A record 93 nominations have been received for the six categories of the 56th ISPS Handa Halberg Awards.
Overall, 43 codes have been represented across the nominations in recognition of sporting achievements for 2018 (Up to November 30).
Impressively, 22 nominations were made to recognise the feats of Kiwi women from 15 sports for the High Performance Sport New Zealand Sportswoman of the Year Award - the most for any category.
The 2017 Sportswoman of the Year award winner Lisa Carrington (Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki, Ngāti Porou) is up again for the title, as well as fellow Māori athletes Joelle King (Ngāti Porou), Abby Erceg (Croatia, Ngāpuhi) and Sarah Goss (Ngāti Kahungunu).
Among the nominations for the Sportsman of the Year award are Sam Gaze (Te Āti Awa) and Codie Taylor (Ngāti Raukawa, Mūaupoko).
Past Supreme Halberg Award winners timeline - Photo / Supplied
Five-time winner, Sophie Pascoe has again been nominated for the newly named ISPS Handa Para Athlete/Team of the Year, with support from Paralympics NZ.
There are 14 nominations from ten sports for the ISPS Handa Team of the Year award, including the All Black Sevens (rugby union), Black Ferns Sevens (rugby union), and Women’s Doubles - Joelle King and Amanda Landers-Murphy (squash).
The 56th ISPS Handa Halberg Awards will be held on Thursday 21 February 2019 at Spark Arena in Auckland.