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NZATD Awards

Congratulations to all our 2026 NZATD Award winners and finalists.

Held at the beautiful Waipuna Hotel & Conference Centre in Auckland, our Awards Gala Dinner was a wonderful evening of celebration, connection, and recognition, bringing together learning and development professionals from across Aotearoa New Zealand to acknowledge outstanding achievements, innovation, and impact in our profession.

We are incredibly proud of everyone who submitted an entry this year. The quality of nominations and award submissions continues to showcase the depth of talent, dedication, and expertise within the NZATD community.

A heartfelt thank you to our sponsors and partners for their ongoing support, particularly our Premier Partner, Accipio. Their commitment helps make these awards possible and enables us to recognise excellence across the learning and development sector.

You can view the full list of 2026 finalists and winners below, along with the partners who supported this year's awards programme.

Initiative categories 

  • Best Compliance Learning Programme: 
    Follow My Lead & ANZCO Foods
     - Access Denied

  • Best Induction or Onboarding Programme:
    Two Degrees Mobile Limited - Reimagine Care Learning (RCL) - Induction Transformation

  • Best Skills-Based Learning Project (sponsored by Like-Minded): 
    Pukeko Learning Solutions & Manaaki Tangata Victim Support
      - Engaging with clients:  Using AI simulations to practise human skills

  • Best Transformation Programme (sponsored by Blanchard Aotearoa New Zealand): 
    One NZ - AI Transformation Programme
     
  • Best Leadership Development Programme (sponsored by Inspire Group): 
    Fulton Hogan - Taeao Fou - Pasifika Leadership Development
     

  • Best Online Learning Project (sponsored by Catalyst)
    Te Amo Ako | Learning and Teaching Development Team, Otago Polytechnic


Individual categories
 

  • L&D Team Member: 
    Moumita Jamindar-Arnold
     
  • L&D Consultant : 
    Christie Hutt
     

  • L&D Manager (sponsored by University of Auckland): 
    Yasmin Kachwala
     

  • L&D Strategist: (sponsored by Synapsys):
    Bonita Misilisi
     

  • Emerging L&D Practitioner (sponsored by Accipio):
    Ina Capulong 
  • L&D Practitioner of the Year (sponsored by Complete Learning Solutions)
    Penelope Chua-Ong 

Our Sponsors

Thank you so much to our sponsors, partners and supporters for Awards 2026!  

Premier Partner


Category Partners





Like Minded



Previous winners

See our winners from previous years!

Individual Award Categories

L&D Practitioner of the Year

This award is presented to a long-standing practitioner who demonstrates best practice and to recognise the contributions, inspiration and guidance they provide to the L&D community.

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Criteria

  • Be employed in the L&D field for more than five years
  • Demonstrate application of the Core Competencies (Adult Learning Principles and Learning and Development Practice)
  • Demonstrate high skill in the application of three Specialist Competencies (Instructional Design, Assessment, On-the-Job Training, Evaluation, eLearning, Facilitation, Informal/Social Learning)
  • Demonstrate application of one NZATD value (Kotahitanga, Manaakitanga, Ako)

Emerging L&D Practitioner of the Year

This award is presented to a newer L&D practitioner to recognise the contributions they are making to the L&D community and encourage them to strive for best practice.

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Criteria

  • Be employed in the L&D field for less than two years
  • Demonstrate application of the Core Competencies (Adult Learning Principles and Learning and Development Practice)
  • Demonstrate high skill in the application of one Specialist Competencies (Instructional Design, Assessment, On-the-Job Training, Evaluation, eLearning, Facilitation, Informal/Social Learning)
  • Demonstrate application of one NZATD value (Kotahitanga, Manaakitanga, Ako)

L&D Team Member

This award is presented to an established L&D practitioner that works in a permanent or fixed term capacity, to recognise the contributions they are making to their organisation and the L&D community.

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Criteria

  • Be employed, in a permanent or fixed term capacity, in the field of L&D for more than two years
  • Demonstrate application of the Core Competencies (Adult Learning Principles and Learning and Development Practice)
  • Demonstrate high skill in the application of two Specialist Competencies (Instructional Design, Assessment, On-the-Job Training, Evaluation, eLearning, Facilitation, Informal/Social Learning)
  • Demonstrate application of one NZATD value (Kotahitanga, Manaakitanga, Ako)

L&D Consultant

This award is presented to an L&D practitioner that work in a consultancy capacity to recognise the contributions they are making to the L&D community.

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Criteria

  • Provided contract L&D services for at least two years
  • Demonstrate application of the Core Competencies (Adult Learning Principles and Learning and Development Practice)
  • Demonstrate high skill in the application of two Specialist Competencies (Instructional Design, Assessment, On-the-Job Training, Evaluation, eLearning, Facilitation, Informal/Social Learning)
  • Demonstrate application of one NZATD value (Kotahitanga, Manaakitanga, Ako)

L&D Manager

This award is presented to an outstanding L&D manager to recognise the contributions, inspiration and guidance they provide to their team and the L&D community.

