The annual Māori Language Awards have been held every year since 2004. It’s a way we can join with our partners across Te Whare o te Reo Mauriora to honour amazing people and unforgettable projects that are helping to revitalise te reo Māori.  

The Awards will be held on Friday, 26 April 2024 in Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington).   

The nomination period has been extended, and will now close on 10 December, 2023. For more information about this extension, see FAQs below. 

Please note: applications are being considered for work done from 1 September, 2022 to 10 December, 2023. 

There are nine categories open for nominations. The tenth award will be Te Tohu Oranga Angitu – Lifetime Achievement Award, with the recipient to be announced on the night.  

Here are some details about what each category is, who can apply, and some of the criteria. 

Make a nomination

Ngā Kaupapa | Categories

Celebrating digital innovation for te reo Māori

This digital category recognises individuals, projects, or organisations that have used digital solutions in service to te reo Māori. This could be via the creation of a digital platform, tool, or other innovation that supports the revitalisation and normalisation of the language. The nominees in this category have demonstrated creativity and commitment in using technology to engage and educate the public around te reo Māori.

Criteria:

  • You can nominate a person, an organisation, or kaupapa for this award.
  • The nomination must reflect impacts made within Aotearoa.
  • Nominations for this category must involve some use of digital technologies.

Promoting te reo Māori through creative expression

The Arts category acknowledges artists, contemporary and traditional performers, creatives and cultural institutions that have made significant contributions to te reo Māori through their work. The winner will be seen to have made a positive impact in normalising and promoting te reo Māori within their communities and/or wider Aotearoa.

Criteria:

  • You can nominate a person, an organisation, or kaupapa for this award. 
  • The nomination must reflect impacts made within Aotearoa.
  • Nominations should in some way reflect and be a part of the vast cultural and creative landscape of Aotearoa. The nomination may be a creative work, a project, an event, a kaupapa, or a group that facilitates the development and showcasing of the arts. 
  • In this context, the Arts are acknowledged as a wide and complex system of creative expressions, including but not limited to, traditional and contemporary Māori arts, visual arts, writing, music, performance etc.

Strengthening te reo Māori at a grassroots level

The Community category celebrates the unsung community heroes and local initiatives that have made a positive impact on te reo Māori within their communities. This category recognises the power of collective effort and grassroots movements in nurturing te reo Māori, and celebrates the impact these movements have on the revitalisation of te reo Māori. All community kaupapa are eligible – rōpū, marae, events, or individuals that are doing the mahi to ensure te reo thrives in their communities.

Criteria:

  • You can nominate a person, group, organisation or kaupapa for this award.
  • The nomination must reflect impacts made within Aotearoa.
  • Nominations should have a direct impact on one or more communities within Aotearoa.

Business excellence in promoting te reo Māori 

This category honours businesses who have integrated te reo Māori into their operations, products, or services, contributing to the normalisation of the language in the commercial sector. Nominees may have shown dedication to fostering a bilingual business environment, and/or promoting te reo Māori as part of their products and values. They may be an organisation that has demonstrated excellence in incorporating a language plan and/or the visibility of te reo Māori in their workplace.

Criteria:

  • You can nominate a person or organisation for this award.
  • The nomination must reflect impacts made within Aotearoa.
  • Nominations must be made for a business, or an individual in the business world.
  • Nominations will be considered for internal projects or initiatives that strengthen the function of the business, or an externally facing product, event, campaign or programme.

Impactful teaching and learning of te reo Māori

The Education category recognises educators, schools and kura, institutions, and projects that have played a pivotal and impactful role in teaching and promoting te reo Māori. This includes both formal and informal education efforts that inspire learners to embrace the reo, at any age range or education level. There will be a visible and meaningful impact on individuals and communities that contribute to the revitalisation movement for te reo Māori.

Criteria:

  • You can nominate a person, group, organisation or kaupapa for this award.
  • The nomination must reflect impacts made within Aotearoa.
  • Nominations will be considered for individuals and groups who have an influence on and facilitate the learning and teaching of te reo Māori, with visible impacts amongst their communities.

