO STOP, BUT THE PILOTS SAY THAT WOULD CREATE A 9M VERTICAL DROP FROM THE RUNWAY TO THE ROAD BELOW. 1 NEWS ASKED MR ROBINSON WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF A PLANE WENT OVER THAT EDGE. OH, SIGNIFICANT. ABSOLUTELY CATASTROPHIC BREAK-UP OF THE AIRCRAFT, SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF LIFE IN A SITUATION LIKE THAT, I'D SUGGEST. THE CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY IS EXPECTED TO MAKE A DECISION ON THE LENGTH OF THE SAFETY AREAS BY THE END OF OCTOBER. MICHAEL CROPP, 1NEWS. NO RUNWAY NEEDED FOR THIS, BUT IF THE IDEA OF SKIPPING TRAFFIC IN YOUR VERY OWN FLYING CAR APPEALS TO YOU, THEN YOU MIGHT WANT TO START SAVING. AFTER YEARS IN THE MAKING, THE FIRST AIRBORNE VEHICLE OF ITS KIND WILL GO ON SALE NEXT MONTH AND SHOULD BE READY BY 2019. MANUFACTURED IN CHINA, IT WILL REACH SPEEDS OF UP TO 160KM PER HOUR, BUT THE PRICE TAG REMAINS A MYSTERY. SYDNEY'S SAINT VINCENT HOSPITAL HAS LED THE LATEST BREAKTHROUGH IN HEART TRANSPLANT MEDICINE. DOCTORS HAVE DEVELOPED ANOTHER WAY TO BOOST THE DONOR POOL, AND CHANNEL NINE'S GABRIELLE ROGERS SPOKE TO THE FIRST MAN IN THE WORLD TO BENEFIT FROM THE LIFESAVING TECHNIQUE. ALAN CRAWFORD IS MAKING A REMARKABLE RECOVERY, THANKS TO A NEW HEART. BUT IT WASN'T YOUR STANDARD HEART TRANSPLANT. WHEN THEY SAID THEY WERE READY TO GO, I JUST JUMPED ON THE OPERATING TABLE. THAT'S BECAUSE ALAN'S LIFE WAS IN THE BALANCE, HAVING SUFFERED CHRONIC HEART FAILURE. THE HEART HE WAS ABOUT TO RECEIVE STOPPED BEATING, BUT WAS BROUGHT BACK TO LIFE THANKS TO THIS MACHINE, PIONEERED BY DOCTORS AT SYDNEY'S SAINT VINCENT HOSPITAL. I'VE FINALLY GOT MY NEW HEART. WELL, I'M HOPING TO GET IT. SO, I LOVE EVERYONE. WHILE THAT WAS BEING RECORDED, DOCTORS, FOR THE FIRST TIME, SCANNED THE BEATING DONOR HEART FOR ANY SIGN OF DISEASE. WHICH HASN'T BEEN DONE BEFORE WHEN THAT'S RESULTED IN A TRANSPLANT. IT WAS A SURREAL MOMENT AS DOCTORS PERFORMED THE ANGIOGRAM. THEN, OBVIOUSLY, IT RAISES A FEW EYEBROWS. AND WE COULDN'T QUITE FIT IT IN THERE. WE HAD TO PUT IT ON THE PHONE BOOKS TO GET IT TO THE RIGHT HEIGHT. BUT THEIR EFFORTS PAID OFF ` THE DONOR HEART WAS GIVEN THE ALL CLEAR. WE ASCERTAINED THAT THE ARTERIES WERE ALL NORMAL, SO WE WENT ON TO USE IT. DONOR HEARTS WITH A FAMILY HISTORY OF CORONARY HEART DISESASE ARE USUALLY DEEMED UNSUITABLE FOR TRANSPLANTS. ALL THE PLANETS JUST ALIGNED, AND YOU WERE THERE AND A HEART ARRIVED, AND I'M SO THANKFUL THAT PERSON WAS ON THE DONOR'S LIST. DOCTORS SAY THIS WILL BOOST THE SUPPLY OF DONORS EVEN