Biografia
John McKay is a creative professional and entrepreneur with nearly five decades of experience in film editing, sound design, and mixing. He has been nominated twice for the Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE) Golden Reel Award (2002, 2003) for outstanding achievement in sound editing across film, television, and the entertainment industry. His portfolio includes work on Peter Jackson's epic Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, supervision of numerous television series, and many New Zealand-based feature and short films, most recently James Ashcroft's acclaimed Coming Home in the Dark.
In the 1990s, John supervised sound for over 25 New Zealand TV series, including Marlin Bay, Riding High, and Starunner. Throughout the 2000s, alongside collaborations with Peter Jackson, he contributed to various local productions.
John has received multiple New Zealand Film Awards (2000, 1992, 1987) and nominations (2013, 1995, 1992), as well as a nomination at the Listener GOFTA Awards (1987).
In 2015, John co-founded POW Studios with Matthew Lambourn (Creative Director) and Jason Canovas (Supervising Dialogue Editor). Based in Wellington, the heart of New Zealand’s film industry, POW Studios provides comprehensive sound, picture, and VFX post-production services worldwide. The studio has collaborated with Guangzhou’s Yi Animation on two feature film animations, Kung Food and the highly successful I Am What I Am.
John is also dedicated to fostering local talent and plays a leading role in Create Wellington, an industry-led collective representing screen businesses and practitioners to advocate for the sustainability and success of the sector. He serves on the Board of the New Zealand Screen Music and Sound Guild.
