Meet your

2024 New Zealander of the Year

Finalists

Kiwibank

New Zealander of the Year

Te Pou Whakarae o Aotearoa

Kiwibank

Dame Sarai Bareman

Auckland Tāmaki Makaurau

Sarai Bareman stands as one of the most powerful figures in international football. In 2023, she delivered the FIFA Womens’ World Cup in Aotearoa New Zealand, capturing the hearts and minds of the world. Appointed as FIFA’s inaugural Chief Womens’ Football Officer in 2016 (a position crafted for her after her involvement as the only women in the FIFA Reforms Committee), Sarai oversees the women’s game across 211 countries, from grassroots to major international competitions. Hailing from West Auckland with Samoan and Dutch heritage, Sarai’s remarkable ascent in FIFA reflects her resilience and determination. As a woman in a male-dominated industry, she has triumphed over numerous barriers and challenges to get to where she is. Having launched her football career working for the Football Federation of Samoa and OFC, Sarai now represents Oceania on the global stage, inspiring a new generation of women and girls to get involved in the game she loves.

Dr Jim Salinger

Otago Ōtākou

Dr. Jim Salinger CRSNZ, a distinguished international climate scientist, has dedicated almost fifty years to advancing climate science. Recognised as one of the first scientists to address global warming, his pioneering work in 1975 marked the inception of a remarkable career. Jim’s contributions include ground-breaking research on Southern Hemisphere climate change, earning him the prestigious NZ Science and Technology Medal in 1994. With over 190 publications and counting, Jim is an influential communicator on climate change, addressing audiences nationwide. He was a lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which earned the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007. More recently, Jim has garnered multiple accolades, including the 2018 World Meteorological Organization Award and the 2019 Jubilee Medal, in recognition of his lifetime achievements in climate and agricultural science. Today, he remains an advocate for environmental responsibility, offering practical advice through talks around the country and is a founding member of the intergenerational ambassadors – a collective looking to unite New Zealanders across the generations for positive change.

Kiri Nathan

Auckland Tāmaki Makaurau

Kiri Nathan (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Hine, Ngāti Hauā, Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Paoa) is an internationally renowned and award-winning fashion designer whose work is deeply rooted in te ao Māori. In 2023, she made history as the first Māori designer to open New Zealand Fashion Week since its inception. In 2017, Kiri founded the Kāhui Collective, supporting the growth and mentorship of indigenous fashion creatives and entrepreneurs. This collective makes up just one component of the ecosystem Kiri is building, known as KAURI, set to be the first commercial Māori fashion industry. Throughout her career, Kiri has continued break ground, creating many firsts for NZ fashion. First to work with Walt Disney on Moana’s red carpet, WD also acquired a KN handwoven kākahu for the Walt Disney Museum. First to be invited by the queen of Thailand to the Celebration of Silk, where they also acquired KN pieces for their museum. First to weave two kākahu to cloak every woman inducted as a Dame in NZ an equivalent of the sword for Men being knighted. Kiri has formed coalitions, led international delegations and created pathways for Māori fashion designers in an industry that was not built with culture in mind. Kiri has dressed the OSCARS red carpet, world premieres and holds various governance roles, two of which are WOW (NZ world of wearable arts) and recently NZFW (NZ Fashion Week). In 2022, Kiri designed the hero component of the new Kiwibank corporate uniform, named the most inclusive uniform in New Zealand. Her designs have graced notable figures like Barack and Michelle Obama, Meghan Markle and Beyoncé – showcasing the best of Aotearoa on a world stage.
The most prestigious national award honouring people for their contribution to the wellbeing of our country. Proven, inspirational and passionate, these are the people that New Zealand is proud to call their own.

To be eligible for this award, the nominee must have, through their achievements, made an outstanding contribution to the wellbeing of Aotearoa, particularly across the last 12-months.

Nominators should consider talking about the following areas in their nomination:

  • THE NOMINEE: Describe the person you are nominating and what they’ve done to inspire you to nominate them as 2024 Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Te Pou Whakarae o Aotearoa.
  • PURPOSE: Who benefits from the work, contribution, or influence of this person – and how?
  • LEADERSHIP: How does this person set a positive example for other fellow New Zealanders and showing them the potential for change.
  • COMMITMENT: Describe the commitment of time, risks, and challenges overcome to create an impact to this point (this may still be ongoing). What have they done that has gone above and beyond to show leadership, create change, and give back?
  • THOUGHT LEADERSHIP & INNOVATIVE THINKING: How thoughtful, creative, and unique is this person’s approach to their challenge, opportunity, or situation?
  • PROVEN IMPACT: How has this person clearly demonstrated a positive impact in their area of influence? How is has this been measured?
  • LONG-TERM IMPACT: If known, how does this person plan to grow and/or adapt their work, contribution, or influence in the future? How would winning this award impact this person and the work that they are doing?

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Previous

winners

Professor Rangi Mātāmua

2023

Tā Tipene O′Regan

2022

Dr Siouxsie Wiles MNZM

2021

Jennifer Te Atamira Ward-Lealand

2020

Mike King

2019

Kristine Bartlett

2018

Taika Waititi

2017

Richie McCaw

2016

Sir Stephen Tindall

2015

Dr Lance O′Sullivan

2014

Dame Anne Salmond

2013

Sir Richard Taylor

2012

Sir Paul Callaghan

2011

Sir Ray Avery

2010

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