New Zealander of the Year | About the Awards Programme

About the

Awards Programme

The Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Awards Ngā Tohu Pou Kōhure o Aotearoa honour those who use their passion to make our country a better place. From the grassroots to the global stage, these awards celebrate New Zealanders whose actions shape our communities, challenge the status quo, and move us forward. Aged 15 or 100, known by many or by few – they’re leaders, advocates, builders, and breakers of new ground.

The Awards

Nominations open to the public annually across July-August, and can be made in one or more of the seven award categories:

Te Koruru Patron

Miriama Kamo

“I’m honoured to take on the role of Te Koruru Patron of the Awards. The Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Awards Ngā Tohu Pou Kōhure o Aotearoa allow us all to acknowledge and celebrate those who act as ‘pou,’ as support and strength for whānau, for communities, for our country and beyond.

These are people we know and those we discover; those special Kiwi whose passion and determination have seen them inspire, innovate, and work for the betterment of Aotearoa and its people. As an awards judge, I’ve been lucky to help acknowledge the achievements of our nominees and winners, and I’m humbled by the opportunity to continue doing this as Te Koruru Patron.”

Award

Criteria

2025/26

Key Dates

24 July

Nominations
Open

24 August

Nominations
Closed

20 November

Local Heroes
Announced

11 December

Semi-Finalists
Announced

26 February

Finalists
Announced

19 March

Awards
Gala

Join us as we kick off our nominations phase of the Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Awards Ngā Tohu Pou Kōhure o Aotearoa! For four weeks – from 24 July to 24 August – we invite you to put forth your champions of positive change. Awarded across seven categories and celebrating people from every age, stage and background; this is your chance to shine a spotlight on the people who matter to you.

As nominations come flooding in, we’re hard at work bringing together seven incredible category judging panels comprised of sector leaders and experts from across Aotearoa. When nominations close on 24 August, all nominations will go through two rounds of intensive debate, as with great care and rigour our judges select the most powerful stories of the year.

In late-November, we proudly reveal and celebrate the top 100 nominees from across the country for the Tower Local Hero of the Year Te Pou Toko o te Tau. These people are our neighbours, our colleagues, our friends, our front line workers, our volunteers – the people that work behind the scenes every day to make Aotearoa a better place. Each receives a medal, and will move through to the next round of judging to be considered for the final award.

From thousands of public nominations, the top ten Semi-Finalists across all each of the award categories are announced. This is a huge moment to collectively appreciate and celebrate the people who have made invaluable contributions to our nation – from transforming local communities to putting Aotearoa New Zealand on a world stage.

Our incredible Executive Judging Panel, made of esteemed leaders from diverse fields across New Zealand, have the impossible job of selecting the top three Finalists in each of the seven award categories. These people, our 2026 Finalists, are announced and celebrated on 26 February. You’ll have to join us on Awards Night in March to see who takes out the titles!

Join us for the greatest night of the year! Our annual Awards Gala is set for Thursday 19th March 2026, Viaduct Events Centre in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. Be in the room with the best of Aotearoa as we celebrate the the Semi-Finalists, Finalists and announce the 2026 Winners across all seven categories. Nothing beats the energy, emotion and significance of this special night. Tickets on sale from late November 2025.