Brotherhood of Auckland Magicians Vice-President Brent McLeod was presented with the Patron’s Award at the 2022 Benny Awards.
Awarded for his dedication and service to the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand, the honour is presented by club patrons Gray Bartlett MBE and David Hartnell MNZM.
The black tie event was held at Tote on Ascot on Sunday 12th June 2022 and celebrates performing artists of all genres.
The seventy-fifth anniversary of the formation of the Brotherhood of Auckland Magicians was held on the 13th of April 2021 at Sorrento in the Park.
Our Master of Ceremonies was Guy Cater, after dinner entertainment provided by international performer Chris Powley, and special presentation on the history of the club by Bernard Reid GMM.
All members were presented with a complimentary copy of Bernard’s new 210 page book Seventy-Five Years of Magical Excellence. The book chronicles the entire history of the BAM, combining the two previous works The First Twenty-Five Years by Ned Kelly and The Second Twenty-Five Years by Stanley Goudge.
The BAM Presidential Award was presented to David Hartnell MNZM.
Members of the Brotherhood of Auckland Magicians along with partners and a small number of invited guests met for the annual Partners’ Night in September. Entertainment was provided be Le Cirque de JP, Benny Award recipient Kevin Greaves and Paul Costa from Australia.
Welcomed into membership of the BAM Inner Circle : Brent McLeod
Recipient of the 2019 Wizard Award for best magic presented throughout the year at meetings : Jean-Philippe Janin
Recipient of a Presidential Citation for his contribution to the BAM : Guy Cater
The nineteenth recipient of the prestigious Grand Master of Magic medallion : Paul “Zappo” Bates from Wellington
Pictured above are the recipients of the 2018 Variety Artists Club of New Zealand Top Children’s Entertainer Award – Science in a Van, Alan and Emily Worman. Flanked by BAM President Alan Watson QSM GMM and Michele Watson who presented the award at the Benny Awards at Crowne Plaza.
Mick Peck was presented with a BAM Presidential Citation in October 2018 in recognition of his service as a committee member and producer of the annual Magic Moments Family Comedy Magic Show. Pictured here with BAM President Alan Watson QSM GMM.
Courtesy North Shore Times.
Members of the Brotherhood of Auckland Magicians pictured at our 2016 Partners’ Night.
Entertainment journalist David Hartnell MNZM has been named the new Patron of the Brotherhood of Auckland Magicians Inc. Article above courtesy New Zealand Woman’s Weekly. Click for full size.
Cast and crew of the 2016 Magic Moments Family Comedy Magic Show. Thanks to everyone who helped make our annual shows a success.
The Brotherhood of Auckland Magicians pay respects to their club patron, international superstar of magic Paul Daniels.
Paul passed away peacefully on the 17th of March 2016 at his home.
Paul was appointed as Patron of the Brotherhood of Magicians in 2015. He made several visits to New Zealand during his career, most notably when he headlined the 30th New Zealand International Magicians Convention in 2010.
Our thoughts are with Paul’s family and his widow Debbie McGee.
Pictured above are some of the BAM members present at this year’s annual Variety Artists Club of New Zealand Benny Award Evening. Members Andy Wonder and Paula Wray (Trixie) were nominated in the Top Children’s Entertainer category, Ken Ring received a prestigious VAC Scroll of Honour for his contribution to the entertainment industry and Wayne Rogers GMM was presented with the Agnew Award for a long-term professionalism as a professional magician.
The Variety Artists Club of New Zealand is the premier association for entertainers and performing artists in this country. The organisation was formed in 1966 to foster the friendship and cooperation of members and to promote goodwill in the entertainment industry. Although based in Auckland they have a membership spanning across New Zealand and the world.
Each year the VAC presents prestigious industry awards with their highest honour being the iconic Benny Award. Membership is open to entertainers, performers and those with a link to the entertainment industry. More information at www.vac.org.nz
BAM President Alan Watson QSM GMM presents the 2015 Wizard Award trophy to joint winners Jarred Fell and Wayne Rogers GMM. The Wizard Award is presented annually the magician who presents the best magic at our monthly meetings, as voted upon by those present.
