The finalists for the Herald New Zealander of the Year.

EDITORIAL: Who do you think made a significant difference in 2017?

The nominees for the NZ Herald New Zealander of the Year People's Choice award are...

Who has captured your imagination this year?

Leisa Renwick was fighting for her own life when she decided to fight for the lives of others dying from melanoma.

After a spate of youth suicides struck the Far North township of Kaitaia earlier this year, an unlikely hero emerged from the tragedy.

The award has been celebrating those who make an outstanding contribution to New Zealand and beyond for a quarter of a century.

They're the Kiwis who make up the 10-strong shortlist for the annual Herald New Zealander of the Year award.

Today is your last chance to vote for one of this country's most inspiring people.

Ngarimu Blair, 40, is credited with being one of Auckland's most influential Maori leaders.

Zespri chief executive Lain Jager has been at the forefront of one of the most spectacular turnaround stories of the New Zealand primary sector - the kiwifruit industry's recovery from the Psa virus.

As an award-winning architect, Julie Stout knows the rules which bind local bureaucrats.

My Food Bag moved from curious start-up to storming transtasman success this year.

IAG New Zealand chief executive Jacki Johnson arrived in New Zealand from Australia in 2010 right after the first Christchurch earthquake.

New Zealanders first got to know journalist Rachel Smalley from her lively work in television and radio.

Tim McKinnel made this happen and in so doing raised important and uncomfortable questions about the investigation and prosecution of Pora.

More than 3000 babies owe their lives to the work of cot-death specialist Ed Mitchell.

It's an experience that can cause many top public servants a touch of dread - and hours in PR-coached preparation.

Mike Bennetts has driven Z Energy since its inception and this year has been a particularly strong one for shareholders.

Today we launch the Herald's annual New Zealander of the Year awards.

Rocket Lab founder Peter Beck's drive and expertise has one of New Zealand's most ambitious aerospace projects on the cusp of a giant leap into space.

Knowing the right thing to do is relatively straightforward for most people. A more difficult matter is finding the mental strength to do it.

In this year of years for Brendon McCullum his boldest stand was not taken on the fields of Eden Park, the Basin Reserve or Sharjah, but in a room with anti-corruption investigators.

Sitting in a military helicopter after a kidnapping and shoot-out in Yemen, Mary Quin stared at the bodies of two fellow tourists, wrapped in blankets and lying at her feet.

School principal Banapa Avatea's quick thinking and decisive actions averted disaster in peak-hour traffic between Auckland and Waikato.

Professor Jane Harding led the development of a cheap and easy way to treat an ailment that can cause brain damage in babies.

As a trained firefighter, Buddy Harwood is no stranger to saving lives.