Meet our Judge Chair

This role was introduced to the Awards Programme to oversee a fair and transparent judging process – including reviewing due diligence, managing conflicts of interest and chairing the Executive Judging Day.

Image Credit: Dean Purcell for NZ Herald

Hon. Justice Simon Moore KC

The Hon. Justice Simon Moore graduated from Otago University with a BA (Hons) and LLB in 1980. He was admitted to the Bar in 1982, and three years later, he became a partner at Meredith Connell, a leading Auckland Crown Solicitors firm. In 1994, he was appointed Crown Solicitor for Auckland, a position he held for 20 years. During that time, he chaired the partnership and represented the Crown in many high-profile criminal trials.

In 2008, he was appointed King’s Counsel (KC), and six years later, in 2014, he was appointed to the High Court of New Zealand. As a Judge, Justice Moore has chaired several committees and managed the Criminal Lists for a number of years. He later took on the role of Civil List and Executive Judge of the Auckland High Court, a position he held until mid-2024. As a judge, one of his most notable cases was the trial of Jesse Kempson, who was convicted of the murder of Grace Millane.

Justice Moore is currently in the role of Chair of the Electoral Commission, after retiring from the Bench at the end of 2024.

He and his wife, Jane, have been married for 44 years. Together, they have three sons and five mokopuna.

Meet our 2026 Executive Judges

Independent, respected New Zealanders that select the finalists and winners.

They offer diversity of industry, social and cultural, entrepreneurship, and innovation backgrounds, ensuring our prestigious Awards honour the extraordinary New Zealanders making Aotearoa a better place.

Executive Judges

       Sir Ashley Bloomfield KNZM, Chief Executive of PHF Science

       Caren Rangi ONZM, Pro-Chancellor of Massey University, Director of New Zealand Rugby

       Dan Te Whenua Walker, Senior Partner Development Manager for Global Partner Solutions at Microsoft, Deputy Chair of NZ Māori Tourism and Director of Tātaki Auckland Unlimited

       Dame Professor Juliet Gerrard, Professor at the University of Auckland, Former Chief Science Advisor to the Prime Minister

       Kendall Flutey, Co-Founder of Banqer, COO of Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu

       Paddy Gower,  Journalist

       Robyn Baker ONZM, Former Chair of the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand

       Robyn Scott-Vincent MNZM, Founder of Attitude Pictures Ltd

       Roderick Carr, Former Chair, He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission; Former Vice-Chancellor, University of Canterbury 

       Steve Jurkovich, CEO of Kiwibank

       Dame Valerie Adams DNZM, Chair of the World Athletics Athletes’ Commission

Meet our 2027 Category Judges

Our seven Category Judging Panels are made up of some of the brightest minds from a number of fields, offering expertise within their given categories. They’re tasked with the job of whittling down the hundreds of nominees to just 10 Semi-Finalists that are representative of the best of the best within the award category — to go forward for Executive Judging.

New Zealander of the Year Te Pou Whakarae o Aotearoa

• Rachel Smalley MNZM, Director
• Bonita Bigham, Deputy Chairperson, Taranaki Regional Council
• Richard Adams, Founder & National Director, Taskforce Kiwi
• Category Judge to be confirmed
• Category Judge to be confirmed

Young New Zealander of the Year Te Mātātahi o te Tau

• Kauri Tearaura, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Lead, Department of Internal Affairs
• Simran Kaur, Founder, Friends That Invest and 2024 Young New Zealander of the Year
• Stephanie Benseman, Head of Portfolio Services, Icehouse Ventures
• Brodie Kane, Independent Broadcaster
• Dr Eruera Tarena, Executive Director, Tokona te Raki

Senior New Zealander of the Year Te Mātāpuputu o te Tau

• Karen Billings-Jensen, Chief Executive, Age Concern New Zealand
• Mavis Mullins, Governor
• Edward Ellison ONZM, Farmer / Upoko of Te Rūnanga ō Ōtakou and associated hapū
• Jane Wrightson, Experienced Chair and Director
• Category Judge to be confirmed

New Zealand Innovator of the Year Te Pou Whakairo o te Tau

• Olivia Blaylock, The Icehouse, Chief Executive Officer
• Paul Atkins, Chief Executive, Royal Society Te Apārangi
• Andrew Clews, Head of Engagement & Partnering, New Zealand Institute for Advanced Technology
• Leighton Roberts, Co-Founder, Co-CEO, Sharesies
• Elle Archer, Director and Founder

New Zealand Sustainability Leader of the Year Te Toa Taiao o te Tau

• Brianne West, Founder & CEO of Incrediballs 
• Mark Fenwick, Marine Ecologist, NIWA
• Annabell Chartres, Partner – Sustainability, Climate & Nature, PwC New Zealand
• Angela Clifford, CEO of Eat New Zealand & Owner of The Food Farm
• Mike Casey, CEO of Rewiring Aotearoa

