Kanoa Lloyd: From Television to Infrastructure Leadership

Introduction

Kanoa Lloyd is a New Zealand broadcaster, television presenter and communications professional of Ngāti Porou descent.

She is best known for presenting The Project NZ, the evening news and entertainment programme that aired on Three from 2017 until 2023. Before that role, she worked in children’s television, radio and weather presenting.

As of August 2026, Kanoa Lloyd is the Strategy and Engagement Manager at Infrastructure New Zealand. Her position involves communications, public affairs, advocacy and building relationships with industry members, government representatives and communities.

Her move into infrastructure shows how the skills developed during a long television career can also be used in leadership, public communication and national policy discussions.

Kanoa Lloyd Quick Profile

Detail	Information
Full name	Kanoa Lloyd
Birthplace	Gisborne, New Zealand
Grew up in	Dunedin, New Zealand
Iwi	Ngāti Porou
Profession	Broadcaster, presenter and communications professional
Current position	Strategy and Engagement Manager at Infrastructure New Zealand
Joined current organisation	April 2026
Best known for	Presenting The Project NZ
Other major work	Squirt, Sticky TV, Mai FM and 3 News weather
Main career fields	Television, radio, communications and public engagement

Who Is Kanoa Lloyd?

Kanoa Lloyd is a familiar figure in New Zealand television and media.

She first appeared on television while she was still attending school. Her career later developed across children’s programmes, radio news, weather presenting, current affairs and entertainment.

Many viewers know her from The Project NZ, where she helped explain news stories in a friendly and conversational way. The programme combined serious current affairs with interviews, comedy and entertainment.

After leaving daily television, she moved into a communications and engagement role connected with New Zealand’s infrastructure sector.

Early Life and Background

Kanoa Lloyd was born in Gisborne and spent much of her younger life in Dunedin.

She belongs to Ngāti Porou, an iwi strongly connected with the East Coast of New Zealand’s North Island. Her Māori identity and interest in te reo Māori later became visible parts of her broadcasting work.

Her television journey began earlier than it does for many presenters. She gained her first regular screen experience while she was still a high school student.

That early opportunity allowed her to learn how television programmes were produced and how presenters communicated with young audiences.

Starting Her Career on Squirt

Kanoa Lloyd began appearing on the children’s television programme Squirt in 2003.

The programme was made in Dunedin and broadcast on Saturday mornings. It included entertainment, games and content designed for younger viewers.

Working on Squirt gave her practical presenting experience at a young age. She learned how to speak naturally on camera and connect with an audience.

The programme became the starting point for a career that would later take her into national radio, evening news and prime-time television.

Joining Sticky TV

In 2009, Lloyd joined the presenting team of Sticky TV.

The popular after-school programme was one of New Zealand’s longest-running children’s television shows. It included competitions, interviews, entertainment segments and activities for younger viewers.

Joining Sticky TV required Lloyd to move from Dunedin to Auckland. This was an important step because Auckland is the centre of much of New Zealand’s television and media industry.

Her work on the programme helped introduce her to a wider national audience. It also showed that she could manage live and recorded television in a relaxed and energetic style.

Radio Work at Mai FM

Lloyd later moved into radio and worked at Mai FM.

She read the news at the station between 2012 and 2014. This role was different from children’s entertainment because it required her to present information clearly, quickly and accurately.

Radio helped her strengthen her voice, timing and news-reading skills. These abilities became useful when she later moved into mainstream television news.

Her career was beginning to cover several parts of the media industry rather than one type of presenting.

Becoming a Television Weather Presenter

In 2014, Lloyd became a weather presenter for 3 News at 6pm.

This position gave her a regular place on one of New Zealand’s main evening television news programmes. She presented weather forecasts and explained conditions across the country.

Her use of te reo Māori words and Māori place names during forecasts attracted public attention.

Some viewers complained, but the broadcaster continued supporting the use of te reo Māori. Lloyd defended the importance of allowing the language to be heard naturally on mainstream television.

This period became an important part of her public career. It showed that Māori language could be included in everyday national broadcasting instead of being limited to special programmes.

The Project NZ

Kanoa Lloyd became one of the original presenters of The Project NZ when the programme began in February 2017.

The show aired after Three’s evening news and combined several types of content, including current affairs, news discussions, interviews, human-interest stories, entertainment and comedy.

Lloyd worked alongside other well-known presenters and regularly interviewed public figures, experts and people involved in major news stories.

Her role required her to move between serious and lighter subjects. One discussion could focus on politics or social problems, while the next could involve television, music or comedy.

She remained a central presenter until the programme ended in December 2023.

Her seven years on The Project NZ made it the most recognised part of her television career.

Why Did The Project NZ End?

The Project NZ ended as Three made changes to its programming and focused more strongly on reaching digital audiences.

The final episode was broadcast in December 2023.

The programme’s ending closed an important period in Lloyd’s career, but it did not end her work in communication and public engagement.

She later used her experience in other projects and eventually moved into the infrastructure sector.

Other Television Work

Alongside The Project NZ, Lloyd also worked on other television productions.

She presented Moving Out with Kanoa, a programme following people as they changed homes, communities or ways of living.