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Criteria

  • Be employed in an L&D manager role or lead a team of at least two people in the L&D field
  • Demonstrate application of one Learning Leader Competency (Develop and maintain strong working relationships with key business stakeholders, develop and maintain effective L&D reporting systems, plan and oversee the L&D project lifecycle)
  • Demonstrate application of one NZATD value (Kotahitanga, Manaakitanga, Ako)

L&D Strategist

This award is presented to an L&D practitioner working at a more strategic level within the field of L&D, who provides inspiration, guidance and insight.

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Criteria

  • Report directly to CE or contracts to provide L&D Strategic Services to an organisation
  • Demonstrate application of two Learning Strategist Competencies (Provides input into business strategy at Executive and Board level through learning lens, develops cases for strategic L&D initiatives, champions L&D with strategic stakeholders manage the delivery of learning at the enterprise level and manage strategic learning initiatives to support organisational talent management)
  • Demonstrate application of one NZATD value (Kotahitanga, Manaakitanga, Ako)

Initiative Award Categories

Best Induction or Onboarding programme

This award is presented to an organisation, company or individual to recognise best practice in bringing new employees into an organisation.

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Criteria

  • Relates to a programme designed to provide new employees with the skills and knowledge they require to be job ready
  • Demonstrate an innovative use of resources within project budget
  • Demonstrate consideration or integration of diversity and inclusion
  • Demonstrate application of the Core Competencies (Adult Learning Principles and Learning and Development Practice)
  • Demonstrate considered, actual or planned application of the Specialist Competency Evaluation
  • Demonstrate application of three other Specialist Competencies (Instructional Design, Assessment, Coaching, On-the-Job Training, eLearning, Facilitation, Informal/Social Learning)

Best Compliance Learning Programme

This award is presented to an organisation, company or individual to recognise innovative, engaging and excellent compliance learning.

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Criteria

  • Relates to a nationally recognised compliance topic
  • Demonstrate an innovative use of resources within project budget
  • Demonstrate consideration or integration of diversity and inclusion
  • Demonstrate application of the Core Competencies (Adult Learning Principles and Learning and Development Practice)
  • Demonstrate high level of application of the Specialist Competency Assessment
  • Demonstrate application of one other Specialist Competencies (Instructional Design, Evaluation, Coaching, On-the-Job Training, eLearning, Facilitation, Informal/Social Learning)

Best Transformation Programme

This award is presented to an organisation, company or individual to recognise success in delivering transformation learning.

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Criteria

  • Relate to a programme of work that includes organisation transformation
  • Demonstrate an innovative use of resources within project budget
  • Demonstrate consideration or integration of diversity and inclusion
  • Demonstrate application of the Core Competencies (Adult Learning Principles and Learning and Development Practice)
  • Demonstrate considered, actual or planned application of the Specialist Competency Evaluation
  • Demonstrate application of one other Specialist Competencies (Instructional Design, Assessment, Coaching, On-the-Job Training, eLearning, Facilitation, Informal/Social Learning)

Best Leadership Development Programme

This award is presented to an organisation, company or individual to recognise implementation of a leadership development programme to positively impact organisational performance and culture.

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Criteria

  • Relates to a programme designed to equip leaders with the skills they need to succeed
  • Demonstrate an innovative use of resources within project budget
  • Demonstrate consideration or integration of diversity and inclusion
  • Demonstrate application of the Core Competencies (Adult Learning Principles and Learning and Development Practice)
  • Demonstrate considered, actual or planned application of the Specialist Competency Evaluation
  • Demonstrate application of one other Specialist Competencies (Instructional Design, Assessment, Coaching, On-the-Job Training, eLearning, Facilitation, Informal/Social Learning)

Best Skills-based Learning Project

This award is presented to an organisation, company or individual to recognise their contribution to the ongoing development of their employees through skills-based training.

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Criteria

  • Relates to a project designed to provide employees with new or updated skills relevant to their role
  • Demonstrate an innovative use of resources within project budget
  • Demonstrate consideration or integration of diversity and inclusion
  • Demonstrate application of the Core Competencies (Adult Learning Principles and Learning and Development Practice)
  • Demonstrate considered, actual or planned application of the Specialist Competency Evaluation
  • Demonstrate application of one other Specialist Competencies (Instructional Design, Assessment, Coaching, On-the-Job Training, eLearning, Facilitation, Informal/Social Learning)

Best Online Learning Project

This award is presented to an organisation, company or individual to recognise innovative, engaging and excellent online learning.

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Criteria

  • Relates to learning delivered solely through an online platform
  • Demonstrate an innovative use of resources within project budget
  • Demonstrate consideration or integration of diversity and inclusion
  • Demonstrate application of the Core Competencies (Adult Learning Principles and Learning and Development Practice)
  • Demonstrate considered, actual or planned application of the Specialist Competency Evaluation
  • Demonstrate application of one other Specialist Competencies (Instructional Design, Assessment, Coaching, On-the-Job Training, eLearning, Facilitation, Informal/Social Learning)

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New Zealand Association for Training and Development (NZATD)

Address: P O Box 9319, Waikato Mail Centre, Hamilton 3240

Phone:  021 794 277

Email:  nzatd@nzatd.org.nz

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