The awards ceremony is Thursday October 17 in Invercargill, where van Riel is also touring her shows.
"My show came to life in 2020 thanks to support from Plastic Free Wanaka and funding from the QLDC and has now reached thousands of tamariki. I’ll be delivering a tour in partnership with the Central Otago District Council in 2025, which is fantastic.
"My hope is to work with more councils in the Deep South to deliver waste reduction tools and philosophies to more of our South Island children," she said.