Covid-19 coronavirus: Rotorua Youth Awards postponed

Rotorua Youth Awards organisers (from left) Sameed Khan, Zach Cooper and Aidan Tonje. Photo / File

The Rotorua Youth Awards has been pushed back a month in light of uncertain Covid-19 alert levels.

OneChance New Zealand announced this afternoon that the awards would be rescheduled to September 27.

The annual event saw 39 young people vying for more than $12,000 in cash and prizes in 13 categories.

The awards were organised purely by secondary school students - seven of them to be exact - who had pull off one of the biggest events in the Rotorua Energy Events Centre.

Each student organiser could earn up to 18 credits towards NCEA and learn tourism and hospitality, managerial, organisational and operational skills. They spent a day a week of class time organising the event.

Rotorua Youth Centre's Gus Te Moni judged the performance categories among others and said the experience gave him an insight into the quality of Rotorua youth.

"It was really tough to separate the nominees, they were all so talented."

OneChance New Zealand chief enthusiast Alan Tane Solomon, who oversees the awards programme, said there was a limit of four tickets for each person. He said every year all the tickets were snapped up within just a few weeks so he urged family and friends of those who were finalists to get in early.

Tickets that had already been collected were still valid, but if people could not make the new date they could take them back to the Energy Events Centre.

Rotorua Youth Awards 2020 – Finalists

1. More FM Most Outstanding Youth Performance Group
Connect – Dance group
A Midsummer Nights Dream Cast and Crew – Theatre
Rotorua Boys' High Choir

2. SHMPAC Most Outstanding Youth Performer
Manaaki Te Ngahue, 16, kapa haka
Whakarongotai Shylo Rose Porter (Waka), 24, dance
Shawney Magill, 16, choreographer
3. New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute Most Amazing Visual Youth Artist
Rachel Liang, 18, painter
Elaina Semple, 17, painter
Isidora Gonzlaes Diaz, painter

4. Donelley Sawmills Ltd Rotorua Most Outstanding Sports Team
Geyser Mavericks Cricket Team
John Paul College 1st XI Girls Hockey Team

5. Rotorua Lakes Council Sport and Recreation Most Outstanding Sports Athlete
Henry Booker, 18, rock climbing
Jordan Tuakana-Hudson, 16, touch rugby
Joshua Balmer, 19, swimming/water polo

6.YEP Most Outstanding Youth Employee
Samuel Te Moananui-Edwards, 17, Western Heights Community Centre
George Parry, 17, McDonald's Rotorua
Awatea Waiariki, 19, MediaWorks

7. YEP Most Outstanding Youth Employer/Business
Claire Gallagher, Four Square Edmund Road
Ashleigh Nairn, Burger Fuel Fairy Springs
Leanne Stewart, Number Works'n'Words Rotorua

8. Rothbury Insurance Most Outstanding Community Youth Ambassador
Joel King-Hazel, 23
Kayleigh Waller, 17
Siobahn Terry, 20
Adam Wong-Toi, 17

9. Rotary Rotorua North Youth Services Icon Award
Sasha Rotherham – Digital Natives Academy
Andrina Te Moananui – Western Heights Community Centre
Scott Mayhew – Rotorua Boys' High School

10. 'X-Factor' People's Choice Award
Siobhan Terry, 20
Logan Potae, 15
Finlay Martin, 18

11. Roadmaster Most Awesome Youth of the Year
Kayleigh Waller, 17
Precious Morgan, 18
Hamiora Walters, 19

12. Elite Adventures Huru Peri Te Rangipuawhe Maika Youth Cultural Leader of the Year
Grace Harvey, 17
Tawhao Webster, 18

13. Toi-Ohomai Institute of Technology Supreme Youth Leader of the Year
Ashleigh Nairn, 21
Braedyn Veysi, 17
Ngakohu Walker, 17
Hannah Gapes, 16