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NZATD Awards 2025

Enter the Awards

Submissions for 2025 will open on 19 May and close on June 29.  

In preparation for 2025, we recommend you read the criteria for each category below and download a copy of the Submission Guidance to familiarise yourself with competency requirements for the categories you are entering. 


Categories and Criteria

The awards are open to any member of the New Zealand L&D community (except for the NZATD Awards Committee).  The categories are aligned with the NZATD Competency Framework and our values. Please refer to this information when reviewing criteria requirements for each category.

Entrants must:

  • demonstrate how they or their chosen project meets the award category criteria
  • be based in or work primarily for a New Zealand-based organisation.

Projects must have been completed within the last two years.

Finalists will be notified once judging is complete.

Feedback will be provided to all entrants once winners have been announced. 

Winners will be announced at the NZATD Awards Gala Dinner on Tuesday 9  September at the Harbourside Function Centre, Wellington.  This is immediately followed by the 2025 Conference on Wednesday 10 - Thursday 11 September 2025.  

Need help?

If you have any questions or need further information, please contact the Awards Committee at awards@nzatd.org.nz.




Our Sponsors

A massive thanks to all our 2024 sponsors!

Premier Partner


Category Partners




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, Mohiotanga, Tikanga)

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, Mohiotanga, Tikanga)

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, Mohiotanga, Tikanga)

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, Mohiotanga, Tikanga)

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, Mohiotanga, Tikanga)

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, Mohiotanga, Tikanga)

Individual 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

  • 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 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)

Enter the awards

Submissions open 19 May 2025. 

Submission Guidance

Need help?


Previous winners

See our winners from previous years!

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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