Ray Avery

For Services to Philanthropy

The New Zealander of the Year Awards celebrate those people who use their passion for New Zealand to make our country a better place. These awards are your opportunity to honour extraordinary Kiwis whose selflessness, creativity, and vision make us proud to call New Zealand home.

Inaugural winner. This award champions the champions of disruptive thinking and aims to reward those ‘who have succeeded in their chosen fields, moved New Zealand forward and, in turn, encouraged Kiwis to think disruptively and carve out successful niches for themselves and their fellow citizens’.

The annual Blake Awards recognise and celebrate people whose leadership has delivered high impact results and contributed to a more sustainable future for New Zealand. By highlighting their contribution, the Trust aims to turn the spotlight on leadership in New Zealand, inspiring and motivating all Kiwis to make a difference.

The World Class New Zealand Awards are New Zealand's most prestigious individual achievement awards, acknowledging the country's top international talent.

The awards recognise world-leading Kiwis whose inspiring achievements are defining New Zealand's image internationally. The key point of difference for these Awards is the celebration of global success often from Kiwis who have achieved outstanding and, in many cases, world-changing success offshore.

This award recognises innovators, innovations and organisations that have invested in developing new products, services and ventures, as well as improving the performance of their people and teams.

The Paul Harris Fellow recognition acknowledges individuals who contribute, or who have contributions made in their name, of $1,000 to The Rotary Foundation.