MORE. IT HAS ALREADY INCREASED BY 30% SINCE THE HEART IN THE BOX MADE WORLD HEADLINES IN 2014. DESPITE THE MEDICAL MILESTONES, THE WAITING LIST CONTINUES TO GROW. HEART FAILURE IS THE BIGGEST KILLER IN OUR SOCIETY. WHICH IS WHY ALAN IS SO GRATEFUL HE'S BEEN GIVEN A SECOND CHANCE. THEIR FAMILY WILL NEVER KNOW WHO I AM, BUT, YOU KNOW, I CAN ASSURE THEM, I'M GOING TO MAKE GOOD USE OF THE HEART. A MURI AKE I NGA WHAKATAIRANGA. THE MOMENT A KAYAKER IS SLAPPED IN THE FACE BY AN OCTOPUS THROWN BY A SEAL. THE STORY BEHIND THE SMACKDOWN. AND WE LOOK AT THE DIVERSE RANGE OF FINALISTS FOR THE NZ MUSIC AWARDS. AND WHO HAS THE MOST NOMINATIONS? ONE OF THE MEN BELIEVED TO BE BEHIND THE NOVICHOK POISONINGS IN SALISBURY HAS BEEN REPORTEDLY IDENTIFIED AS A RUSSIAN COLONEL. THE INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM WEBSITE BELLINGCAT PUBLISHED WHAT IT SAYS IS THE REAL IDENTITY OF THE MAN NAMED AS RUSLAND BOSHIROV. THEY SAY HE IS ACTUALLY COLONEL ANATOLIY CHEPIGA FROM RUSSIAN MILITARY INTELLIGENCE, WHO'D PREVIOUSLY SERVED IN CHECHNYA AND THE UKRAINE. A RUSSIAN ACTIVIST WHO BELIEVES HE WAS POSIONED BY THE RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT HAS SPOKEN OUT FOR THE FIRST TIME. PYOTR VERZILOV IS A MEMBER OF THE ANTI-KREMLIN PROTEST GROUP PUSSY RIOT. HE FELL ILL AFTER DISRUPTING THE FOOTBALL WORLD CUP FINAL IN MOSCOW. THERE ARE MANY, MANY OPTIONS FOR SOMEBODY AT SOME POINT TO INSERT SOMETHING IF THEY REALLY WANTED TO. DOCTORS IN BERLIN HAVE FOUND NO TRACE OF POISON, BUT THEY SAY VERZILOV'S SYMPTOMS WERE MOST LIKELY CAUSED BY A DRUG THAT AFFECTS THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. AUSTRALIA'S GOVERNMENT IS PUMPING NEARLY $400,000 INTO A NEW STRAWBERRY PR PLAN. THE MOVE ANNOUNCED AS THE COUNTRY'S PRIME MINISTER TOURED QUEENSLAND, THE STATE WORST HIT BY THE NEEDLES IN FRUIT CRISIS. THE CASH WILL FUND TAMPER-PROOF PACKAGING, BOOST SECURITY ON PACKING LINES AND A PUBLIC CONFIDENCE CAMPAIGN. ALL EXPORTS, INCLUDING THOSE SENT TO NZ, ARE NOW BEING X-RAYED AND SHRINK-WRAPPED. MEANWHILE, A QUEENSLAND BREWERY IS DOING ITS BIT TO SUPPORT FARMERS BY MAKING A NEW STRAWBERRY BEER OUT OF HUNDREDS OF KILOS OF DUMPED FRUIT. NOW TO THE OCEAN SMACKDOWN THAT'S HARD TO BELIEVE. