Source: Radio New Zealand
Hamish Kerr celebrates winning the Men’s High Jump final at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. www.photosport.nz
Hamish Kerr has claimed New Zealand’s highest sporting honour at the 63rd Halberg Awards in Auckland, after achieving heights in his career that no other Kiwi high jumper has reached.
Kerr has won the Supreme Halberg Award, capping off an extraordinary 2025 in which he dominated on the world stage.
Kerr – who also secured the Sportsman of the Year title earlier in the evening – won gold at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in September.
His maiden triumph in Tokyo completed the final piece of Kerr’s collection of global titles. He is now the reigning world champion, Olympic champion (Paris 2024), and Diamond League champion (2025) – an unprecedented achievement by a New Zealand high jumper.
Kerr, who also won last year’s Halberg Sportsman of the Year, took the title ahead of athletics team-mate Geordie Beamish; Freeski Big Air World Champion Luca Harrington; footballer Chris Wood and golfer Ryan Fox.
Kerr’s athletics coach James Sandilands, who guided the 29-year-old through one of the best seasons of his career, was named Coach of the Year – his first win in the category.
Snowboard star Zoi Sadowski-Synnott, who is currently competing at her third Winter Olympics, was named Sportswoman of the Year.
Sadowski-Synnott won a third snowboard slopestyle world title in 2025, and got the accolade ahead of a field including global champions across cycling – Sammie Maxwell and Niamh Fisher-Black; tennis – Erin Routliffe, and rugby – Jorja Miller.
New Zealand snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott. JAMIE SQUIRE / AFP
The Black Ferns Sevens were crowned the Team of the Year after another dominant 2024-25 HSBC SVNS World Series and the SVNS World Championship.
Their unmatched global success stood-out in an impressive line-up of team finalists including Auckland FC; world champion men’s rowing pair Ben Taylor and Oliver Welch; the men’s team pursuit track cycling squad; the New Zealand Kiwis and the New Zealand Black Sox.
Sam Ruthe unsurprisingly beat out the other finalists in the Emerging Talent category after making history in 2025 by becoming the youngest person ever to run a sub-four-minute mile.
Paralympic sprint star Danielle Aitchison was awarded the Para Athlete/Para Team of the Year Award, for her impressive results on the track at the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships. Other finalists included fellow Para athletics team mate Lisa Adams, Para track cyclists Nicole Murray and Devon Briggs and Para swimmer Cameron Leslie.
International sport administrator and leader Katie Sadleir received the Sport New Zealand Leadership Award, recognising her influential contributions to global sport and her long-standing dedication to athlete well-being and equity.
The Black Ferns Sevens continue to dominate. Jayne Russell / PHOTOSPORT
Kat Mueller was honoured with the Sir Murray Halberg Legacy Award, for her significant work championing inclusive sport and recreation opportunities for people with disabilities across Aotearoa.
Two new inductees to the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame were also celebrated. Dame Valerie Adams and Richie McCaw were formally welcomed into the prestigious group, recognising their contributions, achievements, and lasting impact on New Zealand sport.
Full List of Winners – 63rd Halberg Awards:
- Supreme Halberg Award: Hamish Kerr (athletics – field)
- Sportswoman of the Year: Zoi Sadowski-Synnott (snow sports – snowboarding)
- Sportsman of the Year: Hamish Kerr (athletics – field)
- Para Athlete of the Year: Danielle Aitchison (Para athletics – track)
- Team of the Year: Black Ferns Sevens (rugby sevens)
- Coach of the Year: James Sandilands (athletics -field)
- Emerging Talent: Sam Ruthe (athletics – track)
- Sport New Zealand Leadership Award: Katie Sadlier
- Sir Murray Halberg Legacy Award: Kat Mueller
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
