Halberg Awards
The Halberg Awards are a set of awards, given annually since 1949, recognising New Zealand's top sporting achievements. They are named for New Zealand middle-distance runner and Olympic gold medalist Sir Murray Halberg. The initial award was handed out in 1949, and continued until 1960 under the auspices of the NZ Sportsman magazine. Since 1963, the awards have been organised by the Halberg Disability Sport Foundation, and the number of award categories has grown to eight.
History
The annual award was started in 1949 by NZ Sportsman magazine founders Maurice O’Connor and Jack Fairbairn. The award was designed by them and bought from Walker and Hall for £195 NZ. The original inscription on the trophy was Fairburn and O’Connors words: "The New Zealand Sportsman's Trophy to be awarded annually to the New Zealand athlete whose personal performances or example, has had the most beneficial effect on the advancement of sport in the country". Awarding of the New Zealand Sportsman's Trophy ceased along with publication of NZ Sportsman in 1960.After a two-year hiatus, Murray Halberg revived the event in 1963 through the Halberg Disability Sport Foundation. The rules were altered in 1971 to allow teams to win the award, which that year went to the New Zealand eight.
The Awards are presented at a dinner which traditionally rotates between the New Zealand cities of Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland, and which in recent years has been broadcast live on television. Over time, the award was expanded to include New Zealand Sportswoman of the year, New Zealand Team of the year, Sky Sport Coach of the year, Emerging Talent and Halberg Disability Sport Foundation Disabled Sportsperson of the Year awards, as well as the Lion Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award, the Sport New Zealand Leadership Award and an award for New Zealand's Favourite Sporting Moment. The award was eventually renamed in Murray Halberg's honour, and since then the supreme award has been known as the Halberg award.
The Awards help the Halberg Disability Sport Foundation to raise funds, which are then used to enhance the lives of physically disabled young people, their families and communities, by enabling them to participate in sport.
The awards for 2019 were held on 13 February 2020, prior to COVID-19 pandemic halting large events. With international sporting events during 2020 affected by COVID-19 pandemic, it was decided to award a decade championship at the 2021 ceremony. The previous winners between 2010 and 2019 across the eight award categories are eligible. The decade awards were scheduled for 18 February 2021 to be held in Auckland. After the Auckland region went to COVID-19 Level 3 on 15 February 2021, the Halberg Awards were postponed. The 59th awards were held on February 23 2022 with audience restrictions because of the COVID-19 red alert level.
Winners
Supreme Award
The annual award was started in 1949 by NZ Sportsman magazine founders Jack Fairburn and Maurice O’Connor to be awarded annually to the New Zealand athlete whose personal performances or example have had the most beneficial effect on the advancement of sport in New Zealand, as selected by a team of national sporting journalists. The title was "Sportsman of the Year Award" which was awarded annually until 1960 and was discontinued until 1963 when a charity set up by the 1958 winner, Murray Halberg, continued the event from 1963 onwards. The Halberg Disability Sport Foundation renamed the award in 1987 to the Halberg Award, and started having gender-specific awards, introducing the Supreme Award as a new category chosen from all other award categories.Hence, the table below shows the Sportsman of the Year Award winners as determined by NZ Sportsman, the Sportsman of the Year Award winners as determined by the Halberg Disability Sport Foundation, and the Halberg Award from 1987 onwards.
