The Otago Secondary Schools Sports Association won the innovation excellence category with its sports council initative.
Winter Games NZ won the award for best commercial partnership for its link with Tourism New Zealand.
The OSSSA award recognises the work regional sports director Des Smith has done in introducing sports councils to 18 of the Otago region's 23 secondary schools.
It has developed an effective school sport model of councils which include teachers, pupils, school management, a board member, and prominent business and community leaders.
Smith was in Auckland yesterday when contacted by the Otago Daily Times.
He emphasised the backing of the volunteers who have made the project work.
"There are 200 volunteers sitting on the sports councils and they are making a difference for the delivery of sport in Otago schools.
"There are 3000 volunteers in the province giving pupils the opportunity to play sport."
Sport New Zealand would like the concept to be rolled out throughout the country.
While sports councils are not new, it is the region-wide, well-structured, and well-monitored nature of the Otago programme that breaks new ground.
The councils have ledto school sport enjoyinggreater investment, an improved profile and better community engagement.
Otago leads in pupil representation rates in secondary school sport.
When sports councils were introduced to Otago secondary schools in 2008, there was a 62% participation of pupils in sport.
It is now 69%, meaning 700 more pupils are playing sport. The national average is 51%.
The other award finalists were Squash New Zealand, for its work with an information technology programme, and the Canterbury West Coast Sports Trust, for its Cheapskates Skate Skool programme.
Winter Games NZ formed a strategic partnership with Tourism New Zealand, which was critical to amplifying its profile as a premier international winter sports event.
By presenting a compelling vision for the event's future, the Games organisation was able to secure a ground-breaking naming rights partnership.
The Winter Games attracted 1400 competitors and management from 36 countries, and more than 1500 international visitors.
Winter Games NZ chief executive Arthur Klap said the award would benefit the future of the event.
"This award is a reflection of the professionalism, innovation and hard work that my team put in to delivering a world-class event for the country," he said.
It would "help us grow the event into one of the world's major snow sports events in 2013".
The judging panel was Sir Wilson Whineray (chairman), Sir John Wells, Sue McGregor, Peter Dale, Selwyn Maister and Peter Miskimmin.
