Changes to our awards programme for 2026
We’re proud to celebrate excellence across our industry each year. Our awards shine a light on the people, places, programmes, and facilities that strengthen recreation in communities across New Zealand.
In 2025, we carried out a review of our Awards Programme. The review looked at how well our awards reflect today’s industry, and how we can better recognise the people and organisations shaping our future. As a result, we’re introducing some changes for 2026.
Depending on where you work, you can nominate a person or organisation for awards in one or more of the following sectors:
Anyone involved in aquatics, community recreation, outdoor recreation, or parks, play, and open spaces can be nominated. For Aquatic Awards, facilities must have current PoolSafe® status to be eligible for an award.
Leader Awards
Our Leader Awards celebrate the people who shape the future of recreation. These awards recognise leadership at every stage — from emerging professionals to senior sector champions — across our four sector events.
We’re introducing three new leader awards to better recognise leadership across the sector.
- Aquatics Leader of the Year – presented at the Aquatics Awards.
- Community Leader of the Year – presented at the Recreation Awards.
- Recreation Leader of the Year – presented at the Recreation Awards.
These join the Parks Leader of the Year (previously, Parks Person of the Year), which is presented at the Parks Awards. Together, these awards celebrate leaders whose mahi already makes a real difference and who is on a pathway to becoming one of tomorrow’s sector leaders.
Organisation Awards
Our Organisation Awards recognise the programmes, projects, facilities, and initiatives that strengthen recreation across the motu. These awards highlight excellence delivered at an organisational level — from innovative new developments to long-standing initiatives that create lasting community impact.
Winners from the Aquatics Awards, Outdoors Awards, and Parks Awards will automatically progress to the most relevant category at the Recreation Awards, ensuring outstanding mahi is recognised on a national stage.
As part of our review, we’re refreshing several award names to better reflect industry practice.
- Outstanding Pool becomes Aquatic Facility of the Year (presented at the Aquatics Awards). Winners progress to Outstanding Recreation Facility at the Recreation Awards.
- Healthy Park of the Year becomes Community Park of the Year (presented at the Parks Awards), better recognising the role parks and open spaces play for communities.
- Active Park / Sportsground of the Year becomes Sports Park of the Year (presented at the Parks Awards), opening the category to a wider range of parks that support active recreation.
Competitions
We will continue to deliver our two national competitions that celebrate skill and emerging talent:
These competitions have their own formats and criteria. More information and entry details can be found on our website.
Find out more
Full award criteria, frameworks, and timelines are available on our website:
Awards