Kiwi winners reveal where they keep their Oscars

Oscar is always the centre of a good celebration at Dan Hennah's place. He's perched on top of the drinks cabinet with views up the Motueka valley.

"It's a north-facing aspect," says Hennah, who admits the golden chap attracts a lot of attention and fingerprints.

"Everybody has to pick him up."

Oscar has had his pride of place there since 2004 when Hennah and his Kiwi compatriot Grant Major won the award for best art direction/set decoration for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, which won a total of 11 Oscars.

Tomorrow, the 81st Oscars will be presented, and for many Kiwi winners there's still a thrill in having their Oscar long after the glitz and glamour of the awards ceremony is over.

In Auckland, Ngila Dickson finds visitors to her home are often compelled to have a snoop at the best costume design Oscar she won with Richard Taylor in 2004 for LOTR: Return of the King.

"He's halfway up the stairs on a Chinese lacquer sideboard."

She told the Sunday Star-Times her Oscar gets a regular "good morning" and "good night" as she passes him on the landing. And there's no need for any special lighting to draw attention to him: "He's got his own inner glow," Dickson said.

In Wellington, there's a swag of Oscars in a cabinet at Weta Workshop; five in fact.

They belong to Taylor, who won them across three Academy Award ceremonies in 2002, 2004 and 2006 for his contribution to two LOTR movies and King Kong.

In Christchurch, Hammond Peek has two Oscars for best sound mixing in 2004 for LOTR and 2006 for King King.

"I'd like to say I use them as doorstops but the reality is they are safely tucked away. But I bring them out on occasions for friends."

In all, 14 Kiwis have won 24 Oscars; the first in 1994 went to Jane Campion for the best screenplay for The Piano and to Anna Paquin as best supporting actress in the same movie.

Paquin reportedly keeps her Oscar in her wardrobe. Peter Jackson won three in 2004 for best producer, director and screenwriter.

Across the Ditch, New Zealand-born actor Russell Crowe was said to keep the statue he won in 2001 as best actor in Gladiator in a chicken coop on his Australian ranch, where apparently it's helped increase the size of the eggs.

Frontrunners at today's ceremony include The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, with 13 nominations, including best picture, and Slumdog Millionaire, with 10.

* The Oscars, Monday, Sky Movies, from 2pm. Stuff.co.nz will have full coverage from midday.

- © Fairfax NZ News