Finalists Announced for Sportsperson of the Year Awards 2017

Media Release
EMBARGOED UNTIL 6AM 5 MAY 2017

Top Calibre Finalists Announced for Wellington Hospitality Group Sportsperson of the Year Awards 2017

The panel of judges with the job of selecting the finalists and winners of the 14 categories in the Wellington Hospitality Group Sportsperson of the Year Awards 2017 were faced with a difficult task due to the quality and variety of the nominations received this year.

“It has been a huge year for sport in the region given that the Olympics fell within the qualifying period, so this year’s nominations are of a very high standard,” says Phil Gibbons, CEO of Sport Wellington. “More than 200 nominations representing a vast range of sports have now been considered resulting in an incredible list of finalists. Such a response is testament to the impact of sport in the greater Wellington region, and it is this success which we want to recognise and celebrate with what promises to be a dazzling awards ceremony. It’s also a fantastic opportunity to say thank you to all who help to make sport happen in our region.”

Contenders for this year’s prestigious titles include Blake Signal, Nick Willis, Beauden Barrett, Marty McDowell and Steven Adams for Sportsman of the Year. In the women’s category, Amelia Kerr, Mary Fisher, Anita McLaren, Kayla Imrie and Georgia Groen are in the running. Within these two categories alone there are nine different sports represented demonstrating the breadth of sport covered by the awards, which also show a strong regional spread.

The awards ceremony, sponsored by the Wellington Hospitality Group, will be held on Wednesday 14 June at the TSB Arena in Wellington. The event will be the biggest yet since the awards began in 1969. Guests from national, regional and local sporting organisations will join guests from the media, and civic and corporate bodies for the chance to rub shoulders with the region’s sporting greats, whilst enjoying fine dining and the opportunity of course to raise a glass to the winners.

The Wellington Hospitality Group has been involved in the awards previously but this year sees them taking a lead role as the Naming Rights Sponsor. The group manages 23 restaurants and bars in the greater Wellington region, and within the past 12 months has donated over $235,000 to local communities.

We have a strong culture of community focus,” says Jamie Williams, Director of Wellington Hospitality Group. “About 65% of our donations go to sporting organisations in the region, and we see the sponsorship of the awards this year as a natural extension of that. We feel strongly that if everyone can give a little back then big things can happen. We are putting our money where our mouth is, and the awards give us a fantastic opportunity to encourage others to play their part in strengthening their local communities.”

This year’s awards see the introduction of a new category which will recognise leadership within sport. The Trish McKelvey Leadership Award will be presented in partnership with Outward Bound New Zealand, and the winner of this will receive an Outward Bound scholarship which will give them the opportunity to develop their leadership skills further. Three eagerly awaited Wellington sporting “Legends” will also be announced and inducted on the evening. As in previous years, they will have plaques installed in the ASB Sports Centre in Kilbirnie in recognition of their contribution to sport in the region.

From today the public will have the opportunity to play their part in casting their vote online (www.wellingtonsportsawards.co.nz) for the highly regarded Personality of the Year Award which was won last year by Ben Sigmund from the Wellington Phoenix.

Tickets for the event are highly sought after and can be purchased at www.wellingtonsportsawards.co.nz.

ENDS

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