2017

From her beginnings in Portsmouth, England Lady Pippa Blake has dedicated most of her life to becoming an outstanding global ambassador and friend to New Zealand, via her work with the Sir Peter Blake Trust.

An artist by trade, in 1979, Lady Pippa married Sir Peter Blake and moved to New Zealand,  stepping into a role with Ceramco NZ, the organisation which sponsored many of Sir Peter’s yachting victories. 

Following Sir Peter’s death, in 2004 Lady Pippa established the Sir Peter Black Trust – a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to continuing her late husband’s legacy, and inspiring the next generation of Kiwi leaders, adventurers and environmentalists. Its stated mission is to help Kiwis make a positive difference for the planet, offering activities that encourage environmental awareness and action, and leadership development. Lady Pippa has actively overseen the growth and development of the Trust for 13 years.

Watch Pippa, Lady Blake accept her award here.

Dr Privahini Bradoo is a World Class New Zealander, and an outstanding global citizen. 

Born in India, Privahini spent her childhood in Oman, before moving to New Zealand to take up her studies. Since graduating, she has built a career in the USA as a successful entrepreneur, with a passion for merging science and business. 

Having graduated with First Class Honours from the University of Auckland studying Biomedical Science, Privahini went on to complete her PhD in Neurogenetics and Drug Discovery. During her time at the University of Auckland, Privahini led the establishment of Spark (now Velocity) an entrepreneurial initiative for students and founded Chiasma, dedicated to linking the biotech academic community, and industry. 

After winning the $100,000 Fulbright Platinum Entrepreneurship Fellow scholarship, to study her MBA at Harvard Business School she behind a promising career in neuroscience, Privahini opted to step into the commercial world as an entrepreneur. Privahini worked for several startups making her mark in Silicon Valley before co-founding BlueOak to revolutionise how we treat end-of-life electronics: converting the e-waste of today into a sustainable source of critical metals and rare earths for the technologies of tomorrow. 

Unlimited magazine placed Privahini on the Top 10 Influencers of New Zealand list, she also won the Distinguished Young Alumni Award from the University of Auckland. Since then, her work has led her to become a Young Global Leader at the World Economic Forum.

Watch Dr Privahini Bradoo accept her award here.

Sir Rob Fenwick is one of New Zealand’s most distinguished business and environmental leaders. Over the course of his 30-year career, he has contributed more to the fields of environment sustainability and natural heritage, than most people can dream of; and his passion for preserving the country for current and future generations is nothing short of inspiring. 

Sir Rob has help to found companies like Growthlink Holdings, NZ Natural and Living Earth Ltd, New Zealand’s largest organic waste composting business. 

Sir Rob acts as an environmental advisor to Westpac New Zealand Limited, the Department of Conservation and Air New Zealand. 

Has been the chairman of organisations such as Mai FM, TVNZ, Landcare Research, Antarctica Heritage Trust, the Fred Hollows Foundation, the Government’s Ministerial Waste Advisory Board, and the New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development.

Sir Rob was awarded Knight of Justice, Order of St John in 2006 and knighted again in 2016 for services to business and the environment. That same year Sir Rob was also inducted into the NZ Business Hall of Fame.

Watch Sir Rob Fenwick accept his award here.

From her grassroots practicing in her aunt’s garage, Parris has gone on to work with some of the biggest names across the globe, putting her Auckland dance workshop The Palace firmly on the map as one of the most recognised studios in the industry. 

Parris founded the dance crew Royal Family, which went on to win Gold at the World Hip Hop Dance Championships in 2011, 2012, 2013 and Silver in 2015. 

Parris has also worked with the biggest artists in the industry including Beyoncé, Little Mix, Rihanna, Janet Jackson, Nicki Minaj, Jennifer Lopez, Cirque du Soleil and Justin Bieber. Her crew’s list of TV credits also continues to grow, with appearances on American Idol, America’s Best Dance Crew and Dancing with the Stars US and Australia.  

She won Female Choreographer of the Year at the World of Dance Awards, and Young New Zealander of the Year with the Coca Cola Amatil New Zealander of the Year Awards. In 2015, Parris won the Young Leader award at the New Zealand Women of Influence Awards, and the Top Variety Artist Award from the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand Inc. In 2016, at the World of Dance Awards, she was awarded the Live Performance of the Year and for the second time, Female Choreographer of the Year.

Watch Parris Goebel accept her award here.

Born in Wellington and raised in humble Pukerua Bay, Sir Peter is undeniably one of New Zealand’s most recognisable exports. He has helped to firmly establish New Zealand on the map, not only as a bucket-list destination for tourists but also for filmmakers from around the globe.

Sir Peter’s love and fascination for filmmaking started early. He was just eight years old when he picked up his first Super 8 cine-camera, and began making short films with friends – his inspiration drawn from his favourite fantasy productions. 

Sir Peter’s focus on gory horror comedy such as Bad Taste (1987) and Braindead (1992) shifted with the project Heavenly Creatures (1994) which received considerable critical acclaim, nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards. Led to Sir Peter winning the rights to bring J.R.R Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings to life on the big screen – with a last-minute deal for a trilogy. Widely considered to be one of the biggest and most ambitious projects ever undertaken in Hollywood, at first, all predictions pointed to horrendous box office losses. However, they were wrong – and the films went on to achieve mammoth critical and commercial success. Peter Jackson became a household name, garnering 800 nominations and 475 wins, including Academy Awards, BAFTAs, Golden Globes and Saturn Awards.

Other Sir Peter works include King Kong (2005), The Lovely Bones (2009), District 9 (2009), The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn (2011) and the Hobbit Trilogy (2012-2014). 

In 2002, Sir Peter was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to film, and in 2010, promoted to King Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit. In 2012, Sir Peter was honoured with New Zealand’s highest civilian honour, being inducted as a Member of the Order of New Zealand.

Watch Sir Peter Jackson accept his award here.

A New Zealand chef raised in Fiji and Samoa, Robert has developed restaurants across the US and Australia, launched “farm to table” resorts in Miami and the Caribbean, and organizes food programs feeding those in need in New York City. 

His first cookbook Me’a Kai: The Food and Flavours of the South Pacific connected Pacific agriculture with tourism and won “Best Cookbook in the World 2010” at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in Paris. He followed this up with Mea’ai Samoa: Recipes and Stories from the Heart of Polynesia, which won the World Cookbook Award in Beijing for Best TV Chef Cookbook in the World. 

Robert is also Chef Ambassador for Le Cordon Bleu, a world-renowned speaker, television presenter, and contributor to The Huffington Post and New Western Cuisine. Robert hosted his own television series Real Pasifik centred on his work and the food culture in the South Pacific. Robert also co-hosts Marae Kai Masters, a Maori cuisine show, and has appeared as a guest judge on My Kitchen Rules, New Zealand.

Watch Robert Oliver accept his award here.