Writer and director Peter Jackson, whose widely acclaimed “Lord of the Rings” brought home 17 Oscars, has been made a knight in the New Year Honors’ list of his native New Zealand. He becomes Sir Peter Jackson for his “services to film.”

New Zealand knights and dames, among the nation’s highest honors, are sanctioned by Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II, New Zealand’s head of state — stemming from the country’s past as a British colony.

The “Lord of the Rings” trio showcased New Zealand’s unique natural scenery as writer J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy land, filled with sword-swinging warriors, elves, wizards and hairy-footed hobbits. The project broke box office records around the world, won Jackson international accolades, and prompted a spike in tourism to New Zealand.

Jackson said,

“I didn’t think anything would surpass the 2004 Academy Awards, but I was wrong”

He added that receiving the honor was an

“incredible moment”

In 2003 he opened Park Road Post Production with one of the world’s fastest super computers among its facilities, to establish New Zealand as a major film production center.