Rotorua Youth Awards organisers (from left) Sameed Khan, Zach Cooper and Aidan Tonje. Photo / Andrew Warner
Rotorua Youth Awards organisers (from left) Sameed Khan, Zach Cooper and Aidan Tonje. Photo / Andrew Warner
Rotorua's top youth have been named with finalists in the hotly contested annual Rotorua Youth Awards being revealed today.The awards will be held at the Energy Events Centre on August 23 and 39 young people are vying for more than $12,000 in cash and prizes in 13 categories.
Rotorua YouthCentre'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."
The awards are a bit different to most. They are organised purely by secondary school students - seven of them to be exact - who have just four more weeks to pull off one of the biggest events in the Rotorua Energy Events Centre.
Each student organiser can earn up to 18 credits towards NCEA and learn tourism and hospitality, managerial, organisational and operational skills. They have been spending a day a week of class time organising the event.
Sameed Khan, 17, from Rotorua Boys' High School, said the role had been a real eye-opener to realising how events were organised.
He said the leadership skills he had learned would help him in future managerial roles.
Aidan Tonge, 18, from Rotorua Boys' High School said they had learned to work in groups, communicate well with others and work in with sponsors, organisers and entertainers.
Zach Cooper, 17, from Rotorua Boys' High School said he was confident they would pull off a quality awards ceremony.
"We have got a great team with all the schools working together."
With the announcement of the finalists at a media launch at midday today, the limited free tickets for the event also became available from the Energy Event Centre.
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.
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
