The aims of the ILT Southland Sports Awards are to inspire the Southland sporting community, recognise and honour outstanding achievements and performances, recognise and honour our top coaches, recognise and honour the services of our top officials and administrators, and promote positive sporting role models for Southlanders.
The qualifying period is 1 April 2025 – 31 March 2026. All nominations (except for Services to Sport) must reflect performances within this period. There is no restriction on the number of times an award can be won by an individual or team. A nominee cannot be nominated for two categories in any one year.
NOMINEES MUST:
Reside in Southland; OR Be a member of a club/school/organisation in Southland; OR
Have represented (or been available to represent) Southland at provincial level or competed for a Southland club/school/organisation; OR
Have a strong connection with Southland
Teams nominated must be based within Southland (Southland is defined by the boundaries of the three Territorial Authorities – Southland District Council, Invercargill City Council and Gore District Council)
Nominees may be amateur or professional
Nominations may be made by national or regional sports organisations, clubs, coaches, or family/whanau and self-nominations are also accepted - however all nominations must be endorsed by the equivalent Southland regional sports organisation.
Nominees for the Junior Sportsperson category must be aged 19 years or under during any stage of the qualifying period (1 April 2025 – 31 March 2026)
The Judging Panel reserves the right to consider late nominations and acknowledges the right of Active Southland to lodge pro forma nominations
Decisions of the Judging Panel are final. No correspondence will be entered into, except at the sole and absolute discretion of the Judging Panel
PHOTOS:
Please email a photo of the nominee to events@activesouthland.co.nz
Note that, should this nominee be successful Active Southland will require multiple photos of the nominee.
- Minimum 3000px on the longest side
- 300 DPI print quality
- File size 1MB or larger
- JPG or PNG format Photos downloaded from social media are usually too small for print
TERMS:
Nominees must consent to their personal details being included in the nomination form (except for Services to Sport nominations). The person nominating is responsible for obtaining the nominee’s consent.
By submitting this nomination, the person nominating is consenting to Active Southland using these details for the purpose of administering and promoting the awards.
The Judging Panel reserves the right to consider late nominations and acknowledges the right of Active Southland to lodge pro forma nominations
Decisions of the Judging Panel are final. No correspondence will be entered into, except at the sole and absolute discretion of the Judging Panel.
JUDGING PANEL:
The judging panel includes; two Southland Amateur Sports Trust representatives, one Active Southland representative, two media representatives selected by Active Southland and the Southland Amateur Sports Trust, three people with acknowledged credentials in high performance sport in Southland, selected by the Southland Amateur Sports Trust and Active Southland. Gender equity will also be a strong consideration when appointing judging positions.
Conflicts of Interest will be identified and managed during the judging process.
ILT SOUTHLAND SPORTS AWARDS CATEGORIES:
SPORTSPERSON OF THE YEAR - Recognises the achievements of a sportsperson who, by their performance, service and example, has performed to an elite level and is a role model in the community.
JUNIOR SPORTSPERSON OF THE YEAR - Recognises the achievements of a junior sportsperson who, by their performance, service and example, has performed to an elite level and is a role model in the community. Open to any sportsperson aged 19 years and younger at any stage during the qualifying period.
TEAM OF THE YEAR - Recognises any age group, club, school or representative team (excluding a squad) based out of Southland which has performed to an elite level and is a role model in the community.
COACH OF THE YEAR - Recognises outstanding contributions and achievements by a coach (age group/club/school/representative) who has performed to an elite level and is a role model in the community.
OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR - Recognises outstanding contributions and achievements of a referee, umpire, judge or wider support member within a team (eg. team manager, strength and conditioning coach, physiotherapist, doctor, mental skills coach etc), within the qualifying period. Supporting evidence of longstanding contribution may also be taken into account, at the discretion of the judging panel.
MASTERS ACHIEVEMENT OF THE YEAR - Recognises the achievements of masters sportspeople who, by their performance, service and example, have achieved outstanding success at a masters age group level and is a role model in the community. A Masters athlete must be eligible for the Masters grade in their chosen sport, but may be competing in the open section to be considered.
ATHLETE WITH A DISABILITY AWARD - Recognises the achievements of a sportsperson with a disability or impairment who, by their performance, service and example, has performed to an elite level and is a role model in the community.
COMMUNITY IMPACT - Recognises a physical activity initiative which has had a positive impact on the wellbeing of the Southland community. This award highlights individuals, groups and organisations who have put a premium on inclusion, equity, collaboration and understanding the needs of the community when creating or adapting initiatives.
SERVICES TO SPORT - Recognises leaders who have made a major impact within the region and/or at regional and international level in their chosen sport or sports. Nominations should focus on the nominee's role in creating positive change within their chosen sport or sports. Nominations must be supported by a governing body or recognised organisation. This category is limited to one nomination per sport per annum and there will be a maximum of four recipients in total per annum. Active Southland reserves the right to nominate sports leaders from outside of regional organisations (i.e. from the fields of photography, journalism etc). IMPORTANT:.You will be told if your nomination has been successful.
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