Cooke Howlison Toyota Otago Sports Awards 2026

Nominations are now open for the 2026 Cooke Howlison Toyota Otago Sports Awards, the region's premier night of sporting celebration. 

This year's awards ceremony will be held on June 12 at the Edgar Centre, to recognise the outstanding achievements and contributions of Otago's athletes, teams, coaches, officials, volunteers, administrators and innovators. 

Now in its 37th year, the Cooke Howlison Toyota Otago Sports Awards, organised by Sport Otago, celebrate sporting excellence while reflecting our purpose of empowering Otago whānau to be active every day and our vision of making Otago the world’s most active region, by recognising the people and organisations who help sport and active recreation thrive across our communities. 

We encourage nominations from across Otago and are looking forward to another year of celebrating the depth of talent, dedication and impact across our sporting community.

Award categories include: Sportswoman of the Year, Sportsman of the Year, Para Athlete/Team of the Year, Team of the Year, Junior Sportswoman of the Year, Junior Sportsman of the Year, Emerging Talent, Coach of the Year, Official of the Year, Services to Sport, Innovation in Sport, and the Supreme Award. 

A new category, Otago's Favourite Sporting Moment, will also be introduced in 2026, with finalists selected by judges and the winner determined by public vote. 

The event is made possible through the generous support of naming-rights sponsor Cooke Howlison Toyota and other Otago businesses, whose commitment to celebrating local sporting achievement ensures the awards remain a highlight of the region's annual calendar. 

Nominations close Sunday, 5 April, at 11.59pm. 

Nominations are also open for the 2026 Forsyth Barr Central Otago Sports Awards and Network Waitaki Sports Awards, held in the lead-up to the Otago Sports Awards.