Category Judging

Meet the Category Judges behind the machine. Our seven Category Judging Panels are made up of some of the brightest minds from a number of fields, offering expertise within their 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 category to go forward for Executive Judging.

Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Te Pou Whakarae o Aotearoa

2023 Category Judges

• Louise Aitken, Head Judge, Director, Thriving World
• David Downs, Consultant, 2020 Semi-Finalist
• Joanna Norris, Chief Content Officer, Stuff NZ
• Dr Matire Harwood, Senior Lecturer in Māori Health, University of Auckland

University of Canterbury Young New Zealander of the Year Te Mātātahi o te Tau

2023 Category Judges

• Jamie Fenton, Head Judge, Young New Zealander of the Year 2011
• Georgia Devereux, Co-Founder, The Social Club
• Shay Wright, Co Founder at Te Whare Hukahuka
• Jacinta Gulasekharam, Co-Founder, Dignity NZ, Human Centered Designer, PwC

Ryman Healthcare Senior New Zealander of the Year Te Mātāpuputu o te Tau

2023 Category Judges

• Meng Foon, Head Judge, Race Relations Commissioner of New Zealand
• Hon Margaret Austin
• Mark Benjamin, CEO, Standards and Monitoring Services
• Stephen Opie, CEO, Age Concern

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

2023 Category Judges

• Rachel Taulelei, Head Judge, Co-Founder, Oho
• Alexia Hilbertidou, Founder, CEO, GirlBoss New Zealand
• Kent Gardner, CEO, Evans Randall Investors
• Dave Ferguson, Co-Founder, Nuro Inc

Ministry for the Environment New Zealand Environmental Hero of the Year Te Toa Taiao o te Tau

2023 Category Judges

• Brent Beaven, Head Judge, Director, Predator Free 2020, DOC
• Prof Bronwyn Hayward MNZM, Professor, University of Canterbury, Director, The Sustainable Citizenship and Civic Imagination Research group
• Danielle Shanahan, Chief Executive, Zealandia, Adjunct Professor, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington
• Tania Gerrard, General Manager, Māori and Stakeholder Relations

Mitre 10 New Zealand Community of the Year Ngā Poi Whirinaki o te Tau

2023 Category Judges

• Tracey Wakefield, Head Judge, Manager, Restorative Justice Services Ōtautahi Christchurch
• Cyril Howard (Ngāpuhi), Regional Manager, The Tindall Foundation
• Jennie Fenwick, Founder and Director, Te Matuku Oysters, Trustee, Save the Kiwi, Chairman, Pouteria Charitable Trust
• Sam Johnson, Former CEO and Founder, Student Volunteer Army, 2012 Young New Zealander of the Year

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

2023 Category Judges

• Dellwyn Stuart, CEO, YWCA Auckland
• Matt Brown, Co-Founder, She Is Not Your Rehab, Owner, My Fathers Barber, Ambassador, It's Not OK Campaign
• Nick Loosley, 2020 New Zealand Local Hero of the Year, Founder, Everybody Eats
• Rachel Māia, NZ ParaClimber, Motivational Speaker
• Ranjna Patel ONZM QSM, 2021 New Zealand Innovator of the Year, Founder, Gandhi Nivas Family Violence Prevention Programme