Our Sponsors

Te Matatini

Te Matatini Society Incorporated is the national organisation in Aotearoa New Zealand responsible for fostering excellence, developing and protecting traditional Maori performing arts. The name was given by Professor Wharehuia Milroy, a composite of mata meaning "face" and tini denoting "many", therefore the meaning of Te Matatini is "the many faces". Established in 1972 as the New Zealand Polynesian Festival, Te Matatini has evolved over more than five decades into a premier national and international platform for kapa haka. Kapa haka is a living expression of identity, whakapapa, history, language and place. Through waiata, mōteatea, haka, poi and other traditional and contemporary performances, kaihaka tell the stories of their whanau, hapu, iwi and communities.

Te Mātāwai

Te Mātāwai backs the everyday actions that help te reo Māori thrive in our kāinga, hapori, and iwi. Together, these small steps create lasting change and a stronger future for the language. As a partner first and foremost, Te Mātāwai assert that Māori are the leaders of Māori language revitalisation. We are responsible for creating the conditions that enable our whānau, hapori, iwi, Māori to drive their solutions. We do this by protecting, promoting, and revitalising te reo Māori through partnership, leadership, influence, and investment. Our unique model empowers our Māori communities to decide how they invest in reo Māori revitalisation kaupapa in their Kāhui (regional cluster). To realise the vision of Kia Ūkaipō anō te Reo, we actively pursue two key priority outcomes in kāinga and hapori: Tukuihotanga (deliberate intergenerational transmission) and Hononga Hapori Reo (connected language speaker communities). Te Mātāwai champions a Māori-led approach to language revitalisation while also working in partnership with Crown agencies to ensure the effective resourcing of our iwi and communities, and the synchronisation of our collective impact.

Ministry of Education

Te Tāhuhu o te Mātauranga is committed to advancing the goals of Tau Mai Te Reo and supporting the revitalisation of te reo Māori through education. Across the education pathway, from early learning and schooling through to tertiary education, we create opportunities for learners to value, learn, and use te reo Māori. Guided by the Maihi Karauna vision of Kia māhorahora te reo, we work to create the conditions for te reo Māori to be seen, heard, spoken, read, and celebrated every day. By strengthening educator capability and supporting Māori medium and English medium pathways, we help build learners’ confidence, proficiency, and connection to te reo Māori, contributing to a thriving future for the language and for Aotearoa. We celebrate all those who embody these goals and uplift te reo Māori through their mahi.

Z Energy

Z Energy (Z) is one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s leading transport energy companies and is proud to sponsor the 2026 Whakarangatira i te Reo | Language Leadership Award, recognising private sector initiatives that value, strengthen and champion te reo Māori. As a New Zealand company serving communities across the motu, supporting this award reflects our commitment to Te Ao Māori and our ongoing journey to deepen our understanding, grow our capability, and strengthen connections with mana whenua and communities throughout Aotearoa New Zealand.

Go Media

Go Media is proud to sponsor Ngā Tohu Reo Māori and stand alongside those championing the growth, visibility and everyday use of te reo Māori across Aotearoa. As a Māori owned out of home media company, we understand the power of language, storytelling and visibility to connect people and strengthen communities. Our advertising network reaches communities across Aotearoa every day, giving us both an opportunity and a responsibility to reflect the people, cultures and communities we serve. We are proud to support the mahi of those leading and inspiring the revitalisation of te reo Māori, celebrate their achievements and play our part in ensuring te reo Māori continues to be seen, heard and valued for generations to come.

Google

The Google New Zealand team values our ongoing partnership with Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori and is honoured to support Ngā Tohu Reo Māori 2026. We celebrate the recipients for their dedication, leadership, and passion in driving the future of te reo Māori. Kia kaha te reo Māori!

Te Tumu Paeroa

The Māori Trustee is proud to sponsor Ngā Tohu Reo Māori. Supported by Te Tumu Paeroa, the Māori Trustee works to ensure whenua Māori is protected and enhanced, now and for generations to come. Whenua Māori and te reo Māori are living cornerstones of mana Māori motuhake, bound together through mauri, whakapapa and identity. Te reo Māori gives voice to the histories, tikanga, mātauranga and relationships embedded in whenua, while whenua gives te reo Māori its place, context and authority. When te reo Māori is spoken, heard and transmitted across kāinga, hapori and papakāinga, it nurtures belonging, strengthens whakapapa and sustains Māori ways of knowing, relating and being. Together, whenua Māori and te reo Māori carry forward the names, stories, obligations and aspirations that sustain whānau, hapū and iwi across generations.

Rangiata Sky

Rangiata Sky is committed to supporting the normalisation of te reo Māori. Across our platforms, we proudly promote te reo Māori, tikanga, and stories from Aotearoa, helping audiences across Aotearoa New Zealand engage with and celebrate Māori language and culture.