New Zealand Women of Influence Awards

The New Zealand Women of Influence Awards are an annual set of awards which recognise women who make a difference to everyday New Zealanders' lives. The Awards were first made in 2013 and were initially sponsored by Westpac Bank.^[1] In 2016, Stuff NZ became a joint sponsor.

Luamanuvao Dame Winnie Laban, winner of the 2020 Women of Influence Lifetime Achievement Award

Nominations are invited from the public. A panel selects finalists in each category, who are invited to an awards dinner at the Aotea Centre in Auckland where the recipients are announced.^[2] In 2021 the awards dinner was not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Categories

The Awards were initially presented in seven categories; additional categories have since been introduced and as of 2020 the Awards are made in ten categories: Board and Management, Business Enterprise, Innovation and Science, Young Leader, Arts and Culture, Public Policy, Community and Not-for-profit, Diversity, Global and Rural. In addition, there is a Supreme Award, which is awarded each year, and a Lifetime Achievement Award, which has been awarded four times.^[1][3]

The category Innovation and Science was titled Science, Health and Innovation until 2019. In 2021 it was renamed Innovation, Science and Health.^[4] The category Young Leader was titled Emerging Leader in 2013 and 2014. The category Arts and Culture was titled Arts in 2013 and 2014. The category Community and Not-for-Profit was titled Community and Social in 2013, Community in 2014 and Community Hero in 2021.^[4]

The category Social Enterprise has been awarded once, in 2014. The category Local and Regional has been awarded twice, in 2013 and in 2014.^[5]

In 2021, the category Global was not awarded, a category Environment was added and the category Rural was re-named Primary Industries.^[6][4]

Judges

Dame Silvia Cartwright is the head of the judging panel. On the 2020 panel with her were Sir John Kirwan, Vanisa Dhiru, Abbie Reynolds, Sinead Boucher and Gina Dellabarca.^[7] In 2021 Francene Wineti replaced Sir John Kirwan on the panel.^[8]

Recipients

Parris Goebel, winner of the 2015 Young Leader Award and the 2020 Arts and Culture Award

Year	Category	Recipient	Notes
2021	Supreme Woman of Influence	Bronwyn Hayward, expert on sustainability, climate change and youth	[6]
	Lifetime Achievement	Dame Silvia Cartwright, New Zealand’s first female High Court judge and second female Governor-General
	Board and Management	Cassandra Crowley, CEO of Te Arawa Management Limited
	Business Enterprise	Jessie Wong, director of Yu Mei
	Innovation, Science and Health	Bev Lawton, founder and director of Centre for Women’s Health Research – Te Tātai Hauora o Hine
	Young Leader	Kate Gatfield-Jeffries, co-founder of Young Women in Business and Law mentoring groups
	Arts and Culture	Qiane Matata-Sipu, founder and creator of NUKU
	Public Policy	Melanie Mark-Shadbolt, Deputy Secretary Māori Rights and Interests, Ministry for the Environment
	Diversity	Dana Youngman, television executive
	Community Hero	Bernadette Pinnell, founder of Compass Housing Services
	Primary Industries	Tia Potae, Whānau Ora navigator at Tokomairiro Waiora
	Environment	Bronwyn Hayward

Year	Category	Recipient	Notes
2020	Supreme Woman of Influence	Siouxsie Wiles, microbiologist and leading Covid-19 commentator	[9]
	Lifetime Achievement	Luamanuvao Dame Winnie Laban, New Zealand’s first female MP of Pacific Island descent
	Board and Management	Dame Alison Paterson, businesswoman and company director
	Business Enterprise	Sonya Williams and Brooke Roberts, co-founders of Sharesies
	Innovation and Science	Siouxsie Wiles
	Young Leader	Aigagalefili Fepulea'i Tapua'i, climate change and social equality campaigner
	Arts and Culture	Parris Goebel, choreographer and dancer
	Public Policy	Una Jagose, New Zealand Solicitor-General
	Community and Not-for-Profit	Ranjna Patel, domestic violence campaigner
	Diversity	Tupe Solomon-Tanoa'i, diplomat
	Global	Jane Kelsey, lawyer and political scientist
	Rural	Trish Fraser, soil scientist

Dame Jane Harding, winner of the 2019 Supreme Woman of Influence Award

Year	Category	Recipient	Notes
2019	Supreme Woman of Influence	Dame Jane Harding, medical researcher	[10][11]
	Board and Management	Abbie Reynolds, sustainable business leader
	Business Enterprise	Brianne West, sustainable beauty entrepreneur and founder of Ethique
	Innovation and Science	Dame Jane Harding
	Young Leader	Annika Andresen, marine conservationist
	Arts and Culture	Jennifer Ward-Lealand, actress
	Public Policy	Debbie Sorensen, public health leader
	Community and Not-for-Profit	Swanie Nelson, community organiser
	Diversity	Tapu Misa, journalist
	Global	Anne-Marie Brady, political scientist
	Rural	Gina Mohi, environmental planner

