Finalists announced for the 2011 Next Woman of the Year Awards

Next magazine is delighted to unveil the inspirational women who have been selected as finalists in the 2011 Next Woman of the Year awards, in association with Pandora.

The awards were launched in 2010 with the objective of acknowledging and celebrating remarkable women, and this year’s selection truly reflects this. The 25 finalists are role models who strongly represent not only individual achievements but services to the community in a year of challenging times for New Zealand.

These finalists have been selected from a wide range of entries across five major categories: community; arts and culture; sport; health and science; and business.

Among those shortlisted in our community category are Lesley Elliott - the mother of murder victim Sophie - who has become an inspiration to so many through her work to prevent violence, and Janine Morrell-Gunn, who has worked tirelessly to help those affected by the Christchurch earthquakes.

The arts and culture finalists range from Boy producer Ainsley Gardiner, to clothing designer Denise L’Estrange Corbet, to singer Aly Cook. The Next Woman of the Year sports category features an outstanding selection of athletes and trainers, including former Black Ferns captain Melissa Ruscoe and Paralympian Jayne Parsons, who lost her eyesight in a domestic violence incident and went on to become a tandem cycling world champion.

Christchurch coroner Sue Johnson and Jenn Hooper, who is the founding member of Action to Improve Maternity, are among the five shortlisted in our health and science section. And our business finalists include Trilogy CEO Sarah Gibbs, Emkay founder Kylie Gibbard and lawyer Mai Chen.

To narrow the field and determine the winners, Next magazine editor Sarah Henry was joined on the judging panel by Dame Catherine Tizard and Dr Gareth Morgan.

Each of the 25 finalists is profiled in the October issue of Next magazine on sale today (September 12). The overall Woman of the Year will be announced at a glitzy awards event in Auckland on October 6, and will feature in the November issue of the magazine.

Next Woman of the Year Finalists 2011
Arts & Culture
Ainsley Gardiner, Film producer
Denise L’Estrange Corbet, Fashion designer
Jill Marshall, Publisher and author
Eileen Moran, Visual effects producer
Aly Cook, Recording artist

Business
Mai Chen, Lawyer and founding partner of Chen Palmer
Sarah Gibbs, CEO Trilogy
Kylie Gibbard, Founder of Emkay
Angie Philp, Managing director of Reach Me
Jacqui Spice, Founder of Touch of Spice

Community
Ruahine Albert, Service manager at Te Whakaruruhau
Lesley Elliott, Founder of the Sophie Elliott Foundation
Janine Morrell-Gunn, Launched Adopt a Christchurch Family
Mandy Robertson, Director of Whitford Wild Bird Care Centre
Vicki Wall, Founder of Dawn Trust

Health & Science
Jenn Hooper, Founding member of Action to Improve Maternity (AIM)
Sue Johnson, Christchurch coroner
Kim Knight, Health coach
Judy Leader, Nurse practitioner - pain management
Elaine Rush, Professor of Nutrition AUT

Sport
Dr Christine Couldrey, Ultra-distance athlete
Helen Johnson, Special Olympics coach
Jayne Parsons, Paralympian
Melissa Ruscoe, Former Black Ferns Captain
Nyle Sunderland, Racewalker

ENDS

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