From snowboarding to surfing — the best of the best will be honoured at the Otago Sports Awards this year.
The finalists for the awards, organised by Sport Otago, have been revealed, with the judges sifting through more than 90 nominations, showing the breadth of Otago’s sporting talent.
Up for sportsman of the year are kayaker Finn Butcher, freeskier Luca Harrington and Black Cap Glenn Phillips.
Harrington, after starting the year as an X Games alternate, burst on to the scene to finish with a remarkable five world cup podiums, including X Games gold, a world championship and New Zealand’s first FIS Freeski Crystal Globe.
Phillips had another big season with the Black Caps, including playing at the Champions Trophy, and Butcher will long be remembered for his Olympic heroics as he won gold in the kayak cross in Paris.
Sportswoman of the year will also be a tight contest between snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott, swimmer Erika Fairweather and alpine skier Alice Robinson.
Returning from injury, Sadowski-Synnott had a stellar year, with several world cup podium finishes, landing the world’s first triple cork in a women’s slopestyle competition and winning the FIS Snowboarding Crystal Globe.
Fairweather, who recently moved to Auckland, swam in four finals at the Olympics, narrowly missing the podium in her specialist 400m freestyle, and Robinson continued her form with podium finishes and was named Snow Sports New Zealand athlete of the year.
Skiing veteran Adam Hall and athletic stars Holly Robinson, and Anna Grimaldi are nominated for para athlete/team of the year.
Hall produced several world cup podium finishes, while Robinson and Grimaldi collected world championship and Paralympic medals.
Grimaldi won T47 long jump silver and 100m bronze at the world para athletics championships, and backed up with gold in the 200m at the Paralympics, with an Oceania record, and bronze in the 100m.
Robinson set a national record when she won silver in the women’s F46 shot put at the world championships and won bronze in the shot put at the Paralympics.
Team of the year will be another hotly contested category between the Otago Sparks, the Southern Stampede and the Otago men’s 4x100m relay team.
Finley Melville Ives (freeskiing), James Gardner (cycling) and Rocco Jamieson (snowboarding) are up for junior sportsman, while Ruby Star Andrews (freeskiing), Catherine Lund (athletics) and Ella Southby (netball) will battle for junior sportswoman.
The next crop of Otago’s future stars will also be recognised, with Alexis Owen (surfing), Mason Clarke (cricket), Phoebe Laker (athletics), Josh Grieve (cycling) and Joel Paterson (ice hockey) nominated for emerging talent.
Michael Jacobs (athletics), Sean Thompson (snowboarding) and Nils Coberger and Tim Cafe (skiing) have been nominated for coach of the year, and Raylene Bates (athletics), Chris Gaffaney (cricket) and James Doleman (rugby) are up for official of the year.
Services to sport, innovation in sport and the supreme award will be announced at the awards.
"It is so exciting to see Otago’s best athletes, officials and coaches continuing to shine on the national and international stage, with an exceptional lineup across all of the categories for 2025," Sport Otago chief executive James Nation said.
"The Otago sporting community should be super proud of the calibre of finalists chasing bragging rights."
The awards are judged by Nation, Otago Academy of Sport manager Carmel Leslie, Otago Daily Times sports editor Hayden Meikle, TVNZ sports reporter Michelle Prendiville and University of Otago pro vice-chancellor health sciences Megan Gibbons.
The awards will be held at the Edgar Centre on June 13.
Otago Sports Awards finalists
Sportsman: Glenn Phillips (cricket), Luca Harrington (freeski), Finn Butcher (canoeing).
Sportswoman: Zoi Sadowski-Synnott (snowboarding), Erika Fairweather (swimming), Alice Robinson (skiing).
Team: Otago Sparks (cricket), Southern Stampede (ice hockey), Otago 4x100m relay (athletics).
Para athlete/team of the year: Adam Hall (skiing), Holly Robinson (athletics), Anna Grimaldi (athletics).
Junior sportsman: Finley Melville Ives (freeskiing), James Gardner (cycling), Rocco Jamieson (snowboarding).
Junior sportswoman: Ruby Star Andrews (freesking) Catherine Lund (athletics), Ella Southby (netball).
Coach: Michael Jacobs (athletics), Sean Thompson (snowboarding), Nils Coberger and Tim Cafe (skiing).
Official: Raylene Bates (athletics), Chris Gaffaney (cricket), James Doleman (rugby).
Emerging talent: Alexis Owen (surfing), Mason Clarke (cricket), Phoebe Laker (athletics), Josh Grieve (cycling), Joel Paterson (ice hockey).
