Quote of the Year

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Quote of the Year is an annual New Zealand vote run by Massey University. [1] A vote is held to determine best quote in New Zealand for the year.

Contents

Timeline

2024

Winner

Announced on the 20th December, the quote from Pepper the Cockatoo "Hello Darling", her catchphrase which she said while at Porirua Police Station, was awarded the winner of the 2024 competition following a public vote. [2] [3]

Finalists

From 70 nominations, the 10 finalists for Quote of the Year 2024 were: [4]

  1. "You've got enough room out there for like three rugby fields" Black Fern Ruby Tui to King Charles referring to the Buckingham Palace Garden.
  2. "Let me be clear: I'm wealthy, I'm ‒ you know - sorted." Prime Minister Christopher Luxon discussing the sale of his flat in Wellington.
  3. "Hello Darling!" Pepper, a Cockatoo that was stolen (referred to as 'bird-napped' by media [5] [6] ) talking to police in Porirua.
  4. "Lounging on the couch, eating Maccas and KFC and popping out babies" Portia Woodman on retiring after the Olympics.
  5. "What the hell is this? Look what I've been sleeping on the whole time!" Speed climber Julian David looking at his unusual mattress at the Olympic Village.
  6. "Was this a difficult case for me? I think it was a difficult case for everyone." Crown solicitor Alysha McClintock to reporters after the not guilty verdict in the Polkinghorne trial.
  7. "I hate those symbols and salutes, but I quite like knowing who the idiots in society are." ACT Party leader David Seymour on people using Nazi symbols and salutes.
  8. "I felt like he needed the hug more than me." Black Fern Ayesha Leti-I'iga on asking King Charles for a hug.
  9. “If he were in New Zealand, he would be called 'Fish and Chip shop-sy.” Comedian Jeremy Corbett on the theory that graffiti artist Banksy got his name from spray painting banks.
  10. "Kāwana!” (Government); “No, don’t do that.”; “Kāwana, ka whakamanuwhiritia koe e au….” (Government, I ask you...) Te Pāti Māori MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke (speaking Te Reo Maaori) before performing a haka in the House of Representatives and Speaker Gerry Brownlee trying to maintain the order of the house.

According to Dr Rachel Kavan, who leads the Quote of the Year panel, said that they wouldn't usually allow two quotes from the same event, but the Black Farms meeting the king inspired them to break protocol. [7]

2023

Winner

"'Nah, we’re just three Māori boys" — Mikey Kihi, Rikki Kihi, and Morehu Maxwell. During Cyclone Gabrielle, these three were rescuing people in a boat, and were asked "Are you guys from the navy?" [8]

Finalists

The 10 finalists of 2023 were: [1]

  1. "I don't listen to rumours. I just start them." — Taika Waititi
  2. "I encourage all of you to go out there, have more babies if you wish, that would be helpful." — Christopher Luxon
  3. "A B-grade American celebrity coming out and essentially hijacking Bird of the Century. I don’t think he even likes birds." — Erin Reilly of Save the Kiwi (referencing John Oliver campaigning for the puteketeke).
  4. "Nah, we’re just three Māori boys." — Mikey Kihi, Rikki Kihi, and Morehu Maxwell (While rescuing trapped people during Cyclone Gabrielle, these three were asked if they were from the navy)
  5. "How big is his hole?" — Nicola Willis (asking Grant Robertson in parliament about a fiscal gap)
  6. "You can be a mother, or not, an ex-Mormon, or not, a nerd, a crier, a hugger – you can be all of these things, and not only can you be here – you can lead." — Jacinda Ardern (during her farewell speech from her role as prime minister)
  7. "There is nobody who fails to be interesting" — Kim Hill (referencing her job interviewing people as a broadcaster)
  8. "Up the Wahs!" — Fans of the Warriors.
  9. "The issue is rain. We really need that to stop." — Auckland mayor Wayne Brown (as the city went into a state of emergency).
  10. "Oh, have you got ID?" — Auckland bar manager (asking Ed Sheeran)

2022

Winner

"I would have thought that Grant Robertson would be a much bigger threat to lamingtons than lamingtons would be a threat to Grant Robertson" — David Seymour [9]

Finalists

The 10 finalists of 2022 were: [10]

  • "They said nobody cared about women’s rugby. Well guess what? We are here! We are here, fam !" — Ruby Tui
  • "If only we cared as much about the local elections as we do for Bird of the Year." — Nicola Toki (talking about rigging attempts)
  • "Fundamentally, I'm interested in being a good person with as minimal inconvenience as possible." — Alice Snedden
  • "I would have thought that Grant Robertson would be a much bigger threat to lamingtons than lamingtons would be a threat to Grant Robertson." — David Seymour
  • "Do you know how bad that sounds? Mike King’s women's alliance!" — Shimpal Lelisi (on Celebrity Treasure Island)
  • "I wonder whether or not anyone ever asked Barack Obama and John Key if they met because they were of similar age." — Jacinda Ardern (after asked if she met Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin due to their similar age)
  • "I was born to disrupt things." — The Wizard of New Zealand
  • "It's okay to follow a few cockwombles. It doesn't mean I endorse them." — Hilary Barry (after being warned about the people she follows on Twitter)
  • "He is delusional, but he’s not suicidal." — Professor Robert Patman (referencing Vladimir Putin's nuclear threat)
  • "There are going to be a lot more people in a supermarket on a weekly basis than there will be out and about pashing on a dance floor." — COVID-19 Minister Chris Hipkins (referencing mask wearing)

