The Queen's Birthday Honours list has recognised 169 people this year, including five new Knights and two Dames.
New Law Commission president Justice Grant Hammond has been named a Knight of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
So too have businessmen Graeme Harrison and Patrick Higgins, former All Black and educator John Graham and arts patron James Wallace.
Philanthropist Rosemary Horton has been named a Dame of the New Zealand Order of Merit, as has Dr Katerina Mataira for her work with te reo Maori.
Former police commissioner Howard Broad and former Treasury secretary John Whitehead are new Companions of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
Other recipients of that award include former metropolitan mayors John Banks and Kerry Prendergast; and Mark Ford, who led the Auckland Transition Agency.
Judge Paul von Dadelszen, of Hawke's Bay, is also a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
Opera singer and cricketing official Christopher Doig has also been honoured, as has Business Roundtable executive director Roger Kerr.
Former Prudential New Zealand chief executive Boudewijn (Boyd) Klap is also made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
Other awards
Sports people pepper the list of those becoming Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
Silver Ferns netball captain Casey Williams and her coach Ruth Aitken have been honoured, as have cricketers Daniel Vettori and Stephen Fleming. Vettori says he is humbled to be included in this years honours list. At 18, he was the youngest player to represent New Zealand in Test cricket and is widely regarded as one of the world's best spin bowlers.
Williams has been a member of the Silver Ferns since 2004 and Aitken has been coaching the team since 2002.
Recently retired Health and Disability Commissioner Ron Patterson and world renowned plastic surgeon Professor Swee Tan are also named as Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
New Members of the New Zealand Order of Merit include broadcaster John Hawkesby, Tall Blacks basketballer Pero Cameron and musician Jason Kerrison of the band Opshop.
Kerrison was an organiser of last year's Band Together concert for Canterbury.
Thirty-four acts took part and an estimated 130,000 people attended the event, which was held as a morale booster following the 4 September earthquake.
Distinguished careers
Justice Hammond worked in academic roles in Canada, New York and Auckland before becoming a High Court judge in 1992.
Sir Grant says the law as a discipline has fascinated him since he was a boy growing up on a Waikato dairy farm and he has tried to apply to the law his agricultural philosophy of leaving things in a better shape than they were found.
He was appointed as a senior judge with the Court of Appeal in 2004 and replaced Sir Geoffrey Palmer as the head of the Law Commission in December.
Graeme Harrison founded ANZCO Foods in 1984. Under his leadership, it company grew to be one of New Zealand's largest exporters with annual sales of approximately $1.2 billion.
Patrick Higgins is recognised for his services to philanthropy and the community. He was formerly managing director of the Higgins Group and is still chair of the board. He continues to support the Manawatu community and Manfeild Park international racing circuit and equestrian course.
John Graham was headmaster at Auckland Grammar School for 20 years and the University of Auckland's chancellor for six years.
He has also been New Zealand Rugby Foundation president and manager of the New Zealand men's cricket team and the Black Caps.
Educated at New Plymouth Boys High, he made his All Blacks debut in 1958 and went on to play 22 tests, three of which were as captain. He says his sporting experiences have been a bonus to a career in education, which he describes as massively fulfilling.
In 2010, James Wallace made the Pah Homestead (now called the TSB Bank Wallace Arts Centre) available to house the Trust Collection of more than 5500 contemporary New Zealand artworks.
Rosemary Horton has devoted 40 years to working with a wide variety of philanthropic causes for the sick, disabled children and the environment.
Her career includes positions on the Starship Foundation, the Breast Cancer Foundation and Women's Refuge.
Author and teacher Dr Katerina Mataira has written novels in Maori and a number of award-winning children's picture books in Maori.
Recognition for mayors and business
John Banks was the mayor of Auckland City for two terms from 2001 to 2004 and 2007 to 2010.
He says he feels very humbled and looks back on his time in local government with a sense of a job well done.
Kerry Prendergast began in politics in 1986 as a Tawa Borough Councillor. She served as Wellington's deputy mayor between 1995 and 1991 and was mayor until last year.
Ms Prendergast says the award recognises that Wellington is no longer the grey, boring place it was once perceived as. Last week, she was confirmed as chairperson of the new Environmental Protection Authority.
John Whitehead became the Treasury Secretary in 2003 and is credited with helping to steer New Zealand through the global recession.
He finished in the job last week and says his recognition in the honours list is a credit to the hard work of many during the economic turmoil.
He begins work in Washington as an executive director with the World Bank in August where he will represent the east Asia-Pacific region, including Australia and New Zealand.
Roger Kerr has led the Business Roundtable, a public policy think- tank, for a quarter of a century. He is a dogged campaigner for free markets and small government.
Christopher Doig is known for his opera singing on the international stage and was Director of the International Festival of Arts from 1992 to 1995.
He was chief executive of New Zealand Cricket from 1995 to 2001, when its revenue increased from about $7 million to $22 million in three years.
Other recipients
Samoan Fa'amatuainu Tino Pereira has been made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
Radio New Zealand International reports he played a pioneering role in setting up Pacific broadcasting in New Zealand and has been involved in a variety of Pacific organisations around community development for the last 20 years.
Nuiean Sionepaea Kumitau has been given the same award for his years of service as a social worker, promoter of the language, and involvement in rugby.
Samoan master weaver Misa Emma Kesha has been awarded the Queen's Service Medal.
She set up the Multicultural Weavers Association in Dunedin in 1983 and has since been involved in building numerous organisations in weaving and the arts.
