VAC History
The Variety Artist’s Convention was set up in 1966 initially to organise an annual Convention on the Monday of Labour Weekend to discuss the state of the entertainment industry. Politicians, union representatives, broadcasting and record company executives were invited to speak and to listen to concerns. The conventions were held at the Manhattan Ballroom in Mt. Roskill. Much of the work achieved at the conventions was later taken up by APRA New Zealand with their push for more local content on television, a music industry commission, a 20% quota for New Zealand music on commercial radio and television and for a non-commercial national radio network for young people.
Soon after, an evening dine-and-dance was added, then in 1969 the presentation of a national lifetime achievement award to recognise a New Zealand entertainer who had excelled in or contributed to the Entertainment industry. The award was named The Benny™ (also known as the Golden Benny) after its first recipient, Edgar Benyon, one of this country’s finest magicians. The Benny™ has become recognised as the most prestigious accolade that can be given to a New Zealand entertainer.
That same year the name of the club was changed to the Variety Artists Club at a farewell function for magician and agent, George Tollerton at the Sorrento on One Tree Hill. George had managed the Fullers Entertainment Agency and was leaving to live in Australia. Later, in 1972 the Club was incorporated as a not-for-profit society with a new constitution defining its aims to provide a much needed umbrella body under which entertainers could find a sense of community, fellowship and support, to have a greater presence in the community and to advocate on behalf of entertainers on issues affecting the industry.
The Club continues to faithfully follow these aims today, providing a regular forum for members to meet, network, and perform, many of them over the years having organised and performed in many fundraising concerts for charities such as children’s hospitals, child cancer support, radio and television charity events, and the SPCA.
The Club has also promoted and attended a number of protests over the years including the demolition of His Majesty’s Theatre in 1988, licensing law changes in 1971 and the 1981 Springbok Rugby Tour.
An awards function has been held every year since 1969 to present the prestigious Benny™ award, but with many other award categories having since been included to acknowledge outstanding artistic achievements.
Scrolls of Honour were added in 1973, which today recognise unselfish and exceptional contributions to the betterment of the entertainment industry, charitable work, and lifetime achievements.
In 1975 a Professional Performer of the Year Award was founded and sponsored by the Shure Microphone Company. Votes were taken from club managers and ballroom operators who were part of a separate organisation of agents and venue owners formed in 1963 and named NEBOA. NEBOA held a ball at the Peter Pan Cabaret in 1964 and by 1965 were granting an Entertainer of the Year Award. The combined VAC and NBEOA Shure Golden Microphone Entertainer of the Year award was presented between 1975 and 1991 when NBEOA was disbanded.
A Pat McMinn Rising Star Award to honour new talent was added in 1986. A Comedy Award was added in 1989 named after comedian Jack Rielly. His wife, Sylvia, won the Benny™ in the same year.
And in 1994 an experiment in covering a wider selection of awards was begun but discontinued three years later after a number of controversies, mainly over the use statuettes in the same shape as the Benny but in silver and bronze. It was felt that it diminished the mana of The Benny™ award. In 1994, after a Benny was awarded to an artist with no variety connections without the committee or the members having voted, an official process was set up for deciding on all future Benny winners that can only be selected at a meeting of past Benny winners, overseen by a VAC Board member. Later, in 2008 the wider selection of awards were reintroduced but acknowledged with a new trophy in the shape a tower inscribed with an image of the Benny.
In 2003 a new members-only trophy was added that was donated by the then president, Noel Agnew and named the Agnew Award for Excellence. Recipients can only be nominated and selected by club members. The first recipient was 2000 Benny recipient, Doug Ashton.
In 2017 a major Award was created to cover artistes worthy of the Benny but for one reason or another did not fit the conditions. Named the President’s Medallion it is a medal decided on by the President. The first recipient was Max Merritt.
A Patron’s Award was added in 2018, the recipient being chosen from a list of all award nominees from each year.
Throughout the years from 1966, aside from the conventions and awards presentations, members’ gatherings were largely informal at events like yearly cricket matches, golf tournaments or picnics. But in 1996 it was decided to organise regular monthly member’s nights that soon morphed into open-mic evenings with members performing in an informal environment.
Over the following years these nights became more organised into mini variety shows and the club purchased equipment to give it greater versatility and control over the sound and image. Since moving to the Pt Chev RSA we now have a huge stage, great lighting and a fine sound system and the club nights have been opened up to the public and are promoted as the “VAC Entertainment Showcase”. With a small door charge, we are able to attract professional entertainers each month.