The Jane Campion authored and directed crime drama, filmed around Queenstown and Glenorchy, has received eight Emmy Awards nominations, including for best miniseries.
Destination Queenstown chief executive Graham Budd said yesterday's announcement was exciting not only for those nominated, but for the Queenstown Lakes region.
''Many of us locally have known Queenstown and this region has been a great place to make movie productions, now TV, and certainly commercials, for quite some time.
''I think it's just a case of us emerging more and more on the world stage.''
He felt Top of the Lake would provide another reason for people to visit the area and ''when it gets on to the Emmy stage, hopefully, then that's stepping it up again'', Mr Budd said.
Top of the Lake, which finished filming last June, was the first miniseries screened at the Sundance Film Festival in January, where it was shown as a seven-hour programme with one intermission and a lunch break.
It premiered in the US, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom in March.
Film Otago-Southland executive manager Kevin Jennings said yesterday's announcement was fantastic news for those involved with the miniseries, the New Zealand and Queenstown film industries and the Lakes district.
''It reinforces our place on the world stage as a film production region.''
The nomination in the cinematography category came as ''no surprise'', Mr Jennings said.
''Consistently, the reviewers have mentioned the landscape sometimes being a character.''
Jane Campion co-directed Top of the Lake with Garth Davis and co-wrote the project with Gerard Lee. Philippa Campbell was the New Zealand producer.
The nominations
• Outstanding TV miniseries or movie.
• Outstanding lead actress in a miniseries or movie (Elisabeth Moss).
• Outstanding writing for a miniseries or movie (Jane Campion and Gerard Lee).
• Outstanding directing for a miniseries, movie or a dramatic special (Jane Campion and Garth Davis).
• Outstanding supporting actor in a miniseries or movie (Peter Mullan).
• Outstanding casting for a miniseries, movie or a special (Kirsty McGregor, Tina Cleary).
• Outstanding cinematography for a miniseries or movie (Adam Arkapaw, part 1).
• Outstanding single-camera picture editing for a miniseries or a movie (part 5).