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IF SOMEONE ASKED YOU 'HAVE YOU SEEN THE SEAL SLAP A KAYAKER WITH AN OCTOPUS?' IT'S A CASE OF SEEING TO BELIEVE, SO BEFORE YOU SAY, 'ARE YOU SQUIDDING ME?' TAKE A LOOK AT MICHAEL CROPP'S REPORT. A STUNNING DAY ON THE WATER, INTERRUPTED BY... HOLY! (LAUGHTER) A SEAL, PREPARING ITS DINNER. THERE'S AN OCTOPUS ON MY BOAT! WHICH WAS UNFORTUNATE FOR THIS GUY, WHO GOT IN THE WAY. (LAUGHS)IT'S THE CRAZIEST THING. YOU CAN FEEL EVERY LITTLE ONE OF THOSE SUCTION CUPS HIT YOU. THE SMELL, THE SHOCK. I MEAN, IT WAS JUST SUDDENLY SO HAPPEN AND VIOLENT, THAT IT WAS JUST, LIKE... IT'S OVERWHELMING. THESE KAYAKERS WERE ON A JAUNT OFF KAIKOURA ARRANGED BY GO PRO, CHECKING OUT THE COMPANY'S LATEST GEAR. WE SAW A GIANT BULL SEAL FIGHTING AN OCTOPUS. AND WE WERE JUST SITTING THERE, MAYBE 10M AWAY, WATCHING THE SHOW, LIKE, UNFOLD BEFORE OUR EYES. THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, THE BIG SEAL DOVE DEEP. AND THEN OUT OF NOWHERE, THE SEAL CAME UP RIGHT NEXT TO ME AND THRASHED IT ROUND. THE VIDEO'S GONE VIRAL, MAKING HIM WORLD FAMOUS IN THE PROCESS. AND TO ANSWER KYLE'S QUESTION ` WHAT HAPPENED? AND WHY DID I GET HIT IN THE FACE BY AN OCTOPUS? 1 NEWS SOUGHT THE HELP OF A MARINE BIOLOGIST, WHO SAYS THE SEAL WAS AFTER A FEED, NOT A FIGHT. THEY USUALLY GRAB ONE LEG OF THE OCTOPUS, SMACK IT AROUND ON THE WATER'S SURFACE, EAT THAT LEG WHEN IT COMES OFF AND THEN START OVER WITH THE NEXT LEG. SEALS ARE KNOWN TO THROW LARGE FISH AS WELL,... SMACK. ...BUT GETTING BITE-SIZE CHUNKS AREN'T THE ONLY REASON. THE OCTOPUS MIGHT VERY WELL TRY TO GET OUT. AND ALSO OCTOPUS HAVE QUITE SHARP LITTLE BEAKS ` LOOK A BIT LIKE A PARROT. SO THEY CAN DO THE SEAL A BIT OF DAMAGE INTERNALLY. AND SO THEY BREAK IT UP INTO PIECES BEFORE THEY EAT IT. SHE SAYS IT WAS PROBABLY A CASE OF BEING IN THE WRONG PLACE AT THE WRONG TIME. JUST AS THE SEAL COMES UP WITH THE OCTOPUS, IT SEEMS TO HAVE ITS EYES CLOSED, SO IT PROBABLY COULDN'T SEE WHAT IT WAS DOING. AND WHILE THE SEAL MAY HAVE HAD ITS EYES SHUT, LUCKY FOR US, THE CAMERA'S WERE OPEN. I'M NEVER GOING TO LOOK AT CALAMARI THE SAME WAY. THAT WAS CRAZY. WHAT?! MICHAEL CROPP, 1 NEWS. THE FINALISTS FOR THIS YEAR'S VODAFONE NEW ZEALAND MUSIC AWARDS HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED, WITH FOUR ACTS TIED FOR HAVING THE MOST TUI NODS. AS LAURA TWYMAN DISCOVERED, THE NOMINATIONS REFLECT A MUSIC SCENE THAT'S MORE DIVERSE THAN EVER. (ALIEN WEAPONRY'S 'KAI TANGATA') THIS MAORI HARD ROCK MUSIC FROM BAND 'ALIEN WEAPONRY' IS PRACTICALLY THE POLAR OPPOSITE OF JULIA DEANS' LATEST SOLO COLLECTION. # MAINTAINING THE LIGHT # BUT BOTH ARE IN THE RUNNING FOR THE SAME HONOUR AT THE VODAFONE NEW ZEALAND MUSIC AWARDS ` ALBUM OF THE YEAR. TO BE HONEST, I WASN'T EXPECTING ANY NOMINATIONS. SO TO BE INCLUDED IS FANTASTIC. I REALLY LIKE