Dunedin choreographer, dancer and film-maker Daniel Belton was given $50,000 last night in recognition of his work.
At the New Zealand Arts Awards in Auckland, five artists were presented with Laureate Awards by the Arts Foundation.
Foundation executive director Simon Bowden said the awards were an ''investment in excellence'' and were for a prominent artist with an outstanding potential for future growth.
''Their work is rich but their richest work still lies ahead of them.''
Mr Belton (45) said it was ''really humbling'' to receive a bronze statuette and $50,000 last night.
The New Zealand School of Dance graduate's body of work includes performing with several dance companies in New Zealand and Europe, exhibiting a sculpture series at Winchester Contemporary Art Gallery and premiering his trans-media work Tongue at the Hampshire Dance Festival.
In New Zealand, he has created the inter-media projects, including Homing Hokinga Mai, the film Shoal Dance, the installation Leaf and the new media works Moment and Talking House.
He has taught at New Zealand School of Dance, Te Whaea: The National Dance and Drama Centre of New Zealand, Massey University and the University of Otago. His dance film Henge and Lumin has been successful at national and international film festivals.
His choreography for the work Whai combined dance with kinetic scenography, an electronic score and lasers. Kinetic scenography also featured in his ballet Satellites, commissioned by the Royal New Zealand Ballet for its 2014 national tour.
He directed, designed, danced and edited the multimedia installation Soma Songs, which premiered at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery.
This year and last, he toured his multi-media work OneOne in festivals in New Zealand, South America, Europe, Pacific and Asia.
