The 2024 Recreation Awards are now open for nominations.
Our Recreation Awards celebrate individuals, places, programs, and projects that enhance people's wellbeing through recreation. Awards will be presented at the Recreation Conference Awards dinner in Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland on 14 November 2024. Be quick - nominations close on 9 August.
Outstanding Project < $500 000 & Outstanding Project > $500 000
This award is divided into two categories: projects costing over $500,000 and those under. Each recognises outstanding developments or major redevelopments of a strategy or facility, including pools, parks, or recreation centres.
APPLICATIONS OPEN
Outstanding Project (under $500,000)
Outstanding Project (over $500,000)
Outstanding Event
This is for a one-off or annual outstanding recreation festival or event. Please
clearly state the intended outcome of the event and provide data/evidence on
how the outcome was measured.
APPLICATIONS OPEN
Outstanding Pool
This is for an outstanding facility where the principal purpose of the built structure is aquatic recreation. It is important that sufficient objective data/evidence is provided for areas such as ‘usage’ and ‘finance’. Note: The facility must have current Poolsafe status.
APPLICATIONS OPEN
Outstanding Park
This award recognises an outstanding natural environment, which may or may not, include built structures. Please state the intent of the park's development, how it fulfilled this intent, and provide data or evidence of the measured outcomes. Note: This award focuses on the park as a whole, not individual components like playgrounds or specific gardens.
APPLICATIONS OPEN
Outstanding Recreation Facility
This is for an outstanding facility where the built structure’s principal purpose is
land-based dry recreation. It is important that sufficient objective data/evidence is
provided for areas such as ‘usage’ and ‘finance’. Note: The facility must
accommodate people with disabilities and mobility issues.
APPLICATIONS OPEN
Outstanding Community Recreation Programme
This award recognizes a recreation programme that has operated at least biennially for two years, with significant community involvement in planning and delivery, not just participant numbers. The programme must achieve a clear community development outcome. Please demonstrate the community involvement and how the outcome has been assessed or measured.
APPLICATIONS OPEN
Outstanding Research, Policy & Planning
This award recognises applied work in research, policy development, or planning, with relevance and currency to the recreation industry. It should focus on enhancing the quality of information and decision-making. It is not intended for statutory documents such as reserve management plans. Note: This award has different judging criteria from other outstanding awards.
APPLICATIONS OPEN
Emerging Recreation Leader of the Year
We are looking for people whose leadership and commitment to professional development and innovation is exemplary. The nominee should be under 30 years of age or have been working in the recreation sector for less than 5 years. Note: Candidates not meeting these criteria may be eligible for one of the other individual awards.
APPLICATIONS OPEN
Ian Galloway Memorial Cup
This award recognises excellence and outstanding personal contribution to the wider parks sector.
It celebrates the innovative and pioneering contribution made to parks management by Ian Galloway, particularly during his time in Wellington City in the 1950s and 1960s.
APPLICATIONS OPEN
Paul Stuart Memorial Award
This award recognises excellence and outstanding personal contribution to the wider facility management sector.
It was first presented in 1995 and remembers Paul Stuart for his outstanding contribution to the sector.
APPLICATIONS OPEN
Mark Mitchell Memorial Trophy
This award recognises excellence and outstanding personal contribution to the wider recreation industry.
It honours the outstanding contribution made by Mark Mitchell to the recreation industry.
APPLICATIONS OPEN
Recreation Aotearoa Fellowship Award
This award recognises Recreation Aotearoa members who are regarded as having made a significant contribution to the purpose, aims and work of Recreation Aotearoa. This award calls for an outstanding and sustained contribution.
APPLICATIONS OPEN
How to apply
Tips and tricks to help you with your award nomination.
- Watch our Webinar to see what makes a great application
- Read the Recreation Awards 2024 Judging Criteria
Award Terms and Conditions
By entering these awards, you have an opportunity to showcase what you have been working on, give your communities the opportunity to share their successes with others and convince the powers that be that ongoing commitment to and investment in recreation is both necessary and justified for healthy, engaged, sustainable communities and will help them achieve the wellbeing outcomes sought by Government.
There is no restriction on who can make a nomination. For example, they could be from a Council, Regional Sports Trust, community group/Trust, consultant or contractor involved with the initiative. Just make sure it addresses all the judging criteria, and work on the basis that the judges know nothing about your nominated initiative other than what they read in the nomination, so be clear and concise in your description.
Note: The Recreation Aotearoa judging panel reserves the right to change the category the nomination is to be considered under at their discretion.
The individual Recreation Awards recognise excellence, innovation, effectiveness, and outstanding activity within the recreation industry by individuals whose commitment and contribution promotes the ongoing development and enhancement of the industry. They are not recognition for a single event or activity, or for contribution over a specific period or simply as part of regular employment.
By nominating an individual for one of these awards you are giving them an opportunity to have their efforts recognised by the whole the industry not just those who have had the opportunity to working with them.
Winners will NOT be notified in advance of the Awards ceremony so please encourage those nominated to attend.
All nominations are to be made electronically. No hard copies will be required or accepted.
Nominations will be promoted through social media. Images of all nominations will be displayed at Recreation Conference and the Awards’ dinner and may be displayed on the Recreation Aotearoa website. Winning and highly commended nominations will be displayed on the Recreation Aotearoa website.