Live coverage has concluded, please click here for the full wrap
10:16pm
That's a wrap for us tonight - so thank you for joining us, and we'll see you again soon!
10:15pm
Sean Synnott is back for his second acceptance of the night.
He starts with a tribute to those impacted by and the first responders in Cyclone Gabrielle.
Another F-bomb, but that's par for the course now.
Proud dads can be forgiven.
10:10pm
Grant Robertson will present the award.
And the winner is - Zoi Sadowski-Synnott!
10:09pm
Time for the big one, then, the Supreme Halberg.
The finalists are:
Zoi Sadowski-Synnott, the Black Ferns, Nico Porteous and Corey Peters.
10:08pm
Joanah Ngan-Woo isn't present on the night, but her teammates all accept the award on behalf of the team.
Sarah Hirini says her hand needs to be put in Te Papa.
Ruby Tui takes the mic and reads through the English translation of Tūtira Mai Ngā Iwi, which is poignant given the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle.
10:05pm
And the winner is - the Black Ferns!
More specifically, Joanah Ngan-Woo's lineout steal!
10:02pm
Time for the penultimate award - the fans' voted moment of the year. Plenty of finalists to choose from.
Ajaz Patel's 10 wickets v India (cricket), Corey Peters' two Winter Paralympics medals (skiing), Aaron Gate's four Comm Games gold medals (cycling), Imogen Ayris' pole vault bronze with fractured foot (athletics), Sam Tanner's "happiest 6th placegetter ever" (athletics), Paul Coll & Joelle King black-eye celebration (squash), Shane van Gisbergen's Bathurst win (motorsport), Ryan Fox's Dunhill Links Championship win (golf), Black Ferns win the final lineout at World Cup (rugby), Ruby Tui's World Cup singalong (rugby)
9:52pm
Peters pays tribute to the Halberg Foundation, who've been a key player in his and many others' rise.
9:49pm
Tom Smith, Halberg Foundation chief executive, will present the award.
Corey Peters stands out after two medals in Beijing - and he wins it!
9:47pm
We're back after a short break, as para-athlete/team of the year is the next award.
The finalists are:
Adam Hall (Para skiing), Cameron Leslie (Para swimming), Nicole Murray (Para cycling), Dame Sophie Pascoe (Para swimming), Corey Peters (Para skiing).
9:36pm
Another beautiful speech, with thanks given to the rest of the Kiwi snowsports contingent.
9:32pm
Like Zoi and Gustav, Nico Porteous is also absent tonight, so his mum Chris will accept on his behalf.
9:31pm
Nico Porteous would have to be the favourite for this, but Aaron Gate did what no other Kiwi has ever done at the Commonwealth Games.
Tough call to make.
The winner is - Nico Porteous!
9:30pm
The finalists are:
Paul Coll (squash), Aaron Gate (cycling), Nico Porteous (freeskiing), Dylan Schmidt (trampoline), Shane van Gisbergen (motorsport)
9:29pm
Sportsman of the year is next.
Richie McCaw and Dick Taylor will present it.
9:23pm
The award goes to Sarah Hirini.
Very well deserved. Hirini had a huge 2022, captaining the Black Ferns Sevens at their World Cup, and Commonwealth Games - not to mention playing as part of the Black Ferns' World Cup winning side in the 15-a-side game.
9:21pm
After a short break, a special award for leadership will be handed out.
Sport NZ chief executive Raelene Castle will present it.
9:14pm
Kennedy Simon thanks her team, and pays tribute to those impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle, but says New Zealand will come together to get through it.
Beautiful words.
9:11pm
Plenty of the side are in attendance tonight, but co-captains Ruahei Demant and Kennedy Simon accept the award on their behalf.
9:10pm
Will we see another nod for the Black Ferns? Of course we do!
The Black Ferns win team of the year, to go with Wayne Smith's coach of the year gong.
9:08pm
The finalists are:
Black Ferns (rugby), Joelle King & Amanda Landers-Murphy (squash), Joelle King & Paul Coll (squash), Kerri Williams & Grace Prendergast (rowing), NZ Eventing Team (equestrian)
9:07pm
Again, we move on quickly. Team of the year is next.
Presented by Sir John Key and Grant Elliott.
9:04pm
Straight away, Sean Synnott drops an F-bomb.
Thanks go to the fellow finalists, and to Sir Murray Halberg.
9:02pm
And the winner is - Zoi Sadowski-Synnott!
Again, no shock, the first Winter Olympics gold medal in Kiwi history made her a lock on the night.
Zoi is also unavailable - so her dad Sean will accept on her behalf.