Members of the Brotherhood of Auckland Magicians Inc at our annual dinner. The Ladies’ Night is a yearly tradition held by the BAM where wives and partners of BAM members can socialise over a dinner and cabaret show. This year’s entertainment was provided by Benny Award recipients Guy Cater and Marian Burns. Photo credit Jason Fell.
The Brotherhood of Auckland Magicians Inc is delighted to announce that international star of magic Paul Daniels has been appointed as club patron.
Full results of the election of officers at the 2015 Annual General Meeting :
President : Alan Watson QSM GMM
Vice-President : Wayne Rogers GMM
Secretary/Treasurer : Mick Peck
Outer Circle Representative : Andy Wonder
Programme Coordinator : Sean O’Shea
Historian : Stan Goudge JP
Patron : Paul Daniels
The Brotherhood of Auckland Magicians (BAM) was formed in 1945. It has a focus on membership from professional and semi-professional working magicians.
Our objectives as outlined in our constitution are to promote goodwill, mutual respect and cooperation amongst active performing magicians; to instil respect and loyalty for the personal inventions, specialities and routines of fellow magicians and to enhance professionalism in all areas of the business of magic.
The BAM are the custodians of the prestigious Grand Master of Magic Award®, the highest honour for a New Zealand magician.
Brotherhood of Auckland Magicians President Alan Watson QSM is pictured here alongside Jon Armstrong, Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Hollywood’s prestigious Academy of Magical Arts. Alan was presented with the AMA Award of Merit for his services to magic.
A big thanks to everyone involved with the Brotherhood of Auckland Magicians’ Magic Moments Family Comedy Magic Show.
All the performers – Andy Wonder, Paula Wray, Ken Ring, Mick Peck, Sean O’Shea, Wayne Rogers and Alan Watson, assisted by Mel Watson. Guy Cater who did a superb job as our magical master of ceremonies.
Our tech crew – Mike Richards, Tony Wilson, Michele and Melanie Watson, Bernard Reid, Brendon Fraser, Stefan Sageman and Jason Fell our photographer.
Brian Oakes, Alan Worman and Ken Ring who entertained the masses during the intermission.
Special thanks to Alan and Emily Worman for doing a fantastic job with front of house and running our concession stand.
You can’t have a show without an audience so our thanks to everyone who came along to support us.
The Magic Moments Family Comedy Magic Show will return …
Alan Watson has pulled a few tricks over the decades which have surprised and delighted his audiences, but the Auckland magician was the one left stunned to find himself on this year’s New Year’s Honours list.
“I have never seen this before; I am quite surprised,” he says of receiving the QSM “for services as a magician”.
He says he has no idea who nominated him for the award and wondered at the detail in the biographical note issued by Government House.
“I was astounded, where did they get all this information from?”
Once it settled in Watson decided it was a thrilling award for New Zealand magicians.
“Our art form is going to be recognised with a royal honour.”
His grand uncle was a magician in World War One and the magic wand has been passed through the generations. His 15-year-old Oamaru grand-daughter has won age group national honours already.
He has been a member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians for more than 33 years.
He has organised more than 100 international lectures on the art of magic.
In the last 10 years, he has arranged $70,000 of sponsorship for young magicians to attend conventions and lectures in New Zealand and Australia.
Since the 1990s, Watson has served in a voluntary capacity as New Zealand representative on several international magic societies, including the Society of American Magicians and The Magic Circle, London.
Watson was the resident magician at Auckland’s Rainbow’s End and is now a resident at the Waipuna Hotel and Conference Centre.
“I’ve always had plenty of work.”
Article courtesy the Dominion Post, reproduced with permission.
BAM Secretary/Treasurer Mick Peck has been presented with a Special Magic New Zealand Award For Outstanding Contribution to NZ Magic. Mick is pictured above with Magic New Zealand directors Michele and Alan Watson.
The honour was presented at the recent day of magic held at the Playhouse Theatre in Auckland. It reads : “In recognition of his long term service and exceptional contribution to the magic fraternity of this country.”
Congratulations to Sean O’Shea who was accepted into the Inner Circle of the BAM at our November meeting. The Inner Circle consists of magicians twenty years of age and over called from the Outer Circle. These are experienced magicians who have proven themselves at club meetings and public shows to be of a high standard of performance; demonstrable by such things as individual style, speciality acts, originality and showmanship.
