It’s a proud tradition that goes back to 1991. At the end of each year the New Zealand Herald nominates Our Heroes across news, sport, business and entertainment, honouring the men and women who we think deserve the widest possible recognition.
Some of our winners over the years have become household names, like Sir Peter Jackson (2001) and Lorde (2013). Others, like Austin Hemmings (2008), are better known for their brave deeds - Hemmings was the ‘Good Samaritan’ who gave his life in trying to defend a woman from a brutal attack on an Auckland street.
We’ve honoured sports teams,
such as the Black Ferns (2022) after their magnificent Rugby World Cup victory, capped off by Ruby Tui’s waiata across the stadium, and artists, such as Taika Waititi (2017) after cinema crowds rose to applaud Hunt for the Wilderpeople.
Campaigners have featured too, including Louise Nicholas (2007) on sexual violence and Lecretia Seales (2015) on euthanasia law reform.
There are only a few hard and fast rules in our selections - no politicians, no repeat winners and in close calls, we lean towards the efforts of volunteers instead of professionals who are paid for their good works.
As usual, our judges have this year recognised a wide range of human achievement, ranging from acts of one-off heroism to a lifetime’s achievement - sometimes well-known like the names above, sometimes well out of the spotlight.
We hope you enjoy the stories behind our choices.
