The New Zealand Women of Influence Awards  are an annual set of awards which recognise women who make a difference to everyday New Zealanders' lives. The Awards were first made in 2013 and were initially sponsored by Westpac  Bank.[ 1]   In 2016, Stuff NZ  became a joint sponsor.
Luamanuvao Dame Winnie Laban, winner of the 2020 Women of Influence Lifetime Achievement Award  
Nominations are invited from the public. A panel selects finalists in each category, who are invited to an awards dinner at the Aotea Centre  in Auckland  where the recipients are announced.[ 2]   In 2021 the awards dinner was not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
 
Categories 
The Awards were initially presented in seven categories; additional categories have since been introduced and as of 2020 the Awards are made in ten categories: Board and Management, Business Enterprise, Innovation and Science, Young Leader, Arts and Culture, Public Policy, Community and Not-for-profit, Diversity, Global and Rural. In addition, there is a Supreme Award, which is awarded each year, and a Lifetime Achievement Award, which has been awarded four times.[ 1] [ 3]  
The category Innovation and Science was titled Science, Health and Innovation until 2019. In 2021 it was renamed Innovation, Science and Health.[ 4]   The category Young Leader was titled Emerging Leader in 2013 and 2014. The category Arts and Culture was titled Arts in 2013 and 2014. The category Community and Not-for-Profit was titled Community and Social in 2013, Community in 2014 and Community Hero in 2021.[ 4]  
The category Social Enterprise has been awarded once, in 2014. The category Local and Regional has been awarded twice, in 2013 and in 2014.[ 5]  
In 2021, the category Global was not awarded, a category Environment was added and the category Rural was re-named Primary Industries.[ 6] [ 4]  
Judges 
Dame Silvia Cartwright  is the head of the judging panel. On the 2020 panel with her were Sir John Kirwan , Vanisa Dhiru , Abbie Reynolds , Sinead Boucher  and Gina Dellabarca.[ 7]   In 2021 Francene Wineti replaced Sir John Kirwan on the panel.[ 8]  
Recipients 
Parris Goebel, winner of the 2015 Young Leader Award and the 2020 Arts and Culture Award  
 
Year
 
Category
 
Recipient
 
Notes
  
2021
 
Supreme Woman of Influence
 
Bronwyn Hayward , expert on sustainability, climate change and youth
 
[ 6]  
 
Lifetime Achievement
 
Dame Silvia Cartwright , New Zealand’s first female High Court judge and second female Governor-General
 
  
Board and Management
 
Cassandra Crowley , CEO of Te Arawa Management Limited
 
  
Business Enterprise
 
Jessie Wong, director of Yu Mei
 
  
Innovation, Science and Health
 
Bev Lawton , founder and director of Centre for Women’s Health Research – Te Tātai Hauora o Hine
 
  
Young Leader
 
Kate Gatfield-Jeffries, co-founder of Young Women in Business and Law mentoring groups
 
  
Arts and Culture
 
Qiane Matata-Sipu , founder and creator of NUKU
 
  
Public Policy
 
Melanie Mark-Shadbolt , Deputy Secretary Māori Rights and Interests, Ministry for the Environment
 
  
Diversity
 
Dana Youngman , television executive
 
  
Community Hero
 
Bernadette Pinnell , founder of Compass Housing Services
 
  
Primary Industries
 
Tia Potae, Whānau Ora navigator at Tokomairiro Waiora
 
  
Environment
 
Bronwyn Hayward
 
  
 
Year
 
Category
 
Recipient
 
Notes
  
2020
 
Supreme Woman of Influence
 
Siouxsie Wiles , microbiologist and leading Covid-19 commentator
 
[ 9]  
 
Lifetime Achievement
 
Luamanuvao Dame Winnie Laban , New Zealand’s first female MP of Pacific Island descent
 
  
Board and Management
 
Dame Alison Paterson , businesswoman and company director
 
  
Business Enterprise
 
Sonya Williams  and Brooke Roberts , co-founders of Sharesies 
 
  
Innovation and Science
 
Siouxsie Wiles
 
  
Young Leader
 
Aigagalefili Fepulea'i Tapua'i , climate change and social equality campaigner
 
  
Arts and Culture
 
Parris Goebel , choreographer and dancer
 
  
Public Policy
 
Una Jagose , New Zealand Solicitor-General
 
  
Community and Not-for-Profit
 
Ranjna Patel , domestic violence campaigner
 
  
Diversity
 
Tupe Solomon-Tanoa'i , diplomat
 
  
Global
 
Jane Kelsey , lawyer and political scientist
 
  
Rural
 
Trish Fraser , soil scientist
 
  
Dame Jane Harding, winner of the 2019 Supreme Woman of Influence Award  
 
Year
 
Category
 
Recipient
 
Notes
  
2019
 
Supreme Woman of Influence
 
Dame Jane Harding , medical researcher
 
[ 10] [ 11]  
 
