The Awards Gala 2027

be in the room!

Tickets ON SALE MID-NOVEMBER

Mark your calendar:

Thursday 8 March 2027
Viaduct Events Centre
Auckland Tāmaki Makaurau

Full tables of 10 will be on sale from mid-November.

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Individual tickets may be released at a later date, venue capacity permitting. If you are interested in purchasing individual tickets, please reach out to the Awards Office office@nzawards.org.nz.

Awards Sponsors

Event Partners

2026/27

Key Dates

21 July

Nominations
Open

18 August

Nominations
Closed

19 November

Local Heroes
Announced

10 December

Semi-Finalists
Announced

4 March

Finalists
Announced

8 April

Awards
Gala

Join us as we kick off our nominations phase of the Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Awards Ngā Tohu Pou Kōhure o Aotearoa! For four weeks – from 21 July to 18 August – we invite you to put forth your champions of positive change. Awarded across seven categories and celebrating people from every age, stage and background; this is your chance to shine a spotlight on the people who matter to you.

As nominations come flooding in, we’re hard at work bringing together seven incredible category judging panels comprised of sector leaders and experts from across Aotearoa. When nominations close on 18 August, all nominations will go through two rounds of intensive debate, as with great care and rigour our judges select the most powerful stories of the year.

In late-November, we proudly reveal and celebrate the top 100 nominees from across the country for the Tower Local Hero of the Year Te Pou Toko o te Tau. These people are our neighbours, our colleagues, our friends, our front line workers, our volunteers – the people that work behind the scenes every day to make Aotearoa a better place. Each receives a medal, and will move through to the next round of judging to be considered for the final award.

From thousands of public nominations, the top ten Semi-Finalists across all each of the award categories are announced. This is a huge moment to collectively appreciate and celebrate the people who have made invaluable contributions to our nation – from transforming local communities to putting Aotearoa New Zealand on a world stage.

Our incredible Executive Judging Panel, made of esteemed leaders from diverse fields across New Zealand, have the impossible job of selecting the top three Finalists in each of the seven award categories. These people, our 2027 Finalists, are announced and celebrated on 4 March. You’ll have to join us on Awards Night in March to see who takes out the titles!

Join us for the greatest night of the year! Our annual Awards Gala is set for Thursday 8 April 2027, Viaduct Events Centre in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. Be in the room with the best of Aotearoa as we celebrate the the Semi-Finalists, Finalists and announce the 2027 Winners across all seven categories. Nothing beats the energy, emotion and significance of this special night. Tickets on sale from late November 2026.