Jono Pryor: The Voice Behind Kiwi Comedy
A clear look at the New Zealand presenter’s radio journey, television success, partnership with Ben Boyce and award-winning comedy work
Introduction
Jono Pryor is a New Zealand radio presenter, television host, comedy writer, creator and performer. He is best known for working with Ben Boyce on Jono and Ben and for presenting one of New Zealand’s national breakfast radio programmes.
As of July 2026, he co-hosts Breakfast with Jono, Ben & Megan on The Hits. The programme airs from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. every weekday and also reaches listeners through podcasts and online clips.
Pryor has also moved into scripted television. He created and starred in Vince, a comedy about a television presenter trying to rebuild his career. The programme won Best Comedy Programme at the 2025 New Zealand Screen Awards.
Jono Pryor Quick Facts
| Detail | Verified information |
|---|---|
| Professional name | Jono Pryor |
| Profession | Radio presenter, television host, writer and performer |
| Known for | Jono and Ben and The Hits Breakfast |
| Current radio programme | Breakfast with Jono, Ben & Megan |
| Current co-hosts | Ben Boyce and Megan Papas |
| Broadcast schedule | Weekdays from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. |
| Long-term creative partner | Ben Boyce |
| Recent scripted programme | Vince |
| Recent achievement | Best Comedy Programme at the 2025 New Zealand Screen Awards |
| Main professional base | New Zealand media and entertainment |
The current schedule is confirmed by The Hits, while Pryor’s television history and award record appear in his official NZ On Screen profile.
Who Is Jono Pryor?
Jono Pryor is a broadcaster who has worked across New Zealand radio and television for more than two decades.
He became recognised through youth television, comedy programmes, radio stunts and his long partnership with Ben Boyce. His work often combines quick conversations, sketches, unusual challenges, interviews and light entertainment.
Unlike presenters who work in only one format, Pryor has built experience in several areas. He has worked as a radio announcer, television host, comedy writer, programme creator and actor.
His move into scripted comedy with Vince showed another side of his career. Instead of simply presenting a programme, he helped create its story, characters and fictional world.
How Did Jono Pryor Start His Career?
Pryor entered broadcasting through radio.
According to his professional history, he worked unpaid shifts before receiving his first regular radio opportunity. This early experience gave him time behind a microphone and helped him learn how live broadcasting works.
He later joined The Rock, where his humour and willingness to take part in unusual public challenges helped listeners remember him. Radio requires presenters to react quickly because there is no time to rewrite a live conversation.
That environment helped him develop the relaxed style that later became important to his television work.
His story is different from that of some presenters who entered broadcasting through acting or journalism school. He built his career through practical work, overnight shifts and daily experience inside a radio station.
Early Television Work
Pryor began presenting on television when the New Zealand youth channel C4 launched in 2003.
C4 focused on music, entertainment, youth culture and comedy. It gave him an opportunity to move from radio into national television.
He later fronted Jono’s New Show. The comedy programme included sketches, interviews and unusual entertainment ideas. It won the 2008 Qantas Award for Best Entertainment Programme, becoming an important early achievement in his screen career.
The programme later developed into The Jono Project. These projects helped establish him as more than a music-channel host. Viewers began to recognise him as a comedy presenter who could lead his own programme.
Jono Pryor and Ben Boyce
Pryor’s partnership with Ben Boyce became the most recognisable part of his career.
The pair worked together on radio and television, creating a style based on friendly arguments, jokes, public challenges and comedy sketches. Their partnership worked because each presenter had a clear role while still allowing conversations to feel natural.
In 2012, they began presenting Jono and Ben at Ten. The programme mixed sketches, parodies, celebrity interviews, current topics and large public pranks.
It later moved into an earlier prime-time television slot and became known simply as Jono and Ben. The series ran until 2018 and became one of New Zealand’s familiar entertainment programmes of that period.
Pryor also served as a creator and writer rather than only appearing in front of the camera. This experience later helped him develop his own scripted television work.
The programme included contributions from several New Zealand comedians and writers. Readers interested in performers who have successfully combined television comedy with breakfast broadcasting can also explore the career of a New Zealand comedian and radio host.
Radio Career With Ben Boyce
The partnership continued across several major New Zealand radio brands.
Pryor and Boyce worked together on The Rock before moving to The Edge. At The Edge, they presented an afternoon programme with Sharyn Casey.
In 2020, NZME announced that the pair would join The Hits and take over its national breakfast programme.
Breakfast radio was a major step because morning presenters must entertain listeners during one of the busiest parts of the broadcasting day.
Megan Papas joined the programme in 2024. The show then became Breakfast with Jono, Ben & Megan.
As of July 2026, the trio remains on The Hits every weekday morning. Their programme includes conversations about daily life, entertainment stories, listener calls, competitions, interviews and comedy segments.
People exploring other major names in national morning radio can read about a long-running Kiwi breakfast presenter who also built his career through The Edge and a successful broadcasting partnership.
What Is Jono Pryor’s Current Radio Show?
Pryor currently presents Breakfast with Jono, Ben & Megan.
The programme airs on The Hits from 6:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. every weekday. Listeners can hear it through traditional radio frequencies or the iHeartRadio service.
Recordings and shorter highlights are also released online. This allows the programme to reach people who cannot listen during the live morning broadcast.
Breakfast radio requires more than simply speaking between songs. Presenters must prepare stories, interview guests, respond to breaking topics and communicate with listeners for several hours.
