2025 New Zealand Kiwifruit Innovation Award nominations now open

Nominations are now open for the 2025 New Zealand Kiwifruit Innovation Award, established by former Chairman of Kiwifruit New Zealand, Sir Brian Elwood in 2015.

This prestigious award is open to the entire industry and recognises individuals who have demonstrated exceptional innovation, making a real difference to the kiwifruit industry through solving a problem or creating value.

In the decade since the award was introduced, we have seen it awarded to a number of people from the industry who have hit the threshold of outstanding individual achievement.

This has included Kanako Inomata for the creation of the KiwiBrothers which have been incredibly popular around the world, Dr Annette Richardson for her work on improving budbreak, Dr Steve Green who changed the approach to water and nutrient management, Cathy McKenna for the work on pest management that has preserved our market access and Russell Lowe, for his breeding work, including the first commercialised red kiwifruit cultivar.  

The award is open to all and designed to celebrate innovation across the entire industry - recognising the collective efforts that drive innovation, from orchard to market.

The deadline for this year’s nominations is Thursday 24 July, 2025. Nominees must be individuals, not groups, and for those who have made a measurable impact with a proven ability to solve a problem or create lasting value for the industry.