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Iwi Awards
Te Āti Awa 2026 Winner - He Tohu Hono ki tōna Hapori - Melisa Tupuivao
Te Āti Awa 2026 Winner - He Tohu Taiohi Hono ki tōna Hapori - Yvanni Gibson
Ngāti Toa 2026 Winner - He Tohu Arohanui ki te Tangata - Toa Hockey Club
Te Āti Awa 2026 Winner - He Tohu Herenga Tangata - Len Hetet
Te Āti Awa 2026 Winner He Tohu Hono ki tōna Hapori - Te Kapa Haka o Pukeatua
He Tohu Hono ki tōna Hapori - Melisa Tupuivao
Melisa is recognised for a lifetime of service, excellence, and contribution to Te Āti Awa and to softball in Aotearoa, she is one of Hutt Valley’s great softball figures who was selected for the New Zealand White Sox at just 15, she went on to represent New Zealand across numerous world championships and at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, where the national women’s softball team placed sixth. Known for outstanding batting, fielding, humility, and whānau values, she was inducted into the New Zealand Softball Hall of Fame and later recognised internationally through the world softball Hall of Fame.
He Tohu Taiohi Hono ki tōna Hapori - Yvanni Gibson
Yvanni Gibson (Ngāti Toa, Ngāti Kahungunu ki Wairoa, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Anautoa ki Rarotonga) is an outstanding dual‑sport athlete in softball and cricket. At 17 she debuted for the NZ White Sox and has earned major honours including Tawa College Sportswoman of the Year and NZ Softball Emerging Player awards. She’s a national champion in both sports, a standout MVP and top batter, and has represented NZ across all softball age‑grade teams.
He Tohu Herenga Tangata - Len Hetet
This next award recognises a respected cultural leader and Māori designer whose mahi uplifts iwi identity, place, and belonging. Through works such as the 100-metre mural at Ākau Tangi Sports Centre,
Te Ngaengae Swimming Pools, the new Te Ara Tupua walking and cycling path, and more, Len has helped bring pūrākau, whakapapa, and community identity into public spaces. His advocacy has helped generations of whānau remain connected to self, place, and community, while shaping future pathways and passing on knowledge.
He Tohu Arohanui ki te Tangata - Toa Waka Ama
Toa Waka Ama is a powerful expression of Ngāti Toa identity, reconnecting whānau with Te Awarua o Porirua, Te Moana o Raukawa and the legacy of iwi tūpuna.
Last season was its most successful year yet at the 2026 National Waka Ama Championships. The club’s achievement is building haporitanga and kotahitanga, where paddlers feel supported and connected.
Tonight, we acknowledge the Toa Waka Ama paddlers, coaches, managers, committee, whānau, volunteers, officials, supporters and sponsors, with special mihi to the Brightwell whānau, Jeanette Grace and the late Steve Kenny.
He Tohu Hono ki tōna Hapori - Te Kapa Haka o Pukeatua
The winning Te Whanganui-a-Tara Regional Kapa Haka Competition team from Waiwhetū, who swept first positions in the majority of categories as a debut team and qualified for Te Matatini 2027. Te Kapa Haka o Pukeatua delivered a championship-level performance under pressure, with their success showing community preparation, discipline, and teamwork, performing at their best when it mattered most. Lifting te ao Māori, identity, and community pride onto one of kapa haka’s biggest stages.