Māori Women Dominate 2024 Māori Sports Awards’ Finalists

An all-female group of Olympic gold medallists will vie for the supreme title – the Albie Pryor Memorial Māori Sports Person of the Year – at the 34th Trillian Trust Māori Sports Awards to be held at Mercury Arena in Mount Maunganui on Saturday November 30 2024.

Organised by Te Tohu Taakaro o Aotearoa Charitable Trust, the annual event attracts up to 1,000 dignitaries, celebrities and sportspeople who gather to honour the achievements of Māori athletes, administrators and coaches.

This year’s ceremony will also pay tribute to 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), who will be inducted into the Māori Sports Hall of Fame.

For the first time, a special trustees award will be presented to the New Zealand Olympic Committee.

Trust executive director Richard (Dick) Garratt MNZM (Ngāi Tuhoe) says several hundred nominations were received with a record number of Māori athletes achieving on the world stage over the past 12 months – testament to the vision of the event’s founder, the late Albie Pryor.

In 1991, Pryor (Ngāti Awa) established the black-tie extravaganza to promote and encourage Māori in the pursuit of sporting excellence. He later expanded that brief to identify and support young Māori talent so they could achieve at Olympic, Commonwealth and international competitions.

“We’re staggered by the quality of the nominations which is an indication of the incredible impact Māori sportspeople have had in the international arena,” Mr Garratt says.

“It’s also encouraging to see entries from a number of lesser-known sports, and from other sports where Māori have not previously succeeded. This will make the final selections a difficult one.”

Whakaata Māori will broadcast live from the awards ceremony on Māori+ on Saturday November 30 2024 from 6.30pm to 8.30pm with a replay scheduled for Sunday 1 December 2024 from 6.30pm to 8.30pm on the Whakaata Māori channel.

The 2024 Māori Sports Awards finalists and award recipients are:

TE TOI HUAREWA | Māori Para Athlete/Team of the Year:

Peter Cowan (Ngāti Kahungunu), Heretaunga | Hastings – waka ama | outrigger canoeing

Holly Robinson (Ngāi Tahu), Ōtepoti | Dunedin – kaiaka | athletics

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

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

Dame Farah Palmer DNZM (Ngāti Maniapoto, Waikato, Tainui), Te Papaioea | Palmerston North – whutupōro | rugby

Aroha Tito (Ngā Puhi), Kerikeri – hahau pōro | golf

TE ARATIATIA | Māori Sports Umpire/Referee of the Year:

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

Campbell-Kirk Kawana-Waugh (Ngā Ruahine), Taranaki – poiwhana | football

Ben O’Keeffe (Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Whātua), Kaipara – whutupōro | rugby

TE MARU Ō TŪMATAUENGA | Māori Sports Coach of the Year:

Michael Mayne (Ngāti Awa), Kirikiriroa| Hamilton – poiwhana | football

Clayton McMillan (Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāi Tama Whariua), Kirikiriroa | Hamilton – whutupōro | rugby

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 – whutupōro | rugby

NGĀ KARAHIPI O TE TOHU TĀKARO MĀORI O AOTEAROA | Māori Sports Awards Scholarships:

Massey University: Tyla King (Ngā Puhi), Mauao | Mount Maunganui – whutupōro takiwhitu |rugby sevens, rīki | rugby league

Massey University: Erika Fairweather (Ngāi Tahu), Ōtepoti | Dunedin – kauhoe | swimming

Skills Active Māori Sports Awards Scholarship: Charlie Sinton (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairarapa), Tauranga – whutupōro | rugby

Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Scholarship | Māori Education Trust: Maia Davis (Ngāti Hineuru, Ngāti Taranaki), Ahuriri | Napier – whutupōro | rugby, whutupōro takiwhitu |rugby sevens, rīki | rugby league

TE PIKINGA O TĀWHAKI | Individual Māori World Champions:

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

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

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

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

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

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

TOA TAUMĀHEKEHEKE O TE AO (TOA MĀTĀMUA) | Olympic Champions (Gold Medallists):

Elllesse Andrews (Waitaha, Kāti Māmoe), Kemureti | Cambridge – paihikara (ara āmio) | cycling (track)

Olivia Brett (Ngā Puhi), Campbells Bay – waka hūkere | canoe sprint

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

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

Tyla King (Ngā Puhi), Mauao | Mount Maunganui – whutupōro takiwhitu |rugby sevens, rīki | rugby league

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

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

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

Stacey Waaka (Ngāi Tūhoe, Te Arawa), Mauao | Mount Maunganui – whutupōro takiwhitu | rugby sevens, rīki | rugby league

Portia Woodman-Wickliffe (Ngā Puhi), Hapani | Japan – whutupōro takiwhitu | rugby sevens

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

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

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

Ruby Nathan (Te Aupouri), Ahitereiria | Australia – poiwhana | football

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

Francis David Lockwood (Ngāi Tahu), Rotorua – hahau pōro | golf

Rico Simpson (Ngāti Awa), Tāmaki Makaurau | Auckland – whutupōro | rugby

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

HINEAHUONE | Senior Māori Sportswoman of the Year:

Elllesse Andrews (Waitaha, Kāti Māmoe), Kemureti | Cambridge – paihikara (ara āmio) | cycling (track)

Olivia Brett (Ngā Puhi), Campbells Bay – waka hūkere | canoe sprint

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

Erika Fairweather (Ngāi Tahu), Ōtepoti |Dunedin – kauhoe | swimming

Kelly Jackson nee Jury (Ngāti Kahungunu), Te Whanganui-a-Tara | Wellington – poitarawhiti | netball

Tyler King (Ngā Puhi), Mauao | Mount Maunganui – whutupōro takiwhitu | rugby sevens, rīki | rugby league

Stacey Waaka (Ngāi Tūhoe, Te Arawa), Mauao | Mount Maunganui – whutupōro takiwhitu | rugby sevens, rīki | rugby league

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

Logan Ullrich (Ngāi Tahu), Kemureti | Cambridge – hoe waka | rowing

Lewis Clareburt (Waikato, Tainui), Tāmaki Makaurau | Auckland – kauhoe | swimming

James Fisher-Harris (Ngā Puhi), Ahitereiria | Australia – rīki | rugby league

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

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

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

TE TOHU TAAKARO O AOTEAROA | Trustees Special Award:

New Zealand Olympic Committee

RONGOMARAEROA | Albie Pryor Memorial Māori Sports Person of the Year:

All finalists and world champions are in contention for the supreme award.

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

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