Outstanding contribution to te reo Māori in media

This category celebrates journalists, broadcasters, filmmakers, media outlets and organisations that have effectively used their platforms to amplify te reo Māori. Nominees may have made a lasting impact on the accessibility and representation in the media landscape, have presented compelling campaigns and storytelling for te reo Māori, or have demonstrated an impactful shift in the way te reo Māori is incorporated in their work.

Criteria:

  • You can nominate a person, an organisation, or kaupapa for this award.
  • The nomination must reflect impacts made within Aotearoa.
  • Nominations will be considered from individuals and groups who consider themselves to be working within the media industry. If for example, a project overlaps Media and the Arts, it will be the nominators' decision on which category is most appropriate.

Government initiatives for te reo Māori

This category acknowledges government departments, agencies and organisations that have implemented policies, projects, or initiatives to support the revitalisation and integration of te reo Māori into public life. This award recognises and celebrates the aspirations of the Maihi Karauna, and Te Whare o te Reo Mauriora in creating and establishing a house where te reo Māori is normalised and visible in daily life in Aotearoa.

Criteria:

  • You can nominate a public servant, a government organisation, or a government-led project or campaign for this award.
  • The nomination must reflect impacts made within Aotearoa.
  • Applications that reflect the strategic aims of the Maihi Karauna and/or the Maihi Māori under Te Whare o te Reo Mauriora.

Outstanding advocacy for te reo Māori by a rangatahi

The Rangatahi category celebrates the efforts of young individuals or youth-led organisations that have actively promoted te reo Māori. Nominees in this category represent the future of the language, and have shown remarkable dedication to its normalisation and revitalisation. The recipient of the Rangatahi Award will be a group or individual that has shown innovation and passion, and made an impact on their peers through their work.

Criteria:

  • You can nominate a person, group or kaupapa for this award. 
  • The nomination must reflect impacts made within Aotearoa.
  • Nominations will be considered for young individuals, or organisations and groups that are youth-led.
  • Rangatahi/Youth is defined in this context as 25 years or younger.

Taking a stand - Exemplifying leadership and outstanding advocacy for te reo Māori

The Tū Rangatira Supreme Award is bestowed upon a truly exceptional individual or group that has demonstrated outstanding leadership, unwavering dedication, and a profound impact in championing te reo Māori. It recognises those who have gone above and beyond in their commitment to the language, taking a stand, fighting against adversity, and leaving an enduring legacy for future generations. This award acknowledges their pivotal role in the continued revitalisation and normalisation of te reo Māori.

Criteria:

  • You can nominate a person, organisation, or kaupapa for this award.
  • The nomination must reflect impacts made within Aotearoa.
  • The judges will consider, impact, integrity, quality of the leadership, and relationship to the wider reo Māori movement.
  • Nominations should be able to demonstrate an evidenced track record of support for te reo Māori, and to offer some thoughts about future impacts.

FAQs

Nominations will now close at 11:59pm on Sunday 10th of December, 2023.  

There has been a large number of applications, as well as requests to extend the nomination process. Based on a desire to celebrate and uphold reo champions appropriately, we have made a decision to extend the process, and hold Ngā Tohu Reo Māori in 2024. 

There’s just been so much mahi that has happened in the last year, and we want to be able to capture and uphold those kaupapa to the best of our abilities. We feel that extending nominations will allow for that. 

If you have a nomination that has been submitted, you can delete your nomination from the main page in the application portal and submit a new one If your application is in progress, you are able to make as many changes as you want up until the time it is submitted. 

You can nominate your entry in all categories in which it is eligible! And we encourage you to do so.  

Te reo Māori is an official language of Aotearoa, and the role of Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori is to support the normalisation and revitalisation of te reo Māori for all the people of Aotearoa. As such, Ngā Tohu Reo Māori is open to all New Zealanders who are celebrating and supporting as champions for te reo Māori. You do not have to be Māori to make a nomination, or be nominated.  

Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori as an organisation is focused on the normalisation and revitalisation of te reo Māori in Aotearoa. As such, nominations for Ngā Tohu Reo Māori should reflect impacts and work made within Aotearoa, for the people of Aotearoa. Though nominees could be based elsewhere. 

Not at this stage, however you can watch the event online via our social media. 

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