Christopher Luxon will soon become New Zealand's 42nd Prime Minister after National won a total of 50 new MPs based on the votes counted.
The blue wave swept the country with National winning 39.1 percent of the vote equaling 45 electorate seats and five party seats – 16 seats more than the last election.
National's coalition party ACT also had a good night winning 9 percent of the vote and 11 seats in total based on two electorate seats and 9 party seats.
Collectively it will give National and ACT 61 seats – enough to form a government.
Luxon thanked his supporters on Saturday night and revealed he and ACT leader David Seymour have been in contact about coalition plans.
"I am immensely proud to say on the numbers tonight National will be in a position to lead the next government," Luxon told supporters gathered in Auckland at National's headquarters on Saturday night.
"My pledge to you is that our government will deliver for every New Zealander because we will rebuild the economy and deliver tax relief. We will bring down the cost of living. We will restore law and order. We will deliver better healthcare and we will educate our children so they can grow up and live the lives they dream of. And that's what you voted for and that's what we will deliver.
"I spoke to ACT leader David Seymour and I congratulated him on his own win in Epsom and ACT's result. There are many votes still to be counted but on current numbers, it looks like National and ACT will be in a position to form the next government.
"Tomorrow morning New Zealanders are going to wake up to not only a new day but the promise of a new government and a new direction. And this great country of ours has so, so much potential and our new government will help realise it. I have to say I am humbled by this support but I am so energised by it too and I cannot wait to get stuck in and get to work."
He finished by pledging to "get this country back on track".
Luxon also threw New Zealand First's Winston Peters – who National does not need to govern – an olive branch.
"I also congratulate Winston Peters on New Zealand First's return to Parliament, and I appreciated his comments earlier that he is willing to help where needed."
While National is celebrating, Labour is commiserating after losing a whopping 29 seats and winning just 26.7 percent of the vote for a total of 34 seats. Labour won 17 party seats and just 17 electorate seats after several red strongholds fell to National.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins conceded the election early in the night telling supporters he was disappointed but "gave it his all".
"Thank you for everything you have done over these last six weeks. We have run the biggest ground campaign knocking on doors and calling people on phones that we have ever run. Unfortunately the results tonight show that wasn't enough," Hipkins said.
"The result tonight is not one any of us wanted but I want you to be proud of what we have achieved in the past six years. Despite governing through some of the biggest challenges our country has ever faced we kept moving forward and we protected those who needed help the most."
Hipkins pledged to "keep fighting for working people because that is our future".
He also acknowledged the Labour MPs who have served New Zealand but won't be returning to Parliament.
Labour loses several key seats
In the last election, Labour won a historic MMP majority bringing in 65 MPs, but many of those politicians have been booted out of Parliament in a brutal night for Labour.
Labour has lost a total of 29 seats including strongholds such as Mt Roskill which Michael Wood lost to National's Carlos Cheung and Te Atatū which Labour Phil Twyford lost to National's Angee Nicholas.
Other Labour seats National flipped include Northland, Whangārei, Upper Harbour, Northcote, New Lynn, Maungakiekie, Hamilton West, Hamilton East, East Coast, New Plymouth, Whanganui, Tukituki, Napier, Ōtaki, Wairarapa, Hutt South, West Coast-Tasman, Nelson, Ilam, Banks Peninsula and Rangitata.
But Labour wasn't just losing seats to the right bloc, the left parties Te Pāti Māori and the Greens also took several seats.
Notable Green Party candidate Tamatha Paul won Wellington Central, Julie Anne Genter won Rongotai and Chlöe Swarbrick took home Auckland Central.
Overall the Greens won 10.7 percent of the vote and three electorate seats for a total of 14 – four more than last election.
Greens co-leader Marama Davidson said she was "stoked" with the results.
"It is the greatest, greatest honour of my life to lead the Green Party with James Shaw and to work with you and our community for an Aotearoa that protects our mokopuna and our planet. I am so proud and grateful."
David Seymour's ACT also had a fantastic night with Brooke van Velden winning Auckland's Tāmaki seat.
"Change is possible in Tamaki and we can have change for the better. Thank you to all of the locals who have put my faith in me and thank you to all of the volunteers who have given up their time," the MP said.
Seymour also rewon his Epsom seat and thanked all his supporters.
"There are so many people who have put their trust in ACT tonight. This country has voted for change and a record number have voted for real change," Seymour said.
"I've long said getting elected is not an achievement, it's an opportunity to do good and for all of those people who ticked the box and leant their vote to ACT putting their trust in us to make this country more affordable, to make it safer and, perhaps most of all, to make it a more united place.
"We will work tirelessly and will not cease from the effort required to make sure this country delivers the promise it has made."
Meanwhile, he might not be in government but Winston Peters and New Zealand First is back in Parliament with a total of 6.46 percent of the vote and 8 party seats.
"I must say that when we first said a few years ago that we were going to make a comeback, they all laughed at us. They're not laughing now are they," Winston Peters said on Saturday.
"We have done the impossible. This party has entered its fourth decade and I've entered my sixth."
"We have always known that in great democracies the people who are elected and all those officials must be held to account – that's our purpose."
Māori seats double Te Pāti Māori's MPs
Another huge winner of the night is Te Pāti Māori who won four Māori electorate seats for a total of four MPs – double the last election.
The stand-out win was Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke who took Hauraki-Waikato from Labour's Nanaia Mahuta.
At 20 years old, Maipi-Clarke will become New Zealand's youngest in 170 years.
Party leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waitit both won their electorates of Te Tai Hauāuru and Waiakiri respectively. And Tākuta Ferris won Te Tai Tonga.
"First of all I am extremely excited and humbled by those people who have gone out and supported [us]," Ngarewa-Packer said.
"We are over the moon and overwhelmed by the support coming through for the party and it just shows you can do politics in a positive way and you can focus on a tiriti-centric Aotearoa."