2021

Winner

"[It is a] challenge for people in high-density areas to get outside and spread their legs when they are surrounded by other people" — COVID-19 Minister Chris Hipkins [11]

Finalists

The 10 finalists of 2021 were: [12]

  • "It is a challenge in high-density areas for people to get outside and spread their legs." — Covid-19 response minister Chris Hipkins
  • "He is about as exciting as the Taihape public toilets." — Mike Williams (referencing Christopher Luxon)
  • "It was like a half-sucked Oddfellow in the sky." — Mark Richardson (referencing a blood moon lunar eclipse)
  • "If I can't be cured, I'll be the cure." — Jemima Gazley (explaining why she crowd-funded research to the cancer she had)
  • "That was a bed-time fail." — Jacinda Ardern (after she gets interrupted by her daughter on Facebook live)
  • "We've got an economy that's running on a sugar hit." — David Seymour
  • "Does anyone know if the tinny house in Aro will be open during level 4?" — person on a Facebook post
  • "Who is going to do a Berocca in the morning?" — Anna Lorck
  • "Hey Judith, it's not that bad. Raise an eyebrow, to show you're glad." — Jono and Ben (in a song to Judith Collins)
  • "No, it's a f***ing goat." — Toddler

2020

Winner

"Let it be known these tears are not for you" by Sara Qasem, whose father was murdered in the Christchurch mosque shootings. She received 26.5% of the 2479 votes. [13]

Finalists

The 2020 year was the first year with a quote from a bird, and a quote of a group of people (New Zealanders as a whole). Many of the quotes were influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. [14]

The 10 finalists of 2020 were: [14]

  • "Because we can't get on each other's nerves if we're dancing constantly." — Buchanan family (in their video COVID-19 lockdown music video)
  • "When my eyebrow goes up, it's a joke." — Judith Collins
  • "I am the orange face you can trust." — Orange-fronted parakeet (campaigning in the Bird of the Year competition)
  • "There are no new cases of Covid-19 to report in New Zealand today." — Ashley Bloomfield (during press many press conferences)
  • "The Aussies can have Russell Crowe, but they can't have our buzzy bee." — Simon Beattie (after The Crown placed buzzy bee in scene in Australia)
  • "Let it be known these tears are not for you." — Sara Qasem (in her victim impact statement talking to the Christchurch mosque shootings perpetrator)
  • "I did a little dance." — Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern (describing how she reacted when the country reached zero active COVID-19 cases)
  • "You're on mute" — New Zealanders during Zoom meetings.
  • "Put your jazz cabbage away people." — Hilary Barry (talking about the cannabis referendum which voted against legalisation).
  • "It really highlights how three-ply soft we've become as a species." — Psychology professor Marc Wilson (referencing toilet paper stockpiling during the lockdowns)

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "'Up the Wahs' and 'How big is his hole' in Quote of Year finalists". 1 News. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
  2. ↑ "Birdnapped cockatoo wins Quote of the Year". Massey University. Massey University. 20 December 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  3. ↑ Wakefield, Abbey (20 December 2024). "2024's Quote of the Year competition winner announced". 1news. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  4. ↑ "Quote of the Year opens for voting". Massey University. Massey University. 13 December 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  5. ↑ "Quote of the Year 2024: Luxon's 'wealthy and sorted' in running for annual contest". Radio New Zealand . 14 December 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  6. ↑ Staglands Wildlife Reserve & Cafe (19 November 2024). "Pepper's been birdnapped! Sulphur Crested Cockatoo stolen from Staglands". The Upper Hutt Connection. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  7. ↑ "Quote of the Year 2024: Luxon's 'wealthy and sorted' in running for annual contest". Radio New Zealand . 14 December 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  8. ↑ "'Nah, we're just three Māori boys' wins Quote of the Year 2023". Stuff . 18 December 2023. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  9. ↑ "David Seymour wins best quote for comments about Grant Robertson and a lamington". RNZ . 19 December 2022. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
  10. ↑ "Massey reveals best quotes of the year". Stuff . 9 December 2022. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
  11. ↑ "COVID-19: Chris Hipkins wins quote of the year for his 'spread your legs' gaffe". Newshub . Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
  12. ↑ "New Zealand's Quote of the Year finalists announced". The New Zealand Herald . 13 December 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  13. ↑ "Quote of the Year 2020 "These tears are not for you"". Massey University . 22 December 2020. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  14. 1 2 "New Zealand's Quote of the Year finalists announced after rocky 2020". The New Zealand Herald . 11 December 2020. Retrieved 14 December 2023.
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