Board and Management
 
Abbie Reynolds , sustainable business leader
 
  
Business Enterprise
 
Brianne West , sustainable beauty entrepreneur and founder of Ethique 
 
  
Innovation and Science
 
Dame Jane Harding
 
  
Young Leader
 
Annika Andresen, marine conservationist
 
  
Arts and Culture
 
Jennifer Ward-Lealand , actress
 
  
Public Policy
 
Debbie Sorensen, public health leader
 
  
Community and Not-for-Profit
 
Swanie Nelson, community organiser
 
  
Diversity
 
Tapu Misa , journalist
 
  
Global
 
Anne-Marie Brady , political scientist
 
  
Rural
 
Gina Mohi, environmental planner
 
  
 
Year
 
Category
 
Recipient
 
Notes
  
2018
 
Supreme Woman of Influence
 
Jackie Clark , of The Aunties , a charity working with domestic violence survivors in South Auckland
 
[ 12]  
 
Lifetime Achievement
 
Theresa Gattung , businesswoman and former chief executive of Telecom New Zealand 
 
  
Board and Management
 
Farah Palmer , former captain of New Zealand's women's rugby union team, the Black Ferns 
 
  
Business Enterprise
 
Angie Judge,  technology entrepreneur
 
[ 13]  
 
Science, Health and Innovation
 
Wendy Larner , president of the Royal Society Te Apārangi 
 
  
Young Leader
 
Maddison McQueen-Davies, founder of Share a Pair NZ
 
  
Arts and Culture
 
Miranda Harcourt , actress
 
  
Public Policy
 
Charlotte Korte, for creating Mesh Down Under
 
[ 12] [ 14]  
 
Community and Not-for-Profit
 
Jackie Clark
 
  
Diversity
 
Sarah Lang, founder of Women's Infrastructure Network
 
[ 15]  
 
Global
 
Sarah Vrede
 
  
Rural
 
Rebecca Keoghan 
 
[ 16]  
 
Hinemoa Elder, winner of the 2017 Science, Health and Innovation Award  
 
Year
 
Category
 
Recipient
 
Notes
  
2017
 
Supreme Woman of Influence
 
Cecilia Robinson ,  founder of My Food Bag
 
[ 17]  
 
Lifetime Achievement
 
Helen Clark , former Prime Minister of New Zealand
 
  
Board and Management
 
Anne-Maree O'Connor , investment banker
 
  
Business Enterprise
 
Cecilia Robinson
 
[ 18]  
 
Science, Health and Innovation
 
Hinemoa Elder , youth forensic psychiatrist
 
  
Young Leader
 
Sharnay Cocup, founder of the Taupiri Youth Group Trust 
 
  
Arts and Culture
 
Denise L'Estrange-Corbet , fashion designer
 
  
Public Policy
 
Rebecca Kitteridge , director of the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service 
 
  
Community and Not-for-Profit
 
Lisa King, founder of school lunch provider Eat My Lunch
 
  
Diversity
 
Minnie Baragwanath , founder of Be. Accessible, a social change agency focusing on changing how New Zealanders view accessibility
 
  
Global
 
Siân Simpson
 
  
Rural
 
Nicola Shadbolt , agricultural businesswoman
 
  
Mavis Mullins, winner of the 2016 Rural Award  
 
Year
 
Category
 
Recipient
 
Notes
  
2016
 
Supreme Woman of Influence
 
Helen Robinson , businesswoman
 
[ 19]  
 
Lifetime Achievement
 
Dame Rosanne Meo , businesswoman
 
  
Board and Management
 
Helen Robinson
 
  
Business Enterprise
 
Lisa King, founder of school lunch provider Eat My Lunch
 
  
Science, Health and Innovation
 
Michelle Dickinson , nanotechnologist and science educator
 
  
Young Leader
 
Alexia Hilbertidou , founder of GirlBoss NZ
 
  
Arts and Culture
 
Gaylene Preston , filmwriter, director and producer
 
  
Public Policy
 
Naomi Ferguson , Commissioner of Inland Revenue
 
  
Community and Not-for-Profit
 
Catriona Williams , founder of Catwalk Trust
 
  
Diversity
 
Sue Kedgley , Wellington politician
 
  
Global
 
Lyn Provost , Auditor-General of New Zealand
 
  
Rural
 
Mavis Mullins 
 
  
 
Year
 
Category
 
Recipient
 
Notes
  
2015
 
Supreme Woman of Influence
 
Joan Withers , for her work campaigning for more women on boards and in business
 
[ 3]  
 
Board and Management
 
Joan Withers
 
[ 20]  
 
Business Enterprise
 
Linda Jenkinson, entrepreneur
 
  
Science, Health and Innovation
 
Frances Valintine , education futurist
 
  
Young Leader
 
Parris Goebel , choreographer and dancer
 
  
Arts and Culture
 
Victoria Spackman , creative director and business executive
 
  
Public Policy
 
Vicky Robertson, Chief Executive of the Ministry for the Environment  and Secretary for the Environment
 
[ 5] [ 21]  
 
Community and N
 
Stacey Shortall , volunteer  lawyer in women's prisons
 
  
Diversity
 
Colonel Karyn Thompson, the most senior woman in the New Zealand Defence Force 
 
  
Global
 
Dame Judith Mayhew Jonas , lawyer
 
  
Rural
 
Katie Milne , first woman president of Federated Farmers 
 
[ 5] [ 19]  
 
Mai Chen, winner of the 2013 Business Enterprise Award  
See also 
References