Wellington
(ANI):
Film
director
Peter
Jackson
has
revealed
that
he
finds
being
awarded
a
knighthood
better
than
winning
an
Oscar.
Jackson,
48,
who
is
a
winner
of
more
than
a
dozen
Academy
Awards,
was
made
a
Knight
Companion
of
the
New
Zealand
Order
of
Merit
in
the
New
Year
Honours.
“This
is
an
incredible
moment
in
my
life.
I
didn"t
think
anything
would
surpass
the
2004
Academy
Awards,
but
I
was
wrong," the
New
Zealand
Herald
quoted
him
as
saying.
“The
feeling
of
gratitude
and
pride
I
have
in
accepting
this
honour
from
my
home
country
is
profound,"
he
stated.
Sir
Peter
was
made
a
Companion
of
the
New
Zealand
Order
of
Merit
in
2002,
and
has
“continued
to
excel
in
and
significantly
contribute
to
the
New
Zealand
film
industry",
the
citation
for
his
knighthood
read.
“I
feel
very
lucky
to
be
able
to
make
movies
in
New
Zealand
and
I
will
always
be
grateful
for
the
support
I
have
received
from
so
many
New
Zealanders," Jackson
said.
He
sees
the
knighthood
as
“recognition
of
the
collective
achievement
of
our
terrific
crews
and
our
film
pioneers
...
who
trail
blazed
a
path
towards
the
creation
of
a
modern
Kiwi
film
industry".