Another unusual Halberg Awards ceremony will take place in Auckland tonight.
There will at least be people there, albeit many fewer than normal and following strict Red setting rules.
And, a bit like last year, the awards will not be a simple matter of determining who achieved the most in a calendar year.
Last year, the impact of the first wave of Covid-19 meant the awards were switched to a ‘‘champions of the decade’’ ceremony.
This year, the awards technically cover a two-year span, from December 2019 to November 2021, but given how quiet 2020 was, and the fact 2021 was an Olympic year (always makes the Halberg judges drool), they are expected to be dominated by 2021 achievements.
Without further ado, here are the major categories:
Para athlete of the Year
The finalists: Anna Grimaldi (para athletics), Holly Robinson (para athletics), Lisa Adams (para athletics), Sophie Pascoe (para swimming), Tupou Neiufi (para swimming).
Who should win: Neiufi certainly won some hearts. Robinson and Adams were both brilliant. Pascoe added to her insane medal collection — and banked a damehood when she got home. But this should be Grimaldi’s award. Otago bias aside, what she did to come back from injury was inspiring. Grimaldi was sidelined for nearly two years following a broken foot and wondered if she would ever jump again. So she goes to Tokyo and wins gold, setting a Paralympic record. Epic.
Who will win: Yeah, Pascoe will win. The judges — the ODT is the only major media outlet not represented — will not see past her. She is amazing, to be fair.
Emerging talent
The finalists: Connor Bell (athletics), Cool Wakushima (snowboarding), Erika Fairweather (swimming), Grace Nweke (netball), Marko Stamenic (football).
Who should win: Well, Wakushima still has the coolest name, and her time will come. Apologies for knowing almost nothing about Bell. Stamenic is a super talent who will be part of a golden All Whites generation. Which leaves two young women in very different sports. Nweke is a prodigy, though made a difficult start to her Silver Ferns career. Fairweather is a (lovely) freak, who stunned everybody by making the 400m freestyle final at the Tokyo Olympics. She is a once-in-a-generation talent.
Who will win: Fairweather, surely. The others are good kids, but the Dunedin swimmer is absolutely world-class.
Coach of the Year
The finalists: Allan Bunting and Cory Sweeney (rugby sevens), Gary Stead (cricket), Gordon Walker (canoe racing), Tony O’Connor (rowing).
Who should win: This is a tricky category. The sevens coaches helped produce a remarkable team. Stead guided the Black Caps to a historic World Test Championship victory and a place in the T20 World Cup final. Walker — well, you have heard of Lisa Carrington, right? And O’Connor has the lowest profile but deserves massive praise for leading the men’s eight to a shock gold medal at Tokyo. By a whisker, I think Stead should win.
Who will win: Walker. The judges are obsessed with the Olympics, and Carrington was amazing.
Team of the Year
The finalists: Black Caps (cricket), Black Ferns Sevens (rugby sevens), Team New Zealand (sailing), men’s eight (rowing), women’s pair, Kerri Gowler and Grace Prendergast (rowing).
Who should win: Oof, another tough call. Take out Team New Zealand because, well, you just do. And the rowing pair, even though they were excellent. And while the Black Ferns Sevens were so wonderful, they fall to third in my rankings. Which leaves a straight shootout between two teams that shocked the world. Can we share the award? Fine, the rowing eight. Magical.
Who will win: The rowing eight. I think.
Sportsman of the Year
The finalists: Hamish Bond (rowing), Kane Williamson (cricket), Paul Coll (squash), Scott Dixon (motorsport).
Who should win: Woof, some category. Absolutely outstanding field this year. Dixon won his sixth IndyCar title in 2020, and Coll is our most underrated superstar. But this surely comes down to modern cricket great Williamson or modern rowing great Bond. Love Bondy, and what he did for that rowing eight was amazing. But this has to go to Williamson.
Who will win: Bond. The Olympics ranks so highly with the judges.
Sportswoman of the Year
The finalists: Courtney Duncan (motocross), Emma Twigg (rowing), Lisa Carrington (canoe racing), Lydia Ko (golf), Sarah Hirini (rugby sevens).
Who should win: And you thought the men’s field was strong! It has been fabulous to see Ko’s comeback, Hirini is the definition of inspiring, Twigg was the feelgood moment of the year, and Duncan, well, she couldn’t be any greater. But of course this award goes to canoeing immortal Carrington.
Who will win: The great Dame.
Major category winners (but not the coach) are then eligible for the supreme Halberg Award.
The winner of that tonight?
Has to be Carrington.
