Eight prominent sports internationals are among the additions to the voting academy to decide this year's Halberg Awards.
A panel of 30 will assess the country's top sportsman, woman, team and coach next month.
The Halberg Trust is collating nominations from national sports organisations. The Westpac-sponsored awards willbe announced at a dinner in Auckland on February 15.
Trust chief executive Graeme Taylor said the panel would meet at three venues, Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, next month to discuss the nominees, "air their views and engage in a robust debate".
Newcomers to the panel comprising media, former award winners, athletes and coaches, include golfer Greg Turner, league international Howie Tamati, former Silver Ferns captain Anna Rowberry, Black Sox great Mark Sorenson, former All Black Matthew Cooper, test cricketers Chris Cairns and Debbie Hockley and motorsport ace Graeme Crosby.
Sixteen sports are represented on the panel, which features 10 media representatives.