Pryor’s long experience with live comedy helps him manage unexpected moments without making the show feel heavily scripted.
Jono Pryor’s Return to Television With Vince
Vince marked an important new stage in Pryor’s career.
NZ On Air announced the programme in 2023 and identified him as its creator and star. The eight-part scripted comedy was produced by Kevin & Co for Three and ThreeNow.
The story follows a television presenter who loses his career after an embarrassing incident. He then tries to repair his public image and return to television.
Although the programme uses a fictional character, its setting allowed Pryor to explore the strange, competitive and sometimes uncomfortable world of broadcasting.
He had already spent many years presenting entertainment programmes, but scripted comedy required a different type of work. A fictional series needs clear characters, connected episodes and a story that develops over time.
Pryor worked on the programme as a creator, writer and lead performer. This made Vince a more personal creative project than a normal presenting role.
Vince’s New Zealand Screen Award
Vince received major industry recognition in November 2025.
It won Best Comedy Programme at the New Zealand Screen Awards. The award was credited to Bronwynn Bakker, Jono Pryor and Cam Bakker, with Kevin & Co named as the production company.
The award confirmed that Pryor’s move into scripted comedy was more than a temporary television return. It showed that his writing and programme-development work had also gained recognition from the New Zealand screen industry.
His earlier career had been built mainly around presenting, sketches and unscripted entertainment. Vince demonstrated that he could use those experiences to create a longer fictional story.
Jono Pryor’s Comedy Style
Pryor’s comedy is usually based on everyday situations, quick reactions and the friendship between presenters.
He often allows himself to become part of the joke. This creates a less formal relationship with viewers and listeners because he does not always present himself as the smartest or most powerful person in the room.
His work with Ben Boyce commonly uses contrast. One host may support an unusual idea while the other questions it. This simple structure creates natural humour without requiring every conversation to follow a strict script.
Over time, his approach has also become more thoughtful. In interviews, he has discussed looking back at older comedy ideas and recognising when a joke may have caused more discomfort than intended.
Mental-Health Awareness and Public Support
In 2017, Pryor used his television platform to speak about the death of a close friend.
He encouraged people experiencing serious emotional difficulty to speak with someone and seek support. The moment received attention because it appeared during a programme normally associated with comedy.
He later worked with broadcaster Bryce Casey on the #YouGoodMate campaign. Its message encouraged people, especially men, to have honest conversations with friends rather than accepting a quick answer when someone may be struggling.
This became one of the most serious and widely remembered moments of his public career.
Charity and Community Work
Pryor has also taken part in fundraising projects through his radio work.
He joined Ben Boyce and Jordan Watson for a 24-hour handball event supporting KidsCan. The 2024 campaign raised NZ$474,381 for practical support such as food, clothing, shoes and health products for children.
The event used comedy and competition to attract attention, but its purpose was serious. It showed how an entertainment programme can turn its audience reach into practical community support.
Why Is Jono Pryor Famous?
Jono Pryor is famous for five main reasons:
- His early work on The Rock and C4.
- Creating and presenting The Jono Project.
- His long television partnership with Ben Boyce.
- Hosting The Hits Breakfast.
- Creating and starring in the award-winning comedy Vince.
His career has lasted because he has continued changing with the media industry. He moved from music television to sketch comedy, from afternoon radio to breakfast radio and from entertainment presenting to scripted programme creation.
Jono Pryor’s Current Work in 2026
As of July 2026, Pryor’s main public role remains his weekday breakfast programme on The Hits.
He continues working with Ben Boyce and Megan Papas while also remaining connected with television writing, programme development and live entertainment.
His career now includes both daily broadcasting and creative work behind the camera. This combination gives him more control over the type of stories and comedy projects he may develop in the future.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Jono Pryor do?
He works as a radio presenter, television host, comedy writer, creator and performer.
What is Jono Pryor famous for?
He is best known for Jono and Ben, The Hits Breakfast and the scripted comedy Vince.
What radio station is Jono Pryor on?
He presents the weekday breakfast programme on The Hits.
What time is Jono Pryor on the radio?
Breakfast with Jono, Ben & Megan airs from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. every weekday.
Who works with Jono Pryor on The Hits?
His current co-hosts are Ben Boyce and Megan Papas.
Does Jono Pryor still work with Ben Boyce?
Yes. They continue to present The Hits Breakfast together.
What television programme did Jono Pryor create?
He created and starred in Vince, a scripted comedy shown on Three and ThreeNow.
Did Vince win an award?
Yes. It won Best Comedy Programme at the 2025 New Zealand Screen Awards.
Was Jono Pryor part of Jono and Ben?
Yes. He co-created, wrote and presented the programme with Ben Boyce.
Is Jono Pryor still working in 2026?
Yes. He remains an active breakfast-radio presenter and comedy creator.
Conclusion
Jono Pryor has built a lasting place in New Zealand entertainment through radio, television and comedy writing.
He began with practical radio work before becoming a C4 presenter and creating his own comedy programmes. His partnership with Ben Boyce produced years of popular television and radio content.
Today, he presents The Hits Breakfast with Ben Boyce and Megan Papas. His award-winning work on Vince has also shown that his career now reaches beyond presenting and into scripted storytelling.
His journey explains why he remains a familiar voice in New Zealand broadcasting while continuing to find new ways to entertain audiences.
