The big winner at the annual New Zealand Football Awards was All Whites striker Chris Wood, who took out both the Men’s Player of the Year and the New Zealand Football Media Association (NZFMA) Player of the Year.

The English Premier League star was not able to be present at the awards ceremony – held in conjunction with Friends of Football, the New Zealand Football Foundation and sponsors Rembrandt at the Remuera Club in Auckland this evening – but his honours were picked up by sister Chelsey, who played for New Zealand herself at age-group level.

“I want to say a massive thank you for these awards,” Wood said via video message.

“It’s a privilege and an honour, not only to be nominated but to win and it makes me immensely proud to have my sister there receiving them on my behalf. I couldn’t have done this without my team mates of course, both here at Burnley and with the national team.”

Defender Rebekah Stott was named Women’s Player of the Year for her outstanding displays for Melbourne City, Seattle Reign and the Football Ferns.

Wood and Stott were among nine players, coaches and referees – from both football and the small-sided game of futsal – to be honoured at the New Zealand Football Awards while Team of the Year prizes were also handed out in both codes.

The New Zealand Football Awards recognised efforts in the 2017 calendar year and, to be eligible, nominees had to have either featured prominently for a New Zealand Football national team or taken part in a New Zealand Football national competition.

The football nominations celebrated the elite level of the game through performances for national teams but also recognised the community game, in which the best-performing players in each of the main national competitions (ISPS Handa Premiership, National Women’s League, ISPS Handa Chatham Cup and Football Foundation Kate Sheppard Cup), as well as the OFC Champions League, were nominated.

The futsal nominations likewise reflected performances both on the international stage and in New Zealand Football’s range of national competitions.

In addition to the New Zealand Football Awards, tonight’s ceremony also celebrated those who cover the beautiful game as the NZFMA Awards were staged as part of the celebrations. Eight awards were handed out to members of the media while the NZFMA closed the evening by recognising Wood as their overall Player of the Year.

Friends of Football also took the opportunity to acknowledge the latest recipient of their Medal of Excellence, presented to those whose contribution to the game in New Zealand has been exceptional. Previous recipients of the award have been John Adshead, Ivan Vicelich, Brian Turner, Steve Sumner, Bert Ormond and Warwick Gendall.

This year’s recipient was New Zealand Football honorary historian Barry Smith, who was recognised due to his many years of outstanding service to the game as a football historian.

See below for all the nominations and winners (in bold) from the New Zealand Football Awards and the NZFMA Awards.

To view all the images from the evening please click here

To view and make purchases from the Rembrandt range please click here 

New Zealand Football Awards (brought to you by Rembrandt

Men’s Player of the Year

Stefan Marinovic (SpVgg Unterhaching/Vancouver Whitecaps/All Whites)
Winston Reid (West Ham United/All Whites)
Ryan Thomas (PEC Zwolle/All Whites)
Chris Wood (Leeds United/Burnley/All Whites)
Justin Gulley (Team Wellington)
Jo Dawkins (Onehunga Sports)
Angel Berlanga (Auckland City)

Futsal Men’s Player of the Year

Lucas Da Silva (Capital Futsal/Futsal Whites)
Kareem Osman (AFF Futsal/Futsal Whites)
Michael Sannum (Southern United)

Women’s Player of the Year

Erin Nayler (Girondins Bordeaux/Football Ferns)
Ali Riley (FC Rosengard/Football Ferns)
Rebekah Stott (Seattle Reign/Melbourne City/Football Ferns)
Rosie White (Boston Breakers/Football Ferns)
Eleanor Isaac (Southern United)
Jacqui Hand (Auckland Football)
Kate Loye (Glenfield Rovers)

Futsal Women’s Player of the Year

Shivanthi Anthony (AFF Futsal/Futsal Ferns)
Britney-Lee Nicholson (Canterbury United Pride/Futsal Ferns)
Jess Verdon (AFF Futsal/Futsal Ferns)

Young Player of the Year

Dane Ingham (Brisbane Roar/All Whites)
Clayton Lewis (Auckland City/Scunthorpe United/All Whites)
Anna Leat (East Coast Bays/Football Ferns)
Malia Steinmetz (Forrest Hill Milford United/Football Ferns)
Taylor Schrijvers (Team Wellington)
Britney Cunningham-Lee (Auckland Football)

Coach of the Year

Anthony Hudson (All Whites)
Darren Bazeley (New Zealand U-20)
Jose Figueira (Team Wellington)
Gemma Lewis (Auckland Football)
Hiroshi Miyazawa (Onehunga Sports)
Andy Clay (Glenfield Rovers)
Ramon Tribulietx (Auckland City)

Futsal Coach of the Year

Nic Downes (AFF Futsal/Futsal Ferns)
Darren Hart (Southern United)
Ronan Naicker (Canterbury United Pride/U-18 Futsal Ferns)

Referee of the Year

Matt Conger
Simon Lount
Anna-Marie Keighley
Antony Riley
Nick Waldron

Futsal Referee of the Year

Antony Barnes
Antony Riley
Chris Sinclair

Team of the Year

All Whites
New Zealand U-20 men
Team Wellington men
Auckland Football women
Onehunga Sports men
Glenfield Rovers women
Auckland City men"

Futsal Team of the Year

Southern United men
Futsal Ferns
U-18 Futsal Ferns

New Zealand Football Media Association (NZFMA) Awards

Programme of the Year

Hamilton Wanderers, edited by Steve Built
Football South, edited by Morgan Jarvis
Waitemata, edited by Mark Reid

Publication of the Year

Capital Football Season Review 2017, by Matt Snaddon

Writer of the Year

Michael Burgess (NZ Herald, Herald on Sunday)
Ben Strang (Stuff.co.nz)
Andrew Voerman (Stuff.co.nz)

Community-Internet Writer of the Year

Bruce Holloway (in the back of the net)
John Palethorpe (in the back of the net)
Phillip Rollo (Nelson Mail)

Photographer of the Year

Andrew Cornaga (Photosport)
David Joseph (Graphic Sport Images)
Shane Wenzlick (Phototek)

Website of the Year

in-the-back-of-the-net, edited by Enzo Giordani
www.thejourneyfan.blogsport.co.nz, edited by Dave Webster
www.yellowfever.co.nz, edited by Yellow Fever

Audio Broadcaster of the Year

Riccardo Ball (TAB Trackside)
Jason Pine (NZME)
Yellow Fever – Phoenix City (Patrick Barnes, Cameron McIntosh, Andrew French and Dave Richardson)

Television Broadcaster of the Year

Simon Hampton (Newshub)
Jason Pine (SKY TV)
Gordon Glen Watson (OFC TV and SKY TV)

NZFMA Player of the Year

Abby Erceg (North Carolina Courage/Football Ferns)
Katie Rood (Juventus/Football Ferns)
Chris Wood (Leeds United/Burnley/All Whites)
Ryan Thomas (PEC Zwolle/All Whites)

Friends of Football Medal of Excellence

Barry Smith (football historian)

Article added: Saturday 08 September 2018