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Māoriland Charitable Trust has been named Supreme Award winner at the 2025 Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards, recognising its leadership in Indigenous creativity and community impact.
Based in Ōtaki, Māoriland is home to the world’s largest Indigenous film festival and operates year-round as a hub for artistic collaboration and rangatahi development. Board member Tainui Stephens says the award acknowledges the many volunteers who uplift their communities.
“It’s an amazing honour to share this acknowledgement with all the individuals and organisations who make our lives better on a voluntary basis,” Tainui says. “Māoriland exists because the people need stories.”
Wellington Airport chief executive Matt Clarke says Māoriland stood out for empowering young people and elevating Māori and Indigenous storytelling locally and globally.
2025 category winners
- 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 – Hato Hone St John
- Heritage and Environment: Ghost Diving NZ
- Sport and Leisure: City Suburbs Girls and Women’s Cricket Community
- Rising Star: Heavy Hitterz
- People’s Choice: Arohanui Strings+
Spirit Award scholarships
Six secondary school students also received $1000 Wellington Airport Spirit Awards scholarships for outstanding service to their schools and communities: Fraser O’Regan-Smith, Yizney Morales, Jack Clark, Amelia Burns, Meadow Hussey and Nikita Lunderstedt.
The Wellington Airport Regional Community Awards, now in their 21st year, are delivered in partnership with the region’s five local councils to recognise volunteer organisations across Wellington.
