Māori Olympic Gold Medallist Scores Top Indigenous Award

The world champion sprint kayaker – affiliated to Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki and Ngāti Porou – was crowned the Albie Pryor Memorial Māori Sports Person of the Year for the seventh time.

The accolade recognises Dame Lisa’s outstanding year in which she claimed three gold medals at the Paris Olympics (K4, K2, K1), taking her total Olympic haul to a staggering nine medals, eight of which are gold.

Late last month (October), she became the first New Zealander to win one of the highest honours in the Olympic movement, the Outstanding Sporting Career Award.

A record number of Māori Olympians at Paris 2024 including 10 sportswomen who won gold medals were celebrated at the black-tie event hosted by Te Tohu Taakaro o Aotearoa Charitable Trust at Mercury Baypark Arena.

The first New Zealander to play American football professionally in the United States and the first to win a Super Bowl, Riki Ellison (Ngāi Tahu), was inducted into the Māori Sports Hall of Fame, Te Whare Mātāpuna o te Ao Māori.

International hockey umpire Amber Church (Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki), who officiated at her third consecutive Olympic Games this year, won Māori Sports Umpire/Referee of the Year for the second time.

Auckland City Football Club general manager Gordon Glen-Watson (Ngāpuhi) was crowned Māori Sports Administrator of the Year while Cory Sweeney (Ngāti Whātua ki Kaipara) took out Māori Sports Coach of the Year after leading the New Zealand Women’s Sevens team to a gold medal win at the Paris Olympics.

Māori Para Athlete of the Year is Para va’a specialist Peter Cowan (Ngāti Kahungunu) who won a brilliant bronze medal in the VL3 200m on his Paralympic Games debut this year.

Rugby, rugby league and rugby sevens high achiever Maia Davis (Ngāti Hineuru, Taranaki) was presented with the Junior Māori Sportswoman of the Year title as well as a Māori Education Trust scholarship.

Junior Māori Sportsman of the Year, New Zealand Secondary Schools rugby team captain Charlie Sinton (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa), also received a Skills Active Aotearoa Māori Sports Awards scholarship.

All Blacks vice-captain and Crusaders veteran Codie Taylor (Muaūpoko, Ngāti Raukawa) was named Senior Māori Sportsman of the Year.

Dame Lisa Carrington headed off an elite group of athletes to win Senior Māori Sportswoman of the Year before clinching the supreme award named in honour of the event’s founder, Albie Pryor (Ngāti Awa, Ngāti Rangitihi, Tūhoe).

Whakaata Māori will broadcast a two-hour highlights’ special – TE TOHU TAAKARO O AOTEAROA | Māori Sports Awards 2024 – tomorrow, Sunday 1 December 2024, at 6.30pm.

The Māori Sports Awards’ winners, individual world champions and Olympic gold medallists are:

TE ARATIATIA | Māori Sports Umpire/Referee of the Year

Amber Church (Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki), Tūranganui-a-Kiwa | Gisborne – haupoi | hockey

MĀUI TIKITIKI-Ā-TARANGA | Māori Sports Administrator of the Year

Gordon Glen-Watson (Ngāpuhi), Tāmaki Makaurau | Auckland – poiwhana | football

TE MARU Ō TŪMATAUENGA | Māori Sports Coach of the Year

Cory Sweeney (Ngāti Whātua ki Kaipara), Pāpāmoa – whutupōro takiwhitu | rugby sevens

NGĀ IKA Ā WHIRO | Māori Sports Team of the Year

New Zealand Māori Development team – whutupōro | rugby

TE TOI HUAREWA | Māori Para Athlete of the Year

Peter Cowan PLY#231 (Ngāti Kahungunu), Heretaunga | Hastings – Eke waka whaikaha | Para canoeing

TE PIKINGA O TĀWHAKI | Individual Māori World Champions (6)

Catherine Mullooly (Ngā Rauru, Ngāti Kahungunu), Tūranganui-a-Kiwa | Gisborne – kutikuti | shearing

