Iconic comedy duo the Topp Twins have become Dames in today's Queen's Birthday Honours list, and for them, accepting the award was still a rebellious act in keeping with their past.
Jools and Lynda Topp have taken top honours, becoming Dame Companions of the New Zealand Order of Merit for their services to entertainment.
On accepting the award, Jools Topp said it "was more political to accept it than not to accept it".
"We were the rebels, we were the underground performers [a] long time ago, and 30 years ago, they would never have thought about giving us this - we were just way too radical," Jools Topp said.
"We had an interview yesterday and basically, I said, you know, 'The rebels finally got their medals'. In some ways, we're acknowledging all the people that were not afraid to stand up and that, for us, is a really important part and really just shown how much New Zealand's changed."
The twins have been entertaining New Zealanders for more than three decades, and were inducted into the Music Hall of Fame in 2008.
As well as touring the country, the duo have released audio books, television shows and a documentary.
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