Call for exceptional Rotorua youth to enter awards

tudents Mana Vercoe (left), Atera Apirana, Christian Te Whare and Sarah Leishman.

Rotorua students are encouraging others to nominate their peers for a celebration of youth in the city.

Nominations are open for the second annual OneChance Youth Awards and 13 students from four high schools are frantically organising the awards ceremony.

The awards are open to those aged 15 to 24 and have 12 categories with $10,000 in cash and prizes up for grabs.

Organising committee member Atera Apirana said the awards were a chance to celebrate youth.

"It gives them a night to tell them they are important and we are the future of Rotorua," she said.

Sarah Leishman is also helping promote the awards, which she said were unique.

"This is our biggest youth event in Rotorua and there's nothing else like this in the community," she said.

Sarah said it also provided a chance to recognise youth who were no longer in school.

"It's nice to feel that sense of achievement."

Mana Vercoe from Rotorua Boys' High said while the event was by youth, for youth, it also involved the community as anyone of any age could nominate someone for an award.

Nominating someone takes about 15 minutes.

Nominations close on April 8 with finalists to be announced on April 13.

The public can vote for the X-Factor People's Choice Award from April 13 to May 6.

The awards ceremony will be on May 19 at Rotorua Energy Events Centre to mark the start of Youth Week. Tickets to the event are free from the Ticketmaster box at the events centre, but are limited to 600.

Up to $70,000 worth of items had been sponsored to make the event happen, including the venue.

To be eligible for an award nominees must be between 15 and 24 and currently live or have lived in the Rotorua district in the past year.

For the full criteria and to enter visit www.onechance.nz/youth-awards or find OneChance Youth Awards on Facebook.

Award categories:
Most Outstanding Youth Performance Group
Most Outstanding Youth Performer
Most Amazing Youth Visual Artist
Most Outstanding Sports Team
Most Outstanding Sports Athlete
Most Outstanding Youth Employee
Most Outstanding Community Youth Ambassador
Youth Services Icon Award
'X-Factor' People's Choice Award
Most Awesome Youth of the Year
Youth Cultural Leader of the Year
Supreme Youth Leader of the Year