Sport NZ congratulates the winners of the annual New Zealand Sport and Recreation Awards, held in Hamilton this evening.

"Tonight is about recognising the outstanding work and inspirational people across our sector that support New Zealanders to be physically active," says Sport NZ Chief Executive Raelene Castle.  

"The awards ceremony brings together leaders from across the sector to recognise the top achievements and to acknowledge leadership and lifetime achievement. This year has also seen the introduction of two new award categories, Māori Participation and COVID-19 Response, as well as the renaming of our lifetime achievement awards in honour of the late Sir Eion Edgar and his wife Jan, Lady Edgar.”

The awards coincide with Sport NZ's annual Connections Conference for leaders from the sport and recreation sector. This year's conference theme is "Leading and Managing Change" and features speakers from a range of national and international experts spanning disciplines including sport, business, leadership and psychology.   

The award winners are:  

Commercial Partnership - Badminton New Zealand | Barfoot & Thompson

Leadership in Diversity - Sport Waitakere

COVID-19 Response (Peoples’ Choice) - Basketball New Zealand – NBL Showdown

Community Impact– Local/Community - Sport Waitakere

Community Impact Finalists – Regional/National - Touch New Zealand

Māori Participation Finalists - Waka Ama NZ

Susie Simcock Future Leaders' Scholarship - Kylie Turuwhenua-Tapsell, Sport Gisborne Tairāwhiti

C.K. Doig Leadership Award - Andrew Leslie, Recreation Aotearoa

Sir Eion and Jan, Lady Edgar Lifetime Achievement Awards - Terry Sheldrake MNZM, Jennifer Millar CNZM, Dick Garrett

ENDS