During pop singer Stan Walker’s performance at the awards show, Bishop was seen seated with a bottle in his hand. Some people in front of him were dancing and waving tino rangatiratanga flags.
In a statement to RNZ, Bishop explained that his comment was directed at what he perceived as overly political branding at the event. Musician Don McGlashan confronted Bishop during the incident, not realizing initially that he was a minister.
McGlashan recounted the incident, stating that he told Bishop to “shut up you dickhead” after hearing him ranting against the event. Bishop responded, leading to a confrontation between the two.
Witnesses at the event also expressed concern, with one person noting that the minister appeared to be drunk. They found Bishop’s comments offensive and worrying coming from a person in a position of power.
Bishop, in his statement to RNZ, acknowledged that he should have kept his thoughts to himself. He denied other allegations and stated that he attended the Awards to celebrate successful Kiwi artists.
The incident at the Aotearoa Music Awards has sparked controversy and raised questions about appropriate behavior from public figures.
