KEY POINTS:
Seventy-three nominations are being considered for the 2006 Halberg Awards.
New Zealand's premier sports awards, saluting outstanding achievement by New Zealanders in sport both at home and overseas over a calendar period, will be held in Auckland on February 15.
There are 21 nominations for the Sportsman award
category, 22 Sportswoman, 18 Team and 12 nominations for Coach of the Year.
A new category, the Emerging Talent Award has been added to the awards and this received 21 nominations.
The finalists in four categories will not be announced until early next month so late performances by individual athletes or teams this year can be considered by the Academy.
From those 12 finalists, the Voting Academy selects one, by secret ballot, to receive the supreme accolade for sporting excellence, the Halberg Award.
The Voting Academy comprising 10 media representatives and 20 athletes and coaches is:
Media - Richard Becht, Peter Bidwell, Harris Choy, Howard Dobson, David Leggat, John McBeth, Jonathan Millmow, Ron Palenski, Brendan Telfer, Kevin Tutty
Athletes - Chris Cairns, Ron Cheatley, Kerry Clark, Graeme Crosby, Matthew Cooper, Andy Dalton, Dame Susan Devoy, Steve Gurney, Debbie Hockley, Bernice Mene, Lance O'Sullivan, Ramesh Patel, Anna Rowberry, Ian Smith, Mark Sorenson, Mike Stanley, Blyth Tait, Howie Tamati, Dick Tayler, Greg Turner.
Nominations for the 2006 Halberg Awards:
Sportsman of the Year
Tom Ashley (wind surfing), Cameron Brown (triathlon), Moss Burmester (swimming), Daniel Carter (rugby), Hamish Carter (triathlon), Kalon Dobbin (speed skating), Bevan Docherty (triathlon), Mahe Drysdale (rowing), Graham Ede (trap shooting), Morgan Foster (surf lifesaving), Ben Fouhy (canoeing), Greg Henderson (cycling), Michael Johnson (paralympics), Peter Martin (paralympics), Gordon McCauley (cycling), Richie McCaw (rugby), Hayden Roulston (cycling), Mike Sanderson (yachting), Tony Sargisson (athletics), Ruben Wiki (rugby league), Nick Willis (athletics).
Sportswoman of the Year:
Nicole Begg (speed skating), Ramona Belmont (billiard sport), Nikki Cox (surf lifesaving), Temepara George (netball), (Andrea Hewitt (triathlon), Rosara Joseph (cycling), Joanne Kiesanowski (cycling), Shelley Kitchen (squash), Joanna Lawn (triathlon), Kate McIlroy (athletics), Angela McKee (athletics), Hannah McLean (swimming), Phillis Meti (golf), Farah Palmer (rugby), Anna Richards (rugby), Rebecca Spence (cycling), Debbie Tanner (triathlon), Paula Tesoriero (paralympics), Sarah Ulmer (cycling), Irene van Dyk (netba ll), Valerie Vili (athletics), Sam Warriner (triathlon).
Team of the Year:
All Blacks (rugby), Georgina and Caroline Evers-Swindell (rowing), George Bridgewater and Nathan Twaddle (rowing), Nicky Coles and Juliette Haigh (rowing), Silver Ferns (netball), NZ Men's underwater hockey, NZ sevens (rugby), women's 4X200m relay swimming team, Crusaders (rugby), Black Ferns (rugby), Hamish Pepper and Carl Williams (yachting), men's speed skating relay team, Campbell Grayson and Martin Knight (squash), Carl Evans and Peter Burling (yachting), NZ women's canoe polo team, Chris Forne and Dennis de Monchy (rogaine), team pursuit (cycling), Jayne Parsons and Michelle Laurenson (paralympics).
Coach of the Year:
Ruth Aitken (netball), Jan Cameron (swimming), Andrew Carr (underwater hockey), Robbie Deans (rugby), Brian Gilbert (paralympics), John Hellemans (triathlon), Kirsten Hellier (athletics), Graham Henry (rugby), Chris Pilone (triathlon), Jed Rowlands (rugby), Gordon Tietjens (rugby), Richard Tonks (rowing).
Emerging Talent Award:
Shane Archbold (cycling), Michael Arms (rowing), Kylie Avery (equestrian), Ramona Belmont (billiard sport), Sam Blenkinsop (mountain biking), Hamish Bond (rowing), Nathan Cohen (rowing), Cameron Cole (mountain biking), Niki-Lee Crawford (rowing), Lauren Ellis (cycling), Marina Erakovic (tennis), Hayden Fitzgerald (motorcycling), Westley Gough (cycling), Brad Groombridge (motocross), Jessica Hamill (paralympics), Sacha Jones (tennis), Graham Oberlin-Brown (rowing), Katherine Prumm (motorcycling), Shem Rodger (cycling), Jesse Sergent (cycling) Sam Smith (motorcycling), Rebecca Spence (multi-sport), Emma Twigg (rowing), Sarah Walker (cycling), Natalie Wiegersma (swimming)
- NZPA