Dame Jools Topp has died aged 68.
The comedian and singer, one half of the beloved Topp Twins duo, passed away peacefully at her home on Saturday surrounded by her twin sister Dame Lynda, brother Bruce, close friends and "all her fur-babies".
She lived with breast cancer for 22 years, first diagnosed in 2006.
Her sister Dame Lynda said it was with "deep sorrow and unimaginable grief" that the family announced Jools' death.
"She lived bravely with breast cancer for 22 years. Now she is finally free to ride on Pegasus, her winged horse, and round up sheep again with our dad Peter and all her precious dogs."
The family made clear that Dame Jools never wanted her illness described as a "battle" or a "fight". She lived with it and never allowed it to define her.
Her manager and close friend of 34 years, Arani Cuthbert, described her death as the loss of a major figure in the country's cultural landscape.
"A mighty totara of the NZ arts world has fallen today," Cuthbert said.
"What an immense privilege it's been to be the Topp Twins manager and close friend for 34 years and witness the love and joy that Jools and Lynda have spread into every corner of Aotearoa, as well as overseas."
Cuthbert said it was unimaginable that beloved comedy characters like Camp Leader, Ken Smythe, Raelene and Prue would no longer appear on stages and screens.
"Jools' unique brand of comedy, her signature spontaneity and beautiful songs connected with people from all walks of life," Cuthbert said.
The twins entertained New Zealanders together for more than 40 years. They revealed they were both being treated for breast cancer in March 2022.
Born five minutes apart, they grew up on a dairy farm near Huntly and made their performing debut aged five at a cousin's 21st birthday.
"It was a hard night for a youngster because we were asleep in the back of the DeSoto, which was a great big American tank that dad owned," Jools told Seven Sharp's Hilary Barry in 2023. "And we got woken up because mum said she wasn't going to let the girls miss out on their chance to sing at the 21st."
"We weren't like stage kids or anything. We didn't learn to dance, we didn't learn to sing. We were just at home and mostly working on the farm, lugging hay or riding horses. Music sort of became a bit of a dream," she added.
They were arrested in 1989 for obstructing a footpath on Queen Street while busking. Their night in custody was spent singing the blues.
The Topp Twins were made Dames Companion to the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2018.
Dame Jools said the honour was an acknowledgement of all they had fought for.
"The Queen must have said 'yes.' She had to tick the box. She must have said 'oh yeah ...give those lesbian twins a bloody medal,'" she said.
The twins weren't afraid to get political, performing at protests in the 1980s including the nuclear-free marches and the Homosexual Law Reform Bill.
"You can talk until you're blue in the face — until people just shut off and don't listen anymore. But a song... everyone can take that song and sing it with us," Dame Jools told Barry.
"All the things we ever fought about was something that was personal to us."
Dame Lynda told Hilary Barry in 2023 that they wanted to be defined by the life they'd lived, not by the disease.