Leading performances by New Zealand athletes on the world stage has resulted in 71 nominations for the 2010 Halberg Awards.
The awards recognise outstanding achievement by New Zealanders in sport at home and overseas, with four finalists to be selected in the sportsman, sportswoman and team categories.
From those 12 finalists the overall winner is selected.
Nominations in the sportsman category include All Blacks Richie McCaw and Kieran Read, All Whites Ryan Nelsen and Mark Paston, rower Mahe Drysdale, Kiwis league captain Benji Marshall and cricketer Brendon McCullum.
In the women's category, Valerie Adams and Nikki Hamblin from athletics are among the nominations, along with Silver Ferns captain Casey Williams and rower Emma Twigg.
Among the nominations for the teams category are the All Whites, the All Blacks, the men's and women's hockey teams, rowers Hamish Bond and Eric Murray, the Silver Ferns and league team the Kiwis.
Coach of the year nominations include the Silver Ferns Ruth Aitken, the All Blacks Graham Henry, Kiwis coach Stephen Kearney and All Whites coach Ricki Herbert.
The finalists will be announced in the New Year with overall winners announced in mid-February.
Full list of nominations
Sportsman of the Year: David Thew (kung fu), Mahe Drysdale (rowing), Jossi Wells (snow sports), David Fagan (shearing), Cam Ferguson (shearing), Benji Marshall (rugby league), Manu Vatuvei (rugby league), Graeme Kendall (yachting), Andrew Murdoch (yachting), Adam Hall (paralympic skiing), Kieran Read (rugby), Richie McCaw (rugby), Kirk Penney (basketball), Ryan Nelsen (football), Brendon McCullum (cricket), Hayden Roulston (cycling), Greg Henderson (cycling), Jesse Sergent (cycling), Julian Dean (cycling) and Mark Paston (football).
Sportswoman of the Year: Emma Twigg (rowing), Casey Williams (netball), Sara Winther (yachting), Joelle King (squash), Sarah Walker (cycling), Valerie Adams (athletics), Linda Villumsen (cycling), Lauren Ellis (cycling), Catherine Cheatley (cycling), Alison Shanks (cycling), Carla Hohepa (rugby), Sophie Pascoe (Paralympic swimming), Nikki Hamblin (athletics) and Caroline Powell (equestrian).
Sports Team of the Year: Black Sticks men (hockey), Black Sticks women (hockey), Eric Murray and Hamish Bond (rowing), Juliette Haigh and Rebecca Scown (rowing), David Fagan and Cam Ferguson (shearing), Nathan Cohen and Jason Sullivan (rowing), Mike Collings and John Snowden (shooting), Kiwis (rugby league), Silver Ferns (netball), Blackmatch Racing (yachting), NZ Eventing Team (equestrian), Jo Aleh and Olivia Powrie (yachting), Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (yachting), Joelle King and Jaclyn Hawkes (squash), Women's Team Pursuit (cycling), Men's Team Pursuit (cycling), NZ Sevens (rugby), Black Ferns (rugby), All Blacks (rugby), New Zealand Road Relay Team (roller sports), All Whites (football) and Women's 4 x 200m Relay (swimming).
Coach of the Year: Stephen Kearney (rugby league), Ruth Aitken (netball), Nathan Handley (yachting), Tim Carswell (cycling), Dayle Cheatley (cycling), Craig Palmer (cycling), Graham Henry (rugby), Gordon Tietjens (rugby), Dave Rennie (rugby), Ricki Herbert (football), Mark Howard (yachting), Anthony Ricketts (squash), Brian Evans (rugby), John Robinson (rowing) and Dick Tonks (rowing).
