2020 New Year Honours for top rugby, netball coaches, and in pop culture

Monday, 30 December 2019

Former All Blacks coach Sir Steve Hansen and Silver Ferns coach Dame Noeline Taurua are among the top honour recipients for the 2020 New Year.

Others featuring in the honours list for their contribution to sport include netballer Laura Langman, former New Zealand Rugby chief executive Steve Tew, swimmer Lauren Boyle, rugby union and league player Honey Hireme, and former Silver Fern and leading netball coach Margaret Forsyth.

Popular culture has a good showing too with honours for choreographer Parris Goebel, leading film and TV producer John Barnett, Murray Cammick, who co-founded music magazine Rip It Up and started record labels Southside and Wildside, broadcaster Karyn Hay, and Split Enz drummer Paul Crowther. Country music gets a look in with recognition for long-time performer Dennis Marsh.

The 2020 New Year honours are out and there are big wins in sport and popular culture.

Other well known personalities in the 2020 New Year list include business leader Tony Carter, former Green Party MP Sue Kedgley and former Auckland Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse.

* Four dames, three knights in 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours

* The Warehouse founder Sir Stephen Tindall inspired by Warren Buffett and Bill Gates' philanthropy**

Dame Noeline Taurua is made a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (DNZM), as are Auckland University of Technology professor of public policy and former MP Professor Dame Marilyn Waring, and Dame Anna Crighton, who is recognised for services to heritage preservation and governance.

Being made Knight Companions of the New Zealand Order of Merit (KNZM) alongside Sir Steve Hansen are Supreme Court judge Sir Joe Williams, and advocate for people with learning disabilities Sir Robert Martin.

Former All Blacks coach Sir Steve Hansen.

Barnett was a producer of popular films Whale Rider and Sione's Wedding. He ran South Pacific Pictures for 23 years and during that time oversaw production of popular TV shows including Shortland Street and Outrageous Fortune. He and Carter are made Companions of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM).

Professor Dame Marilyn Waring has been recognised for services to women and economics.

Cammick, Forsyth, Hay, Kedgley, Langman and Tew are made Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM). Another new ONZM is Wanaka-based mountaineer Lydia Bradey, who was the first woman to climb Mt Everest without supplementary oxygen.

Sir Joe Williams, the first Māori judge of the Supreme Court.

Boyle, Crowther - inventor of the Hot Cake guitar distortion pedal - Goebel, Hireme, Hulse and Marsh are made Members of the New Zealand order of Merit (MNZM).

Dame Anna Crighton has been honoured for her work saving heritage buildings following the earthquakes.

Sir Robert Martin was the first person with a learning disability to be elected to a UN Committee for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

In total, 180 people are recognised in the New Year 2020 Honours List. Of those, 24 are for contributions to arts and media, 21 for health and 21 for sport and recreation.

No one is made a Member of the Order of New Zealand (ONZ), which is the country's most senior honour and which can only have, at most, 20 living ordinary members. It recognises 'outstanding' service to the Crown and people of New Zealand.

Also omitted this time round are any appointments to the second most senior honour - Knights or Dames Grand Companion of The New Zealand Order of Merit (GNZM). Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet records show GNZM appointments are uncommon, with at most one a year.

DNZMs and KNZMs are third in seniority, CNZMs fourth, ONZMs sixth and MNZMs seventh.

The Auckland region had the most honours recipients with 52, followed by Wellington with 38, Canterbury with 18, Otago with 16 and Waikato with 15.

Another business leader made CNZM is Rob Campbell - winner of the New Zealand Shareholders' Association Beacon Award in 2017. Other CNZM appointments include Massey University professor of nursing Prof Jenny Carryer, Lady Dean Gillian - recognised for services to philanthropy, the arts and youth - antibiotic resistance expert Helen Heffernan, former clinical director of general surgery at Auckland Hospital Murray MacCormick, food technologist Dr Mike Matthews, former ambassador to China John McKinnon, and climate change negotiation, monitoring and implementation expert Helen Plume.

Among others appointed ONZM are arts administrator, musician and editor Scilla Askew, dance theatre leader Jan Bolwell, Dr John Delahunt - who played a vital role in the development of transgender healthcare in New Zealand - Helicopters Otago founders Graeme and Ros Gale, New Zealand International Film Festival creator Bill Gosden, former Grey Mayor Tony Kokshoorn, former Fire and Emergency New Zealand national commander urban Paul McGill, Hospice New Zealand chief executive Mary Schumacher, and Gary Wilson, who was recognised for services to Māori and Pacific journalism and broadcasting.