Taika Waititi has been named New Zealander of the year

He's shown the world who we are, and now filmmaker Taika Waititi has been named the 2017 Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year.

And, he's reacted in typically Kiwi fashion.

Humbly.

Waititi is in Los Angeles directing the latest instalment of Marvel's Thor series and wasn't able to travel home to receive the award - it was instead presented to his wife, Chelsea Winstanley, by Prime Minister Bill English.

But the Hunt for the WIlderpeople and Boy director told the New Zealand Herald by phone that he was "really happy and proud" to be chosen.

"It's a great honour and, yeah, It's pretty unexpected. I think if you're nominated for something like this, even if you won it's obviously a big surprise and sometimes you feel a bit like there's probably someone else more deserving, but at the same time, I'll take it.

"I'll humbly accept."

- Full story at NZ Herald