Senior New Zealander of the Year

Ryman Healthcare

Senior New Zealander of the Year

Ryman Healthcare

Senior New Zealander of the Year

Te Mātāpuputu o te Tau

Ryman Healthcare

CLICK HERE TO NOMINATE

2025

Finalists

This award honours New Zealanders aged 70+ who continue to shape Aotearoa through wisdom, action, and care. Far from winding down, they are still building legacies – using their experience to lead, serve, and make lasting impact.

Nominees of this Award must:

Be over the age of 70, at the open of nominations in July.
Have had significant impact in their senior years.
Be a role model for New Zealanders and highlight that change is possible at any age.
Meet Awards Conditions of Entry.

Judging Criteria

Judges will review each nominee using the following criteria:

10 points: OVERALL INSPIRATION:
Describe the person you are nominating and what they’ve done later in life to inspire you to nominate them as the Senior New Zealander of the Year Te Mātāpuputu o te Tau.
10 points: PURPOSE:
Who benefits from the work, contribution, or influence of this person – and how?
10 points: LEADERSHIP & SERVICE:
How does this person set a positive example of being a senior member of the community – showing potential for making change at any age.
10 points: 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 following their career, achievements, or service to create change and give back?
10 points: PROVEN IMPACT:
How has this person clearly demonstrated a positive impact in their area of influence, particularly during their senior years? How has this been measured?
10 points: LEGACY
How would winning this award impact this person’s legacy and their mahi (past or present)?

Conditions of Entry

2025

Semi Finalists

Dame Sue Bagshaw

Canterbury Waitaha

Dame Sue Bagshaw is a trailblazer for youth health and wellbeing who has transformed how at-risk young people in Aotearoa New Zealand access care and support. For more than four decades, she has championed integrated, youth-friendly services that treat physical, mental, and social wellbeing as one. In 1995, she opened the nation’s first comprehensive youth health clinic – a model now replicated across the country – and later co-founded Te Tahi Youth in Ōtautahi Christchurch, which provides holistic, free care to thousands of rangatahi every year.

In the past year, Dame Sue has continued to lead the creation of a new multi-service youth hub in central Christchurch, turning vision into reality after years of perseverance and personal loss. Her compassion, advocacy, and hands-on care continue to shape a more just and responsive health system – one that sees, hears, and uplifts every young person.

Dame Claudia Orange

Auckland Tāmaki Makaurau

For nearly four decades, Dame Claudia Orange has shaped the way New Zealanders understand their past and, in doing so, their national identity. Her groundbreaking 1987 book The Treaty of Waitangi brought clarity and credibility to a subject long clouded by misunderstanding. It became an instant classic, selling more than 50,000 copies and changing the national conversation about te Tiriti o Waitangi. Companion works such as The Story of a Treaty and An Illustrated History of the Treaty of Waitangi remain staples of classrooms and libraries nationwide.

At 87, Dame Claudia remains an active and respected voice in the country’s historical life. Over the past year she has continued to research Treaty signatories, deliver public lectures across the motu, and advise on key heritage projects such as He Tohu and Te Kōngahu Museum of Waitangi. Present at Waitangi Day and at Parliament for the 2025 return of Ōrākau to Tainui, she continues to bring wisdom and clarity to national conversations.

Sir Richard Faull

Auckland Tāmaki Makaurau

Distinguished Professor Sir Richard Faull (Te Āti Awa, Ngāti Rāhiri) is one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most esteemed scientists and a global leader in neuroscience. Over four decades, his groundbreaking research has reshaped our understanding of the human brain – proving that it can regenerate new cells and repair itself – a discovery that revolutionised modern medicine. As founder of the Centre for Brain Research – Te Huinga Hinengaro, he has built a world-class institution grounded in service to whānau, connecting research, clinicians, and communities to improve the lives of people affected by neurological disease.

Sir Richard’s commitment extends beyond the laboratory. He has championed Māori engagement in health research, visited marae across Aotearoa to kōrero about mate wareware (dementia), and established the Neurological Foundation Human Brain Bank, one of the world’s leading brain tissue collections. A visionary teacher, mentor, and advocate, Sir Richard Faull’s lifelong work continues to transform brain science and the wellbeing of future generations.

Jeet Suchdev

Auckland Tāmaki Makaurau

Jeet Suchdev is a tireless advocate for unity, compassion, and cultural inclusion in Aotearoa New Zealand. As Chairman of Bhartiya Samaj Charitable Trust, he has transformed the organisation from a small cultural group into one of New Zealand’s leading providers of migrant settlement support, senior wellbeing programmes, and youth engagement initiatives. Through his hands-on leadership, Jeet continues to strengthen the nation’s multicultural fabric – welcoming new migrants, supporting seniors, and building bridges between communities.

In his seventies, Jeet remains as active as ever, mentoring youth leaders, advising government on ethnic affairs, and coordinating essential community services. His leadership during times of crisis, including the COVID-19 pandemic, ensured that vulnerable families received food, care, and connection when they needed it most. Jeet’s enduring commitment to service, empathy, and inclusion continues to inspire.

