Nine awards were presented in a ceremony in Parliament by the Prime Minister John Key to recognise excellence in commerce, the arts, sports, community and leadership.
The recipient of the Sports and Fitness award, 17-year-old Ayesha Leti-I'iga is a New Zealand born Samoan and has played rugby for several New Zealand national teams.
She credits her success to her family and performs a special ritual before each game to honour her mother who died seven years ago.
