Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards

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Nominations for the 2026 Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards are now closed.
The Upper Hutt winners will be announced in early August.

 

Every year, we team up with Wellington Airport to recognise the work of community groups in Upper Hutt. The focus of the awards is to celebrate volunteers for their valuable contribution to society.

In the first round, the Wellington region’s five councils (Wellington City, Porirua, Kāpiti, Hutt City, and Upper Hutt) recognise their local volunteer organisations in six different categories.

For the second and final round, winners from each region progress to the Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards (WARCA) for the overall award in their category, and the opportunity to be named Supreme Winner. The winners are announced at an annual celebration dinner. 

The awards have been run since 2004, recognising hundreds of community groups across the region. Nominations are open during April and May each year, and there is $50,000 in awards and prizes to be won.

 

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Caption: Our 2025 local winners and runners-up celebrate their success and incredible contribution to the Upper Hutt community together.

FAQs

Visit the official Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards website.

For more information, please email: wellingtonairportawards@uhcc.govt.nz

Who is eligible for the awards?

You can nominate any not-for-profit group or organisation working for the benefit of our community.

Please note: The awards recognise community groups and organisations, not individual volunteers.

What are the award categories?

There are six award categories:

  • Arts and Culture – for enhancing or increasing participation in arts and creative leisure activities;
  • Education and Child/Youth Development – for improving or enhancing the educational and social development of children/youth;
  • Health and Wellbeing – for fostering the health and wellbeing of our community;
  • Heritage and Environment – for improving or revitalising our environment, culture, or heritage;
  • Sport and Leisure – for supporting participation and enjoyment in physical sport, leisure activities, and recreational pursuits;
  • Rising Star – recognising and encouraging emerging grassroots groups in the community.

What are the judging criteria?

The judging panel considered these key factors:

  • volunteer input
  • utilisation of resources
  • innovation and creativity
  • effectiveness of activities
  • impact within the community
  • recent activities (from the past 12 months).

How will the Upper Hutt finalists and winners be notified and what will they receive?

All finalists will receive an official invitation to the Upper Hutt awards ceremony.

The event will take place on Tuesday 4 August and will be hosted by Mayor Peri Zee.

Upper Hutt winners will be announced at the ceremony; they will receive a cash prize and a certificate.

 

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