Year	Category	Recipient	Notes
2018	Supreme Woman of Influence	Jackie Clark, of The Aunties, a charity working with domestic violence survivors in South Auckland	[12]
	Lifetime Achievement	Theresa Gattung, businesswoman and former chief executive of Telecom New Zealand
	Board and Management	Farah Palmer, former captain of New Zealand's women's rugby union team, the Black Ferns
	Business Enterprise	Angie Judge, technology entrepreneur	[13]
	Science, Health and Innovation	Wendy Larner, president of the Royal Society Te Apārangi
	Young Leader	Maddison McQueen-Davies, founder of Share a Pair NZ
	Arts and Culture	Miranda Harcourt, actress
	Public Policy	Charlotte Korte, for creating Mesh Down Under	[12][14]
	Community and Not-for-Profit	Jackie Clark
	Diversity	Sarah Lang, founder of Women's Infrastructure Network	[15]
	Global	Sarah Vrede
	Rural	Rebecca Keoghan	[16]

Hinemoa Elder, winner of the 2017 Science, Health and Innovation Award

Year	Category	Recipient	Notes
2017	Supreme Woman of Influence	Cecilia Robinson, founder of My Food Bag	[17]
	Lifetime Achievement	Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand
	Board and Management	Anne-Maree O'Connor, investment banker
	Business Enterprise	Cecilia Robinson	[18]
	Science, Health and Innovation	Hinemoa Elder, youth forensic psychiatrist
	Young Leader	Sharnay Cocup, founder of the Taupiri Youth Group Trust
	Arts and Culture	Denise L'Estrange-Corbet, fashion designer
	Public Policy	Rebecca Kitteridge, director of the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service
	Community and Not-for-Profit	Lisa King, founder of school lunch provider Eat My Lunch
	Diversity	Minnie Baragwanath, founder of Be. Accessible, a social change agency focusing on changing how New Zealanders view accessibility
	Global	Siân Simpson
	Rural	Nicola Shadbolt, agricultural businesswoman

Mavis Mullins, winner of the 2016 Rural Award

Year	Category	Recipient	Notes
2016	Supreme Woman of Influence	Helen Robinson, businesswoman	[19]
	Lifetime Achievement	Dame Rosanne Meo, businesswoman
	Board and Management	Helen Robinson
	Business Enterprise	Lisa King, founder of school lunch provider Eat My Lunch
	Science, Health and Innovation	Michelle Dickinson, nanotechnologist and science educator
	Young Leader	Alexia Hilbertidou, founder of GirlBoss NZ
	Arts and Culture	Gaylene Preston, filmwriter, director and producer
	Public Policy	Naomi Ferguson, Commissioner of Inland Revenue
	Community and Not-for-Profit	Catriona Williams, founder of Catwalk Trust
	Diversity	Sue Kedgley, Wellington politician
	Global	Lyn Provost, Auditor-General of New Zealand
	Rural	Mavis Mullins

Year	Category	Recipient	Notes
2015	Supreme Woman of Influence	Joan Withers, for her work campaigning for more women on boards and in business	[3]
	Board and Management	Joan Withers	[20]
	Business Enterprise	Linda Jenkinson, entrepreneur
	Science, Health and Innovation	Frances Valintine, education futurist
	Young Leader	Parris Goebel, choreographer and dancer
	Arts and Culture	Victoria Spackman, creative director and business executive
	Public Policy	Vicky Robertson, Chief Executive of the Ministry for the Environment and Secretary for the Environment	[5][21]
	Community and N	Stacey Shortall, volunteer lawyer in women's prisons
	Diversity	Colonel Karyn Thompson, the most senior woman in the New Zealand Defence Force
	Global	Dame Judith Mayhew Jonas, lawyer
	Rural	Katie Milne, first woman president of Federated Farmers	[5][19]

Year	Category	Recipient	Notes
2014	Supreme Woman of Influence	Lesley Elliott, for her work at the Sophie Elliott Foundation, which educates New Zealanders on healthy relationships	[3]
	Board and Management	Traci Houpapa, company director	[5]
	Business Enterprise	Dame Wendy Pye, publisher
	Science, Health and Innovation	Dame Margaret Brimble, chemist	[22]
	Emerging Leader	Parris Goebel, choreographer and dancer
	Arts	Shona McCullagh, choreographer and founding director of the New Zealand Dance Company
	Community	Lesley Elliott
	Local and Regional	Kerry Prendergast, Wellington politician
	Social Enterprise	Jo-anne Wilkinson and Anne Miles

Mai Chen, winner of the 2013 Business Enterprise Award

Year	Category	Recipient	Notes
2013	Supreme Woman of Influence	Dame Therese Walsh, chief operating officer for the 2011 Rugby World Cup	[1]
	Board and Management	Dame Therese Walsh
	Business Enterprise	Mai Chen, constitutional and administrative lawyer	[5]
	Science, Health and Innovation	Marilyn Waring, public policy scholar
	Emerging Leader	Mahsa Mohaghegh, founder of women's networking group She Sharp	[22]
	Arts	Victoria Spackman, creative director and business executive
	Community and Social	Emeline Afeaki-Mafile'o, community leader	[5]
	Local and Regional	Fran Wilde, Wellington politician

See also

• List of awards honoring women