She also hosted Sort Your Life Out NZ. The programme helped families organise their homes, reduce clutter and create more useful living spaces.

These programmes allowed her to work more closely with ordinary New Zealand families. They also showed a different side of her presenting style outside news and current affairs.

Her entertainment presenting on Sort Your Life Out NZ earned her a nomination at the New Zealand Television Awards.

Readers who enjoy learning about familiar New Zealand television personalities can also explore the career of comedian and presenter Hayley Sproull.

Awards and Professional Recognition

Kanoa Lloyd has received recognition through nominations at the New Zealand Television Awards.

In 2017, she was nominated for Best Presenter – News and Current Affairs for her work on The Project NZ.

In 2022, she was nominated for Best Presenter – Entertainment for Sort Your Life Out NZ.

These nominations recognised her ability to work across different television formats. News and current affairs require careful interviews and clear explanations, while entertainment programmes need warmth, energy and natural communication.

Work Behind the Camera

After the ending of The Project NZ, Lloyd did not immediately return to another daily television presenting role.

She became involved in work behind the camera, including research connected with television documentary production.

This allowed her to contribute to storytelling without always appearing as the main presenter.

Her experience gave her a useful understanding of both sides of television. She knew how to communicate on screen, but she also understood the research and preparation needed before a programme reached viewers.

Moving Into Infrastructure New Zealand

In April 2026, Infrastructure New Zealand announced Kanoa Lloyd as its Strategy and Engagement Manager.

The position marked a major change from daily broadcasting, but it still used many of the same professional abilities.

Her responsibilities include leading stakeholder engagement, supporting communications, working on advocacy and public affairs, building relationships with members, communicating with government representatives and helping explain complex infrastructure subjects.

Infrastructure includes systems and services that help a country operate. These can include roads, public transport, water, energy, telecommunications and public facilities.

Many infrastructure subjects are difficult for the public to understand. Lloyd’s communication experience helps the organisation explain these matters in a clearer and more accessible way.

What Is Kanoa Lloyd Doing Now?

As of August 2026, Kanoa Lloyd is working as Strategy and Engagement Manager at Infrastructure New Zealand.

She works with policymakers, industry leaders, member organisations and communities.

The organisation supports better long-term planning and investment in New Zealand’s infrastructure. Lloyd helps communicate its work and strengthen relationships with people inside and outside the sector.

Her current position is not a regular television presenting job. It is a professional communications, advocacy and engagement role.

However, the position is connected with the skills she developed throughout her media career, including interviewing, explaining complex topics and speaking with people from different backgrounds.

Kanoa Lloyd and Te Reo Māori

Kanoa Lloyd’s use of te reo Māori became one of the most discussed parts of her early mainstream broadcasting career.

When she included Māori greetings and place names in weather forecasts, some viewers objected. She and the broadcaster continued supporting the language’s use.

The discussion was larger than one presenter or television programme. It raised questions about how New Zealand’s Indigenous language should appear in mainstream public life.

Today, Māori greetings and place names are more commonly heard across national television, radio and public organisations.

Lloyd’s work was part of this wider movement towards making te reo Māori more visible in everyday communication.

Why Is Kanoa Lloyd Famous?

Kanoa Lloyd is famous mainly because of her work as a New Zealand television presenter.

Her most recognised position was as a co-host of The Project NZ from 2017 to 2023.

She is also known for starting her television career as a school student, presenting Squirt and Sticky TV, reading news on Mai FM, presenting the weather for 3 News, using te reo Māori in mainstream broadcasts, hosting Moving Out with Kanoa and presenting Sort Your Life Out NZ.

Her career is notable because it has developed across children’s entertainment, radio, news, current affairs, lifestyle television and professional communications.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Kanoa Lloyd doing now?

As of August 2026, she is the Strategy and Engagement Manager at Infrastructure New Zealand.

What is Kanoa Lloyd best known for?

She is best known for co-hosting The Project NZ on Three between 2017 and 2023.

Where was Kanoa Lloyd born?

She was born in Gisborne, New Zealand.

Where did Kanoa Lloyd grow up?

She spent much of her younger life in Dunedin.

What is Kanoa Lloyd’s iwi?

She is of Ngāti Porou descent.

Was Kanoa Lloyd a weather presenter?

Yes. She began presenting the weather for 3 News at 6pm in 2014.

Which children’s programmes did she present?

Her early television work included Squirt and Sticky TV.

Is Kanoa Lloyd still presenting The Project NZ?

No. The Project NZ ended in December 2023.

Does Kanoa Lloyd still work in television?

Her current confirmed full-time role is at Infrastructure New Zealand. She has experience in television presenting and production work, but her present position focuses on communications, advocacy and stakeholder engagement.

Conclusion

Kanoa Lloyd has built a varied public career in New Zealand.

She began presenting children’s television while still at school and later worked in radio, weather, current affairs and entertainment. Her seven-year role on The Project NZ made her one of the country’s most familiar television presenters.

Her support for using te reo Māori in mainstream broadcasting also made her part of an important national conversation about language and representation.

In 2026, she began a new professional chapter at Infrastructure New Zealand. Her work now focuses on communication, advocacy and connecting people with major discussions about the country’s future.