Awards co-ordinator Bill Godsall said he particularly wanted to see more local sports clubs nominate their teams, as the teams category often struggled to get nominations.
Mr Godsall said anyone could nominate a sportsperson, and he especially urged family members of athletes to nominate them.
"Many athletes are too humble to nominate themselves, so it’s really important someone supports them by nominating them."
Five finalists will be chosen for each category and the winner of each will then vie for the supreme award.
A services to sport award is also chosen by the judges.
This year’s guest speaker will be New Zealand Paralympian Holly Robinson, of Dunedin, who competed in javelin at the London 2012 Paralympic Games and at the Rio 2016 Paralympics, where she was the team’s flag-bearer.
The awards dinner will be held in Queenstown on April 28 and nominations close on March 10.
