TLDR: The Aotearoa AI Awards 2025 have announced their finalists and subsequently, the winners, recognizing outstanding leadership, originality, and significant impact in artificial intelligence research, development, and application across New Zealand. The awards culminated in a ceremony on September 17th, followed by the Aotearoa AI Summit on September 18th.
Auckland, New Zealand – September 16, 2025 – The Aotearoa AI Awards, a landmark initiative celebrating excellence in artificial intelligence across New Zealand, recently unveiled its inaugural cohort of finalists and subsequently honored its winners. These prestigious awards aim to acknowledge individuals, teams, and organizations demonstrating exceptional leadership, groundbreaking originality, and tangible impact within the nation’s burgeoning AI community.
Finalists for the 2025 awards were announced on September 10th, leading up to the highly anticipated Awards Ceremony on September 17th, where winners were revealed. The celebrations continued at the Aotearoa AI Summit on September 18th in Auckland, an event that also featured the culmination of the AI Hackathon Festival ’25, which saw over 400 participants across nine venues nationwide.
The awards encompassed several key categories, highlighting the diverse applications and advancements in AI:
AI Changemaker of the Year (Sponsored by British High Commission):
Finalists: Geri Harris, Lee Wilson, SupaHuman Team
Winner: Lee Wilson, celebrated for leading initiatives that deliver practical, people-centred change with AI, transforming complex data and governance into improved services and community outcomes.
Outstanding AI Implementation (Sponsored by Enlighten Designs):
Finalists: ALMA Team at PHF Science; Hutt City Council Team; Kiwa Digital Team
Winner: Kiwa Digital, honored for robust AI delivery achieving measurable outcomes at scale, particularly in turning language and cultural technology into enterprise-grade, AI-powered platforms.
Rising AI Star (Sponsored by Tompkins Wake):
Finalists: Amir Mohammadi, Andrew Lensen, Blake Harkness, Susana Tomaz
Winner: Dr Andrew Lensen, acknowledged for leadership, scholarship, and significant contributions to New Zealand’s AI community.
Te Ao Māori & Pasifika AI (Sponsored by ANZ):
Finalists: Shae Parsons, Shanelle Partridge, Kiwa Digital Team
Winner: Kiwa Digital, recognized for kaupapa-led innovation supporting Māori and Pasifika communities, uplifting te reo Māori and Pasifika languages by weaving mātauranga with cutting-edge technology.
Trailblazer in AI Innovation (Sponsored by Spark):
Finalists: ALMA Team at PHF Science; Spark’s Analytics GPT Team; ElementX Team
Winner: New Zealand Institute of Public Health and Forensic Science, ALMA Team, for pushing boundaries and pioneering new approaches in AI.
AI Research Pioneer (Sponsored by Artificial Intelligence Researchers Association):
Winner: David Rozado, recognized for advancing the state of the art and building bridges from research to applied impact, particularly in spotlighting AI bias to enhance transparency and accountability.
Madeline Newman, Executive Director of AI Forum NZ, commented on the significance of the awards, stating, “Tonight’s winners reflect the depth of talent and capability in Aotearoa — from pioneering research to bold innovations that put people at the centre of AI. What unites them is a commitment to outcomes that matter: safer, smarter services; measurable productivity gains; and AI that reflects our values and communities.”
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The Aotearoa AI Awards 2025 underscore the rapid acceleration of AI adoption in New Zealand and the nation’s commitment to fostering an innovative, responsible, and impactful AI ecosystem.
