Finalists revealed for New Zealand International Business Awards 2021

This year's Awards finalists and nominees come from around New Zealand and across a wide range of industries and sectors – representing the innovation, resilience and ambition of New Zealand exporters on the world stage.

Winners across the eight award categories, plus a Supreme Award chosen by judges, will be revealed on Thursday 17 February 2022 at a gala Awards dinner in Auckland.

The New Zealand International Business Awards are run by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, Te Taurapa Tūhono (NZTE). They celebrate the success of New Zealand businesses on the world stage and recognise excellence and innovative practice.

The Awards have been supported by NZTE and its predecessor organisations since 1964, with many of New Zealand's most iconic companies celebrated on the world stage. The most recent Awards were held in 2019.

Four new awards are being presented for the first time in 2021: Innovation in Response to COVID-19; Leveraging Investment for International Growth; Excellence in Digital Commerce Transformation; and Excellence in Sustainability, brought to you by ANZ.

Convenor of judges David Downs says the number of finalists in this year's Awards – exceeding the record set in 2019 – is testament to the standards being set by exporters during a uniquely challenging period for businesses.

"Even in normal times becoming a finalist in the New Zealand International Business Awards is no mean feat – entrants have to complete detailed applications, and then present to our judging panels with 20 minutes to explain why their business should be recognised.

"It's even more impressive to come through that process with flying colours despite all of the challenges of the last two years. We're genuinely privileged as judges to hear from these remarkable people and businesses.

"We're seeing a continual evolution and lifting the bar from our export community, who are leading the way in telling their stories in international markets and deeply connecting with their customers and what matters to them.

"Success in exporting is so much more than the quality of your product or service. It means building strong relationships with customers, investors and partners, having a real grasp of what value you're delivering, and also the resilience and courage to deliver that value in new ways, as we've seen in the last year.

"In 2021 we've seen a group of finalists come through that captures these qualities, and also represents the hard work and the contribution that export business make to our economy and the communities we live in.

"New Zealanders should take a lot of pride in in these businesses, and in our export sector in general. Their innovation and ambition will help shape the future of this country."

This year's finalists represent a wide range of sectors – spanning aerospace, digital services, agritech, food and beverage, creative industries and more, with a strong showing from regional New Zealand.

NZTE's ongoing awards partnership with ExportNZ has allowed selected winners and entrants from regional awards programmes to be included in the pitch sessions.

For further details and to purchase tickets for the awards night on 17 February 2022, visit nziba.co.nz.

Nominees: