Māoriland Charitable Trust named Supreme Award winners at 2025 Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards
Māoriland Charitable Trust have been named Supreme Award winners at the 2025 Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards tonight.
Based in Ōtaki, Māoriland celebrates Indigenous creativity for the wellbeing of all people. Home to the Māoriland Film Festival – the largest Indigenous film festival in the world – they also operate year-round as a hub for creativity, collaboration and community. Guided by kaupapa Māori values of ohooho, manaakitanga, kotahitanga, and kaitiakitanga they support rangatahi and Indigenous artists to share their voices with the world.
Tainui Stephens, Board member of Māoriland Charitable Trust says: “It’s an amazing honour to share this acknowledgement with all the individuals and organisations who make our lives better on a voluntary basis.
“Māoriland exists because the people need stories, and we’re in the fortunate position to be able to share what we know to make the world a better place.”
Matt Clarke, Chief Executive of Wellington Airport says: “As always, it’s been a tough choice for the judges with so many amazing community groups in our region.
“Maoriland Charitable Trust really stood out though. Their mahi helps Māori and Indigenous storytelling be heard across Aotearoa and the world, empowering young people and celebrating unique stories of who we are.”
Wellington Airport has also awarded six local high school students $1,000 scholarships in the annual Wellington Airport Spirit Awards. These winners demonstrate self-motivation in service to their schools and community.
2025 Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards Winners
- Supreme Award: Māoriland Charitable Trust
- Arts and Culture: Māoriland Charitable Trust
- Education and Child/Youth Development: Ōtaki Kids Market (Ōtaki Women’s Community Club)
- Health and Wellbeing: Friends of the Emergency Department (FED) - Hato Hone St John
- Heritage and Environment: Ghost Diving NZ
- Sport and Leisure: City Suburbs Girls and Women’s Cricket Community
- Rising Star Award: Heavy Hitterz
- People’s Choice Award: Arohanui Strings +
2025 Wellington Airport Spirit Award Scholarship recipients
- Fraser O'Regan-Smith - Rongotai College
- Yizney Morales - St Catherine’s College
- Jack Clark - St Patrick’s College
- Amelia Burns - Scots College
- Meadow Hussey - Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Nga Mokopuna
- Nikita Lunderstedt - Wellington East Girls’ College
Background on the Community Awards
Every year Wellington Airport and the five local councils come together to recognise the work carried out by community groups in the wider Wellington region. The focus of the awards is to celebrate volunteers for their valuable contribution to society. This year marks the 21st anniversary of the awards.
The awards start with Wellington’s five councils awarding volunteer organisations in their local community under the following categories: Art & Culture, Education and Child/Youth Development, Health and Wellbeing, Heritage and Environment, Sport and Leisure, plus a Rising Star Award for emerging groups.
The finalists from each region then go forward to the Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards for the overall award in their category, and the opportunity to be named Supreme Winner.
