• Only sporting achievements within the nomination period 1 May 2025 – 30 April 2026 are eligible to be considered.
• Nominees may be amateur or a professional.
• Sporting achievements in New Zealand and overseas are eligible.
• Must be a New Zealand Citizen, or hold a Resident or Permanent Resident Visa.
• Nominees under consideration for awards must meet at least one of the criteria below:
  • Be a member of a club or organisation for their nominated sport in the Sport Manawatū* area during the award period.
  • Have represented the region in their chosen discipline during the award period.
  • Be commonly acknowledged as a Manawatū sportsperson**.

If you have any questions, please email awards@sportmanawatu.org.nz

*The Sport Manawatū area includes Palmerston North, Manawatū, Tararua, and Horowhenua.

**The intent of this, is to ensure we still are able to include those sportspeople that are widely regarded as a Manawatū sportsperson but because of the demands of their sport cannot meet either of the other two criteria. This is not intended to catch any and all sportspeople who have passed through the Manawatū but those who developed here through school and/or club sport, have a community connection, and still would recognise themselves as someone from the Manawatū. We would be happy to hold discussions with each sport to help them work through this if required.

• Please ensure the information presented on the nomination form is as clear as possible as it is used by the judges to make an informed decision.

• Please ensure you include all relevant detail about each performance under the correct headings, listing their highest achievements first in each section.

• Athletes may be nominated in multiple awards; please ensure you use a separate nomination form for each award the athlete is nominated for.

• The Level of Competition: The following should be regarded as a list of priorities for consideration:

1. World Championships/Olympic Games representation.
2. Commonwealth Games/International Matches
3. Australasian/Asian/Oceania/European/North American Championships
4. National Championships in NZ or other countries
5. Island Championships in NZ or other countries (State championships)
6. Regional Competitions
7. District Competitions
8. Club Competitions

• Placing/Medals/World records/World Rankings at any level will be considered better than representation only.
• Other Factors that the Judging Panel will consider are:

1. Size of the competition: Consideration will be given to the number of teams/individuals involved in the competition.
2. Size of the Sport: Consideration will be given to the size of the sport on a regional, national and international scale.Example: Football has large numbers playing locally, nationally and internationally. Therefore it is more difficult to reach a representative level. Conversely: AFL attracts a smaller number of participants regionally, nationally and internationally, so a national selection by comparison is probably easier to reach.
3. Qualification: Consideration should be made to whether a team or individual is required to qualify to enter a competition/event or not.
   • Example: A competitor may compete at a national sanctioned triathlon event without having to qualify. However, a swimmer must qualify to compete at a national event.

• Prior to a Judging meeting, all judges will be asked to privately rank nominations in each category on the ranking sheet, from 1 for the top nomination down to 10 (any nomination below 10 need not be ranked). This ranking will then be provided to Sport Manawatū prior to a Judging Panel Meeting.
• The task of totaling the scores and providing the overall scores will be done by Sport Manawatū.
• The 5 nominees in each category with the lowest aggregate score will be the finalists for the awards night.***
• The nominee with the lowest aggregate score once all judges scores are tallied will be judged the winner.
• Should there be an unclear winner, then the finalists will be discussed at the judges meeting and a winner determined by the panel.
• In some categories a weighted system will be used to determine the level of success achieved for each nomination.
• The judging panel’s decision is final, and no correspondence or discussion will be entered into.

***Depending on number, and quality of nominations received in any given year, it will be up to the discretion of the judges to decide to select finalists from the nominees, or to only recognise the winner of the category. ​​​​​​​

ADMINISTRATOR OF THE YEAR

Open to any sports administrator who has made an outstanding contribution to a club, association, regional or national sports organisation(s).

CLUB OF THE YEAR

Open to any outstanding sports club that has consistently excelled.

Judges will use the following weightings in their decision making:

40%        Improvements made over the qualification period including membership growth and growth in participation in events (individuals, teams, officials/volunteers). Competition Results, Awards and Community Impact.

20%        Positive management and development of facilities and finances.

20%        Development of coaches, game officials and administrators. Effectiveness of retention and recruitment.

20%        Innovative and collaborative practices

COACH OF THE YEAR

Open to any coach who has made an outstanding contribution to sport at a regional, national, or international level. This category judges not only team results but also the art of coaching including aspects of people management, team culture, communication, mentoring, development of the person and the athlete, as well as adoption of innovate methods and leadership across their team(s).

Judges will use the following weighting in the decision making:

40%        Team Results

30%        Leadership: People management and the development of team culture

20%        Willingness to develop and be innovative

10%        Willingness to mentor/develop others

COMMUNITY IMPACT OF THE YEAR

Projects that have had a significant positive impact and change on community sport. Projects may involve collaborations between schools, clubs, and other local community organisations (sporting or otherwise) that provide participation experiences in play, active recreation or sport, or talent development.

Judges will use the following weightings in their decision making:

40%        Impact of the project in the community

20%        Barriers and Challenges overcome

20%        Partnerships developed to deliver the project

20%        Project innovation

DISABLED SPORTSPERSON OF THE YEAR

Open to any sportsperson with a disability who has performed with excellence at Regional, National, or International level as an individual or in a team.

FEMALE JUNIOR SPORTSPERSON OF THE YEAR

Open to any female sportsperson aged 16 and over and under 20 years at the time of their achievements who has performed with excellence at Regional, National, or International level as an individual or in a team.

FEMALE SPORTSPERSON OF THE YEAR

Open to any sportswoman who has performed with excellence at Regional, National or International level as an individual or in a team.

GRASSROOTS VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

Open to an unpaid sports volunteer who has made an outstanding contribution to a club, association, regional or national sports organisation(s). Their contribution should be above and beyond normal duties, giving broad service benefiting a sport with little formal recognition.

MALE JUNIOR SPORTSPERSON OF THE YEAR

Open to any male sportsperson aged 16 and over and under 20 years at the time of their achievements who has performed with excellence at Regional, National, or international level as an individual or in a team.

MALE SPORTSPERSON OF THE YEAR

Open to any sportsman who has performed with excellence at Regional, National or International level as an individual or in a team.

MĀORI SPORTSPERSON OF THE YEAR.

Open to any sportspersons with Māori decent who has performed with excellence at Regional, National, or International level as an individual or in a team.

OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR

Open to any referee, umpire, judge, timekeeper, or variation of, who has had an outstanding performance at regional, national or international level. This category considers their officiating appointments, achievements, and their broader contributions to the sport. Examples include: Mentoring peers, enhancing the sports reputation, support recruitment and retention and other innovative initiatives.

Judges will use the following weightings in the decision making:

70%        Level of Performance. International, National or Regional

30%        Their broader contribution to the sport including mentoring, recruitment and retention support and any other innovative ideas.

REGIONAL SPORTSPERSON OF THE YEAR

The Regional Sportsperson of the Year Supreme Award is selected from the winners of the following categories: Male Sportsperson, Female Sportsperson, Male Junior Sportsperson, and Disabled Sportsperson.

SPORTS PARTNER OF THE YEAR

Open to organisations that have partnered with a sports code and their actions have gone above and beyond financial support. Please note: this category is for “partnerships” not simply sponsorship; however sponsorship can form part of a successful partnership.

Judges will consider the following in their decision making:

• Involvement with the organisation by attending events, competitions, or being a member of a committee.
• Providing volunteer support to the organization in facility maintenance.
• Supporting the organization through the supply of equipment or facilities.
• Evidence of what sponsorship money/contra has allowed the organisation to achieve e.g.: sending a team to a competition, having uniforms, fundraising.
• Innovative and collaborative practices

TEAM OF THE YEAR

A team of two or more people who has performed with excellence at Regional, National, or International level.