New Zealand Community of the Year Ngā Pou Whirinaki o te Tau

• Dr Jason Tuhoe, Māori General Practitioner
• Ezekiel Raui, Head of Foundation One New Zealand
• Sharon Brettkelly, Presenter of The Detail podcast
• Jemma Adams, Chief Executive, Otago Community Trust
• Tania Kura, Retired Deputy Commissioner, NZ Police

New Zealand Local Hero of the Year Te Pou Toko o te Tau

• Mark Crysell, Journalist
• Anya Satyanand, Executive Director, Ember Creations
• Dr Jack Scanlan, Social Work Lecturer, Massey University
• Category Judge to be confirmed
• Category Judge to be confirmed

Meet our 2026 Local Hero Regional Judges

Each regional panel is made up of Regional Judges from a variety of backgrounds – media, corporate and local government. We seek those community-minded people with their fingers on the pulse of who is creating real, tangible impact within their region. They’re entrusted with determining our Top 100 Local Hero Medallists’ who will go forward for Category Judging.

Local Hero Regional Judges

• Alf Filipaina, Manukau Ward Councillor, Auckland Council
• Allannah Burgess, Māori Ward Councillor, Marlborough District Council
• Amy MacDonald, Coast Central General Councillor, Northland Regional Council
• Belinda Feek, NZ Herald Waikato Reporter
• Bevan Chapman, Breakfast Club Radio Host, MoreFM Gisborne
• Bo Burns, Howick Ward Councillor, Auckland Council
• Brian “BK” Kelly NZOM, Breakfast Announcer, CoastFM Bay of Plenty
• Bryan Strong, Senior Manager Property Assessing, Tower Insurance
• Carolyn Eyre, Deputy Mayor Western Districts, General Ward Councillor
• Carly Orr, Chief People Officer, Tower Insurance
• Colin “Toss” Kitchen MNZM, Bay of Islands-Whangaroa General, Northland Regional Council
• Damian Newell, Host, The Breeze, Dunedin
• Darren Beattie, Head of Information Security, Tower Insurance
• Daniel Hair, Senior Product Manager, Tower Insurance
• Francesca Adsett, Senior Marketing Manager, Tower Insurance
• Gauri Sreedhar, Business Analysis Practice Lead, Tower Insurance
• Genevieve Robinson, Christchurch Central/Ōhoko Councillor, Environment Canterbury
• Graeme Mead, Radio Host, Newstalk ZB Waikato
• Hannah Wilkins, The Breeze Dunedin Breakfast Presenter
• Helen Harvey, Senior Reporter, Stuff 
• Helen Lash, Mayor, Westland District
• Hilary Muir, Host, The Breeze, Canterbury
• Iaean Cranwell, Deputy Chair and Ngāi Tahu Councillor, Environmental Canterbury
• Janhavi Gosavi, Journalist, NZ Herald
• Jordan Oppert, TVNZ Sports Journalist
• Jordyn Rudd, 1 News Reporter
• Kat McMillan, Tauranga General Consistency Councillor, Bay of Plenty Regional Councillor
• Kate Russell, Assistant Editor, Nelson Weekly
• Kellie Nathan, Head of Brand, Marketing and Propositions, Tower Insurance
• Kelli Wiltshire, Key Partnership Manager, Tower Insurance
• Ken Swan, More FM Breakfast Host, Taranaki
• Mandos Mitchinson, Business Enterprise Support and Engineering Manager, Tower Insurance
• Margaret Reid, Remediation Owner – Customer Retention, Tower Insurance
• Mātai Smith, Station Manager/Broadcaster
• Murray McChesney, Senior Manager Motor Assessing, Tower Insurance
• Neil Gillespie, Dunstan Consistency Councillor, Otago Regional Council
• Nureddin Abdurahman, Councillor, Paekawakawa/Southern Ward, Wellington
• Rachel Gabriel, External Reporting Manager, Tower Insurance
• Rachel Ward, Editor – Northern Advocate, NZME
• Rehette Stoltz, Mayor, Gisborne
• Richard Hills, North Shore Ward Councillor, Auckland Councillor
• Sarah Vili, Senior Process Excellence Specialist, Tower Insurance
• Scott Shannon JP, Deputy Mayor, Timaru District Council
• Shannon Dooley, Business Owner Group Finance, Tower Insurance
• Sinead Gill, Senior Journalist, Stuff
• Tania Gibson, Mayor of Greymouth
• Te Rika Temara-Benfell, Māori Ward Councillor, Rotorua Lakes Council
• Timothy Burfield King, Tasman District Council Mayor
• Tori Tokalau, Senior Reporter, Stuff
• Victoria Short, Albany Ward Councillor, Auckland Council