Dale Johnson (Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Porou, Tainui), Tauranga – waka ama | outrigger canoeing

George Thomas (Ngāti Pikiao), Rotorua – waka ama | outrigger canoeing

Hinekahukura Brooking (Ngāti Porou, Rongowhakaata, Ngāti Tūwharetoa), Tūranganui-a-Kiwa | Gisborne – waka ama | outrigger canoeing

Peata Nuku (Ngati Kahungunu, Rongomaiwahine), Tāmaki Makaurau | Auckland – waka ama | outrigger canoeing

Sacha Bond (Tūhoe), Ahitereiria | Australia – kutikuti | shearing

TE POU HERENGA TAHI | Te Tohu Taakaro o Aotearoa Trustees Award

Te Whare o Pou Tangata | New Zealand Olympic Committee

TOA MĀTĀMUA TAUMĀHEKEHEKE MĀORI O TE AO | Māori Olympic Gold Medallists 2024 (10)

Ellesse Andrews OLY#1389 (Waitaha, Kāti Māmoe), Kemureti | Cambridge – paihikara (ara āmio) | cycling (track)

Dame Lisa Carrington DNZM OLY#1131 (Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki, Ngāti Porou), North Harbour – waka hūkere | canoe sprint

Mahina Paul OLY#1596 (Ngāti Pūkeko), Mauao | Mount Maunganui – whutupōro takiwhitu | rugby sevens

Manaia Nuku OLY#1593 (Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui), Tauranga – whutupōro takiwhitu | rugby sevens

Olivia Brett OLY#1539 (Ngāpuhi), Campbells Bay – waka hūkere | canoe sprint

Portia Woodman-Wickliffe OLY#1369 (Ngāpuhi), Hapani | Japan – whutupōro takiwhitu | rugby sevens

Risaleaana Pouri-Lane OLY#1477 (Ngāti Kuia, Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Kōata) – Mauao | Mount Maunganui – whutupōro takiwhitu | rugby sevens

Sarah Hirini MNZM OLY#1276 (Ngāti Kahungunu), Mauao | Mount Maunganui – whutupōro takiwhitu | rugby sevens

Stacey Waaka OLY#1426 (Tūhoe, Te Arawa), Mauao | Mount Maunganui – whutupōro takiwhitu | rugby sevens

Tyla King OLY#1323 (Ngāpuhi), Mauao | Mount Maunganui – whutupōro takiwhitu | rugby sevens

TE TAMĀHINE-Ā-PAPATŪĀNUKU | Junior Māori Sportswoman of the Year

Maia Davis (Ngāti Hineuru, Taranaki), Ahuriri | Napier – whutupōro | rugby, whutupōro takiwhitu | rugby sevens, rīki | rugby league

TE TAMA-Ā-RANGINUI | Junior Māori Sportsman of the Year

Charlie Sinton (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa), Tauranga – whutupōro | rugby

TE WHARE MĀTĀTAPUNA O TE AO MĀORI | Māori Sports Hall of Fame

Riki Ellison (Ngāi Tahu), Ngā Whenua Tōpū o Amerika | USA – whutupōro Amerika | American football

HINEAHUONE | Senior Māori Sportswoman of the Year

Dame Lisa Carrington DNZM OLY#1131 (Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki, Ngāti Porou), North Harbour – waka hūkere | canoe sprint

TE TAMA-Ā-TANENUIĀRANGI | Senior Māori Sportsman of the Year

Codie Taylor (Muaūpoko, Ngāti Raukawa), Ōtautahi | Christchurch – whutupōro | rugby

RONGOMARAEROA | Albie Pryor Memorial Māori Sports Person of the Year

Dame Lisa Carrington DNZM OLY#1131 (Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki, Ngāti Porou), North Harbour – waka hūkere | canoe sprint

TE TOHU TAAKARO O AOTEAROA | Māori Sports Awards 2024 screens on Whakaata Māori tomorrow, Sunday 1 December 2024, at 6.30pm.

For more information about the Māori Sports Awards, go to the website www.maorisportsawards.co.nz.

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