9:01pm
The finalists are:
Ellesse Andrews (cycling), Dame Lisa Carrington (kayak), Ruahei Demant (rugby), Lydia Ko (golf), Zoi Sadowski-Synnott (snowboarding)
9:00pm
Up next is the Sportswoman of the Year award, presented by sports minister Grant Robertson, and Dame Valerie Adams.
8:49pm
Smith also thanks the Black Ferns, and players who missed out on the World Cup squad.
Sir Graham Henry gets a thank you from his old mate, as does successor Allan Bunting.
Assistants Wes Clarke, Whitney Hansen and Mike Cron get a thank you, as Smith says he's "embarrassed" to be up there accepting the award on behalf of everyone who played a part in the World Cup win.
8:47pm
Smith straight away says he doesn't like the idea of individual honours in a team sport, but thanks his family - and tells his son Josh to leave the pub to get back to his uni work.
8:45pm
And the winner is - Wayne Smith!
No real surprise there, and great recognition for the Professor!
8:44pm
No rest, straight into the next award, for coach of the year.
The finalists are:
Craig Palmer (cycling), Tommy Pyatt (freeskiing), Wayne Smith (rugby), Sean Thompson (snowboarding), Gordon Walker (kayak)
8:43pm
And the winner is - Gustav Legnavsky!
Gustav accepts the award virtually, currently in Switzerland before competing in Europe.
Is that the start of a big night for snowsports?
8:40pm
Just a reminder of the finalists:
Cameron Gray (swimming), Gustav Legnavsky (freeski halfpipe), Jenna Hastings (cycling), Joshua Willmer (swimming), Tara Vaughan (kayak)
8:39pm
Time for the first award of the night - the Emerging Talent of the year.
Dame Susan Devoy and Eliza McCartney will present the award.
8:32pm
To start, tribute is paid to Sir Murray Halberg, who sadly passed away late last year.
Sir Murray, and the work of the Halberg Foundation, has done so many great things for disabled New Zealanders over the years.
A fitting tribute to one of the great New Zealanders.
8:31pm
Right then, the pleasantries are all but out of the way - time for the awards to start being handed out.
8:12pm
A charity auction is taking place before the main ceremony, with proceeds going to the Halberg Foundation.
8:00pm
Good evening! We're all ready to get underway at Spark Arena.
The guests are getting to their seats, before the awards start to be handed out.
*******
Kia ora, good evening and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the 2023 Halberg Awards, from Auckland's Spark Arena.
What a year it's been for Kiwi sport. Over the past 12 months, we've seen historic performances across the board.
From the Beijing Winter Olympics, to the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, and even the women's Rugby World Cup in our own backyard, Kiwi athletes have made us proud.
Tonight, their achievements will be recognised, with five categories going into the running for the supreme award, looking ahead to the next generation with the emerging talent award, as well as the all-important, fan-decided moment of the year.
We'll also pay tribute to Sir Murray Halberg, who passed away in November, with tonight's ceremony being the first without the Kiwi sporting icon.
2023 Halberg Awards finalists:
Sportsman of the Year
Paul Coll (squash), Aaron Gate (cycling), Nico Porteous (freeskiing), Dylan Schmidt (trampoline), Shane van Gisbergen (motorsport)
Sportswoman of the Year
Ellesse Andrews (cycling), Dame Lisa Carrington (kayak), Ruahei Demant (rugby), Lydia Ko (golf), Zoi Sadowski-Synnott (snowboarding)
Team of the Year
Black Ferns (rugby), Joelle King & Amanda Landers-Murphy (squash), Joelle King & Paul Coll (squash), Kerri Williams & Grace Prendergast (rowing), NZ Eventing Team (equestrian)
Coach of the Year
Craig Palmer (cycling), Tommy Pyatt (freeskiing), Wayne Smith (rugby), Sean Thompson (snowboarding), Gordon Walker (kayak)
Para Athlete/Team of the year
Adam Hall (Para skiing), Cameron Leslie (Para swimming), Nicole Murray (Para cycling), Dame Sophie Pascoe (Para swimming), Corey Peters (Para skiing)
Emerging Talent
Cameron Gray (swimming), Gustav Legnavsky (freeski halfpipe), Jenna Hastings (cycling), Joshua Willmer (swimming), Tara Vaughan (kayak)
Moment of the Year
Ajaz Patel's 10 wickets v India (cricket), Corey Peters' two Winter Paralympics medals (skiing), Aaron Gate's four Comm Games gold medals (cycling), Imogen Ayris' pole vault bronze with fractured foot (athletics), Sam Tanner's "happiest 6th placegetter ever" (athletics), Paul Coll & Joelle King black-eye celebration (squash), Shane van Gisbergen's Bathurst win (motorsport), Ryan Fox's Dunhill Links Championship win (golf), Black Ferns win the final lineout at World Cup (rugby), Ruby Tui's World Cup singalong (rugby)