Tā Mason Durie

Manawatū-Whanganui

Emeritus Professor Tā Mason Durie has devoted his life to advancing Māori health, education, and social wellbeing in Aotearoa New Zealand. His pioneering frameworks – including Te Whare Tapa Whā and Whānau Ora – have reshaped how the nation understands and delivers health and social services, placing Māori knowledge and values at the centre of wellbeing for all New Zealanders.

Over the past year, Tā Mason launched Whānau Ora Whakaoranga 2024–2064, a 40-year vision for Māori health, building on four decades of transformative work. He continues to guide national conversations on equity, Te Tiriti partnership, and Indigenous innovation through research, writing, and leadership. His forthcoming book, Whiti Ora, reflects on Māori health across the past two decades, from psychiatry to public policy. A leader of integrity and wisdom, Tā Mason’s enduring legacy continues to shape a healthier, more equitable Aotearoa.

Alan and Hazel Kerr

Auckland Tāmaki Makaurau

Dr Alan Kerr and Hazel Kerr have turned what could have been a quiet retirement into two decades of extraordinary service. Over 40 volunteer medical missions to Gaza and the West Bank, they have saved the lives of nearly 1,000 Palestinian children and helped build sustainable paediatric cardiac care in one of the world’s most fragile regions. Alan, the former head of cardiothoracic surgery at Greenlane Hospital, is regarded as the father of paediatric cardiac surgery in both New Zealand and Palestine, while Hazel, a teacher by background, brought healing of a different kind through education, care, and human connection.

Their legacy reaches far beyond medicine. They have trained local surgeons, built trust across cultures, and redefined what service in retirement can look like. Now in their 90s, Alan and Hazel continue to advocate for Palestinian children, quietly sharing their story through The Doctor’s Wife documentary and community screenings across Aotearoa.

Sir Roger Hall

Auckland Tāmaki Makaurau

Sir Roger Hall is one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most celebrated playwrights, renowned for his sharp wit, social insight, and enduring contribution to theatre and screen. Born in Essex, England, in 1939 and emigrating to New Zealand in 1958, Sir Roger began a prolific career spanning theatre, television, and film. His breakout play Glide Time (1976) – later adapted into the hit TV series Gliding On – captured the humour and humanity of everyday working life, long before workplace satire became mainstream.

Across more than 40 plays, including Middle-Age Spread, Conjugal Rites, and End of Summer Time, Sir Roger has used comedy to explore the quirks and questions of middle-class New Zealand. His writing has shaped the national stage, reflecting who we are with warmth and honesty. Recognised with the 2015 Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement and a knighthood in 2019, Sir Roger remains a hugely influential voice in New Zealand’s cultural life.

The Rt Hon Helen Clark

Auckland Tāmaki Makaurau

The Rt Hon Helen Clark has long exemplified leadership in service of others – from her tenure as New Zealand’s 37th Prime Minister to her global roles advancing sustainable development, gender equality, and human rights. In recent times, she has channelled her formidable experience into advocacy on the world stage, standing up for peace, justice, and humanitarian values.

In 2025, Helen Clark brought international attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, visiting the Rafah border crossing alongside Mary Robinson to bear witness to the severe conditions and urge the reopening of all crossings for vital aid. She has been a steadfast critic of the suspension of UNRWA funding, calling on donors to restore support for civilians in need. Helen Clark’s tireless advocacy – grounded in compassion, integrity, and courage – continues to shape global conversations and exemplify leadership in action.

Sir Peter Gluckman

Auckland Tāmaki Makaurau

Over the past year, Sir Peter Gluckman – one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most distinguished scientists and policy leaders – has continued to shape our national direction through bold, forward-looking leadership. In 2024, he chaired the Science System Advisory Group, delivering An Architecture for the Future – a landmark report charting a new path for New Zealand’s science system. His recommendations aim to strengthen research impact, foster innovation, and ensure science remains central to tackling both national priorities and global challenges.

At the same time, Sir Peter has advanced international cooperation as President of the International Science Council, including delivering a keynote address at the United Nations on science diplomacy. Through Koi Tū: The Centre for Informed Futures, he continues to guide evidence-based policy on issues such as climate change, technology, and wellbeing. Building on a lifetime of service to science, his work this year reaffirms his global leadership and his commitment to using knowledge to shape a better future for Aotearoa.

Previous

winners

Elizabeth Ellis CNZM JP

2025

Bob Francis CNZM QSO MBE JP

2024

Sir Mark Dunajtschik KNZM

2023

Rereata Mākiha

2022

Dr Doug Wilson MNZM

2021

Dame Margaret Sparrow DNZM MBE

2020

Dr Bill Glass

2019

Sir Kim Workman KNZM QSO

2018

Sue Paterson ONZM

2017

John Russell

2016

Donald Sew Hoy

2015

Frances Denz MNZM

2014

Ian Grant

2013

Malcolm Cameron

2012

Alison Neill

2011

Sir Eion Edgar KNZM

2010

Thanks to our generous sponsor whānau
that make the awards possible

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office@nzawards.org.nz
media@nzawards.org.nz

PO Box 1158
Christchurch 8140 New Zealand

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