Following a short battle with cancer, friends of Aroha took to social media to announce his passing saying he ‘slipped away’ peacefully at Hospice surround by care and love.
His friend Tipene confirmed he died on Wednesday afternoon.
“True to the way he lived, Aroha met this final moment with grace, courage, and his unmistakable spirit. Cancer shortened the timeline, but it never diminished the person he is. The sharp mind. The sharper tongue. The flamboyance. The creativity. The generosity of friendship. He lived fully. He loved deeply.” the post read.
Born in 1976 in Hāwera, Taranaki, Awarau was of Ngāti Ruanui, Ngā Rauru and Ngāruahine descent. He began his career in journalism, working for TVNZ, Māori Television and various print publications.
He was recognised for reporting that highlighted Māori perspectives and current affairs, and his work often aimed to create space for Indigenous voices in mainstream media.
Awarau was an accomplished playwright whose work received national and international recognition. His debut play, Luncheon, starring Jennifer Ward-Lealand and directed by Katie Wolfe, won Best Play at the 2014 New Zealand Script Writing Awards.
His second play, Officer 27, was a finalist at both the NZ Adam Playwriting Awards and the New Zealand Script Writing Awards in 2016. His short film Home later premiered at the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival in Toronto.
His most recent work, the short film Puti, tells the story of a Māori girl navigating hardship and sacrifice for her whānau. The film was a finalist at the 2025 Whānau Mārama New Zealand International Film Festival and screened at Indigenous and international film festivals, including Māoriland and the Beverly Hills Film Festival.
Beyond his own creative work, Awarau mentored emerging writers and advocated for greater Māori representation in the arts and media. Over more than two decades, he built a career that spanned journalism, theatre and film, consistently centring Māori voices and stories.
Details for his funeral are yet to be released.
Moe mai rā koe i te aroha o tō whānau, o ou hoa.
