The 2026 New Zealand Kiwifruit Innovation Award nominations are now open!

The New Zealand Kiwifruit Innovation Award was set up more than a decade ago to recognise individuals who have demonstrated exceptional innovation through initiatives that have made a real difference to the kiwifruit industry by solving a problem or creating lasting value.

Established in 2015 by former Chairman of Kiwifruit New Zealand, Sir Brian Elwood, the award is open to anyone directly or indirectly connected to the industry, including growers, and people involved in orchard management, post-harvest, research, and Zespri.

The deadline for this year’s nominations is Friday 24 July 2026. Nominations must be for an individual, not a team, and their positive contribution will involve an initiative that has added demonstrable and tangible value for the industry.

In 2025, the Kiwifruit Innovation Award was won by Eastern Bay of Plenty kiwifruit grower and harvest contractor Brett Wotton for his work to support lifting fruit quality across the industry. His initiative was the introduction of covers for picking bags used during harvest to improve handling practices and prevent fruit damage helping to significantly reduce quality costs and maximise returns to growers.

Other winners have included Kanako Inomata for the creation of the Zespri KiwiBrothers, 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.