Sportsman of the Year
Sportswoman of the Year
Team of the Year
Para Athlete or Team of the Year
Coach of the Year
Emerging Talent Award
Favourite Sporting Moment
The Favourite Sporting Moment is decided by a public vote, unlike the other awards which are decided by a judging panel.| Year | Event |
| 2011 | Full-time whistle of the 2011 Rugby World Cup final; New Zealand All Blacks winning 8–7 over France |
| 2012 | Nathan Cohen and Joseph Sullivan in the men's double sculls win New Zealand's first gold medal of the 2012 Summer Olympics |
| 2013 | The Black Sox winning the Softball World Championship |
| 2014 | Brendon McCullum scores a record 302 runs in the second test match against India |
| 2015 | Grant Elliott hits a six off the second-to-last ball to put the Black Caps into the 2015 Cricket World Cup final |
| 2016 | Eliza McCartney equals her national record to win the bronze medal in the Olympic women's pole vault. |
| 2017 | Mitch Hunt drops a stunning last minute drop goal securing the win for the Crusaders during the Super Rugby season. |
| 2018 | Anna Leat scores the final goal in the penalty shootout against Japan at the 2018 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup |
| 2019 | Silver Ferns win the 2019 Netball World Cup against Australia |
| 2020 | not awarded |
| 2021 | Emma Twigg’s Olympic gold win in the single sculls |
| 2022 | Black Ferns win the final lineout of the game against the throw, 5 metres from their try-line, winning the World Cup |
| 2023 | New Zealand Warriors claim a remarkable 32–30 victory over the Sharks having trailed 2–0 just 18 minutes into the game |
| 2024 | Finn Butcher pays tribute to his father, multisporter Dale, after winning gold in canoe slalom's Olympic debut |
Category finalists and winners
Category winners are in bold2020s
2024
The finalists were announced on 19 December 2024, except for the favourite sporting moment, for which the finalists were announced on 17 January 2025. The winners were announced on 18 February 2025.| Supreme Award | Lydia Ko |
| Sportsman of the Year | |
| Sportswoman of the Year | |
| Para Athlete or Team of the Year | |
| Team of the Year | |
| Coach of the Year | |
| Emerging Talent Award | |
| Lifetime Achievement Award | |
| Leadership Award | Marcus Daniell |
| Favourite Sporting Moment |
2023
The finalists were announced on 10 January 2024, except for the favourite sporting moment, for which the finalists were announced six days later. The winners were announced on 14 February 2024.| Supreme Award | Lisa Carrington |
| Sportsman of the Year | Aaron Gate Ardie Savea Paul Coll Ryan Fox Shane van Gisbergen |
| Sportswoman of the Year | Courtney Duncan Ellesse Andrews Erika Fairweather Lisa Carrington Zoi Sadowski-Synnott |
| Para Athlete or Team of the Year | Anna Taylor Cameron Leslie Danielle Aitchison Lisa Adams Nicole Murray |
| Team of the Year | Black Ferns Sevens All Blacks All Black Sevens New Zealand Warriors Women’s K4 500m |
| Coach of the Year | Cory Sweeney Gordon Walker Sean Thompson Ian Foster Lars Humer |
| Emerging Talent Award | Erice Van Leuven Julian David Lucia Georgalli Milly Clegg Tara Vaughan |
| Lifetime Achievement Award | |
| Leadership Award | Wayne Smith |
| Favourite Sporting Moment |
2022
The finalists were announced on 11 January 2023, except for the favourite sporting moment, for which the finalists were announced six days later. The winners were announced on 15 February 2023.| Supreme Award | Zoi Sadowski-Synnott |
| Sportsman of the Year | Aaron Gate Dylan Schmidt Nico Porteous Paul Coll Shane van Gisbergen |
| Sportswoman of the Year | Ellesse Andrews Lisa Carrington Lydia Ko Ruahei Demant Zoi Sadowski-Synnott |
| Para Athlete or Team of the Year | Adam Hall Cameron Leslie Corey Peters Nicole Murray Sophie Pascoe |
| Team of the Year | Black Ferns Joelle King and Amanda Landers-Murphy Joelle King and Paul Coll Kerri Williams and Grace Prendergast New Zealand Eventing Team |
| Coach of the Year | Craig Palmer Gordon Walker Sean Thompson Tommy Pyatt Wayne Smith |
| Emerging Talent Award | Cameron Gray Gustav Legnavsky Jenna Hastings Joshua Willmer Tara Vaughan |
| Lifetime Achievement Award | |
| Leadership Award | Sarah Hirini |
| Favourite Sporting Moment |
2021
The finalists were announced on 12 January 2022, except for the favourite sporting moment, for which the finalists were announced two days later, and cover achievements in both 2020 and 2021. The winners were announced on 23 February 2022.| Supreme Award | Lisa Carrington |
| Sportsman of the Year | Hamish Bond Paul Coll Scott Dixon Kane Williamson |
| Sportswoman of the Year | Lisa Carrington Courtney Duncan Sarah Hirini Lydia Ko Emma Twigg |
| Para Athlete or Team of the Year | Lisa Adams Anna Grimaldi Tupou Neiufi Sophie Pascoe Holly Robinson |
| Team of the Year | Black Caps Team New Zealand Men's eight Kerri Gowler and Grace Prendergast |
| Coach of the Year | Allan Bunting and Cory Sweeney Gary Stead Tony O'Connor Gordon Walker |
| Emerging Talent Award | Connor Bell Cool Wakushima Erika Fairweather Grace Nweke Marko Stamenić |
| Lifetime Achievement Award | |
| Leadership Award | Kereyn Smith |
| Favourite Sporting Moment |