2017 Blues Awards winners

Sportsman of the Year Award

Dylan Schmidt

Dylan had great success at the 2016 Rio Olympics. He became New Zealand's first athlete to compete in Trampoline at an Olympic Games and performed with distinction, finishing seventh in the individual men's category.

Dylan also won bronze at the Pacific Rim Championships and placed ninth in the Swiss World Cup. He holds the New Zealand records for difficulty, set total score, voluntary total score, and total score. 

Sportswoman of the Year Award

Eliza McCartney

Pole vaulter Eliza McCartney won an incredible bronze at the 2016 Olympic Games, with a height of 4.80m. Eliza was the youngest Olympic medallist ever in the women's pole vault. Eliza later went on to win bronze in the 2017 IAAF Rome Diamond League, with a height of 4.75m. 

Eliza’s new personal best of 4.82m was achieved at the 2017 International Auckland Track Challenge, where she won gold.

Māori Sportsperson of the Year Award

Michael Brake (Ngāti Porou)

Michael attended the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio as part of the New Zealand rowing men's eight, which placed sixth. Rio was Michael's first Olympic Games, having qualified for the 8 for Rio at the 2015 World Rowing Championships in Aiguebelette with a significant fourth place.

Para-athlete of the Year Award

Keegan Owen Pitcher

Keegan has had many great successes as a para-athlete in T36 classification track events. He won gold in the 100m, 200m, and 400m at the Oceania Championships in Fiji and 2 bronzes in the 400m and 800m at the World Para Athletic Championships in London.

Keegan currently holds the New Zealand record in 200m and 400m.

Award for the Most Meritorious Performance (Sport)

Eliza McCartney

Eliza’s bronze medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio has secured her the Most Meritorious Performance in Sport. This result was a huge achievement, with her 4.80m clearance equalling her national record and personal best at the time.

Eliza was also only the fourth New Zealand Olympic medallist in a field event.

Award for the Most Meritorious Performance (Arts and Cultural)

Sarah Foster-Sproull

Sarah has been awarded Creative New Zealand's highest honour for a choreographer, The CNZ Choreographic Fellowship. This fellowship provides her with $100,000 to pursue a rigorous programme of dance-related events over two years and promote her creative work internationally. This includes creating a new choreographic work; collaborating with artists and companies in New Zealand, Fiji, Australia, Scotland, Singapore, and America; building her business capabilities and international profile; and starting a company to provide professional experience to dance graduates.

The fellowship assessment panel described Sarah as “one of New Zealand’s most compelling, innovative and creative choreographers.”

Award for the most outstanding contribution (Service and Leadership)

Lucy McSweeney

Lucy is a passionate mental health campaigner who is working to improve mental health education in the New Zealand school system.
Her petition, which collected over ten thousand signatures, calls for better guidelines and adequate training and funding for mental health education in the high school curriculum. The petition was delivered to parliament in June and is currently under select committee review for action.

Lucy has been open with her own experience of mental illness in her advocacy. She hopes that being open about such a challenge will provide hope to the one in five other young New Zealanders who face mental health problems and encourage them to seek help.

As part of her campaign, Lucy has spoken at schools and forums and engaged with politicians and the media.