Tamati Rimene-Sproat MC/Entertainer Profile

Māori Storyteller & Cultural Ambassador

Raised with Kōhanga Reo and kura kaupapa, Tāmati Rimene-Sproat sprung into the world of broadcasting at nine years old, out of his natural and cultural ability to connect. Descending from Ngāti Hāmua and Ngāti Hinewaka, Tāmati breathes Tīkanga Māori. The dynamic personality first presented on Māori kids’ show Pūkana and over the years became a popular long running presenter and producer on shows like Te Karere, Seven Sharp and Sunday. Now, a known kiwi face and rising star, Tāmati is working independently with the aim to promote Māoridom and make his whānau proud. Lauded for his cultural mahi, Tāmati explores Te Ao Māori on wildly popular series’ Wild Kai Legends, Moko The World and Hongi to Hāngī, a production that saw him take home Best Television Presenter at the 2022 New Zealand Television Awards. With a documentary for TVNZ1, a six part digital series for RNZ and an abundance more of continuing and new projects lining up, Tāmati is the here and now of New Zealand broadcasting. He is fluent, eloquent and engaging in both english and reo, lending his mana to every project he’s involved in.

Mission

Tāmati describes himself as a kūmara. In Māori proverb, the kūmara never talks about how sweet it is and yet it is delicious, powerful and respected. Humble and proud of who he is, Tāmati's upbringing and parents led him to be a natural storyteller and with an easy empathy, he gets people. This has been a foundation of his success.

Growing up in Wellington, his parents had an open-door policy, therefore Tāmati had a lot of other tīpuna figures that looked after him. At one stage his lounge became a kōhanga reo (an immersion te reo Māori Kindergarten). This continued throughout his schooling years where he would deliver karakia in the mornings, read passages from books, speak publicly and perform in kapa haka. It took a village to raise him and that village became his life’s work. Comfortable in front of anyone, be it an audience, a screen, or conversing with people, communication is his second nature, and communication is storytelling.

Storytelling is at the heart of who Tāmati is. He is especially passionate about māori stories that have not been explored on mainstream TV. Tamati’s core focus is manaakitanga and looking after māori kaupapa to flourish and inspire future generations.

Keynote

Tāmati wants to demystify kaupapa māori. With a focus on Māori world view, language, and tikanga, Tāmati speaks on the power this can positively impact on society. This kōrero is vital for Aotearoa and integrating these practices and language back into the culture is at the core of Tāmati's influence.

Early on in his career he was compared to Billy T James and following in his footsteps, Tāmati weaves social commentary through laughter and relatability. His superpower is to make people laugh. Then make them think.