THAT THERE'S A GREAT DIVERSITY OF ARTISTS THAT ARE IN EACH NOMINATION CATEGORY; I THINK IT'S REALLY INTERESTING. THE VARIETY REFLECTING THE CURRENT MUSIC SCENE. I JUST THINK IT'S REALLY EXCITING IN NEW ZEALAND THAT SO MUCH MUSIC'S BEING MADE AND RECORDED. THERE'S SUCH A RANGE OF STYLES GOING ON AND REAL CROSS-POLLINATION AS WELL OF ARTISTS WORKING WITH EACH OTHER. UNLIKE PREVIOUS YEARS, THERE'S NO CLEAR FRONT RUNNERS FOR THE AWARDS. BUT FOUR GROUPS SHARE THE PRESTIGE OF HAVING THE MOST TUI NODS. ALIEN WEAPONRY'S ONE OF THOSE GROUPS, AS IS DRAX PROJECT,... (DRAX PROJECT'S 'WOKE UP LATE') ...THE UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA,... (THE UNKNOWN MORTAL ORCHESTRA'S 'HUNNYBEE') ...AND SIX60,... ...WHICH HAS RECENTLY BECOME THE FIRST KIWI ACT TO SELL OUT AUCKLAND'S WESTERN SPRINGS. I THINK WE'VE GOT LOTS OF OPTIONS. IT'S A REAL SHOWCASE OF NEW ZEALAND MUSICIANS. AND MANY NOMINEES ARE TOURING INTERNATIONALLY. A LOT OF THEM HAVE BEEN OVERSEAS, SO I THINK THAT'S QUITE ENCOURAGING THAT THEY'RE TOURING GLOBALLY, THAT NEW ZEALAND MUSIC'S BEEN TAKEN TO THE WORLD. THEY'RE TOURING IN SAMOA AND NORTH AMERICA OR EUROPE OR ELSEWHERE. OTHERS, LIKE JULIA DEANS, BUSY TOURING HERE, ALL WHILE PREPARING FOR THE NEXT PROJECT. AFTER THIS, PROBABLY GOING TO LOOK AT STARTING TO WRITE A NEW ALBUM. RIGHT ONTO THE NEXT THING? OH, YEAH! NO SLEEP FOR THE WICKED. (LAUGHS) AND IT'S THAT SORT OF HARD WORK BEING RECOGNISED THROUGH THE AWARDS. WINNERS HAVE ALREADY BEEN DETERMINED, BUT THE NAMES ARE UNDER LOCK AND KEY UNTIL THEY'RE ANNOUNCED ON STAGE IN NOVEMBER. LAURA TWYMAN, 1 NEWS. JUST AHEAD ` YOUR FRIDAY WEATHER. WATCH OUT FOR SOME SPRING SHOWERS AND SUNSHINE. PLUS, STAR WARS IN VIRTUAL REALITY, SO FANS CAN IMMERSE THEMSELVES IN THE DARK WORLD OF DARTH VADER. STAR WARS FANS ARE BEING PROMISED A CLOSE UP LOOK AT DARTH VADER IN A NEW THREE PART SERIES TOLD THROUGH VIRTUAL REALITY. THE EPISODES WILL TAKE VIEWERS INSIDE VADER'S FIERY LAVA-RIDDEN FORTRESS, AND THEY'LL HEAR FROM THE NOTORIOUS VILLAIN HIMSELF. YOU MAY WONDER WHY I HAVE BROUGHT YOU HERE. THE NEW VIRTUAL REALITY SERIES WILL TAKE PLACE BETWEEN 'REVENGE OF THE SITH' AND 'A NEW HOPE', THE THIRD AND FOURTH EPISODES IN THE FILM FRANCHISE. VIEWERS WILL BE ABLE TO CONTROL A LIGHTSABER IN THE STORY, WHICH WILL ONLY BE ABLE TO BE WATCHED ON OCULUS REALITY TV HEADSETS. NOW TO TOMORROW'S WEATHER. (BENNY BLANCO, HALSEY AND KHALID'S 'EASTSIDE') THAT'S IT FROM US HERE ON TONIGHT. THANKS FOR WATCHING. GOODNIGHT. CAPTIONS BY JULIE TAYLOR AND ELIZABETH WELSH.