NZI Rural Women Business Awards 2026 Category Winners Revealed
Rural Women New Zealand has announced the winners of the 2026 NZI Rural Women Business Awards.
RWNZ national president Gill Naylor says the awards are a highlight in the organisation’s calendar of events.
“Despite the challenges of the last few years, the number of entrants in the Awards has increased every year, as has the diversity of the enterprises represented in their entries,” Naylor says.
“This is an excellent indicator of the incredibly dynamic role that entrepreneurial rural women play in building sustainable and resilient rural communities and economies.”
Naylor says the awards provide an opportunity for women who own and operate rural enterprises to showcase their creativity and innovation and for RWNZ to celebrate and promote those women’s achievements.
“Once again, these awards would not be possible without the continued support of our Premier Partner, NZI, which shares RWNZ’s goal to strengthen, support and connect people and communities,” Naylor says.
NZI executive manager agencies and schemes, Christina Chellew says the insurer is ‘delighted’ to support the awards as premier partner and to “recognise and promote innovative and hardworking rural women”.
“Each year, the judges are impressed, and often humbled, by the quality of the entrants and we have no doubt there will be another impressive showing this year,” Chellew says.
“The awards night itself is always a great celebration and reminder that rural women continue to be a formidable force in ensuring our rural communities remain resilient, prosperous and ready for whatever the future brings, and that’s something we are always very proud to be a part of,” she says.
Entries close on Friday, 28 July at 5pm. For more information and details on how to enter visit: https://ruralwomennz.nz/nzi-rural-women-nz-business-awards-2023/
