Sadowski-Synnott, who won the supreme Halberg Award for 2022 and was recently named Snow Sports New Zealand overall athlete of the year, has been nominated for sportswoman of the year.
The Queenstown snowboarder is joined by fellow Otago athletes Erika Fairweather, after a sensational season in the pool in which she became just the fifth woman to go under 4min in the 400m freestyle, and motocross rider Courtney Duncan, who won her fourth world title.
They are among a strong field of nominees that includes track cyclist Ellesse Andrews, Lisa Carrington, sevens stars Tyla Nathan-Wong and Stacey Waaka and boxers Mea Motu and Lani Daniels.
Sportswoman of the year will be a hotly contested category with 17 nominations across 15 sports, compared with sportsman of the year’s 12 nominees from nine sports.
On the men’s side, in a category headlined by World Rugby player of the year Ardie Savea, Cromwell driver Hayden Paddon is also up for the gong.
Paddon is joined by Shane van Gisbergen and Brendon Hartley in a strong representation from motorsport.
Rising cricketer Rachin Ravindra, Warriors halfback Shaun Johnson, golfer Ryan Fox and squash player Paul Coll are also among the group.
Dunedin Paralympian Anna Grimaldi is nominated for para athlete/team, after winning silver in the T47 long jump at the world para athletics championships with her personal best, and New Zealand record, leap of 5.96cm.
She also won bronze in the 100m.
Shot putter Lisa Adams, runner and long jumper Will Stedman and runner Danielle Aitchison are also nominated.
Wanaka snowboarder Lucia Georgalli, who won the snowboard slopestyle junior world title this year, is up for emerging talent.
Queenstown snowboard coach Sean Thompson has been recognised for his work with Sadowski-Synnott, and others, in his nod for coach of the year.
He is joined by Dunedin swimming coach Lars Humer, who has been influential in Fairweather’s career and attracting top swimmers to Dunedin.
They are up against rugby sevens coaches Clark Laidlaw and Cory Sweeney, canoe racing coach Gordon Walker, track cycling coaches Nicholas Flyger, Paul Manning and Simon Finnel and departing All Blacks coach Ian Foster.
The All Blacks and both sevens (men’s and women’s) teams have been nominated for team of the year, alongside the Warriors, the men’s and women’s team pursuits and the Blackjacks bowling team.
The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on February 14.
