Motorsport champion Scott Dixon, tech entrepreneur Rod Drury and philanthropist Dorothy Spotswood are among those recognised in the New Year Honours list.
The big names recognised in the New Year Honours - watch on TVNZ+
Ophthalmologist Helen Danesh-Meyer, former Hastings mayor Sandra Hazlehurst and former All Black Eroni Clarke were also some of the 177 New Zealanders recognised this year, spanning Māori language champions, health leaders, scientists, broadcasters, and volunteers.
The New Year Honours are the country’s way of recognising outstanding service and achievement, with appointments approved by the King on the advice of the Prime Minister.
Read the full list: New Year's Honours 2026
Dixon, New Zealand's most successful international racing driver, is a six-time IndyCar champion and winner of the 2008 Indianapolis 500. With 58 IndyCar wins, multiple endurance victories, and nearly two decades at the top, he’s known as 'The Iceman' for his consistency and calm under pressure.
Now, he'll be known as Sir Scott Dixon, a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
Speaking to 1News about the knighthood, Dixon said he was "truly honoured" and that the weight of it had not quite sunk in yet.
"I thought it was maybe not necessarily a true statement when it was first indicated. But I feel really honoured."
He reflected on the people who had helped him along the way.
"For me, it’s more about the people that helped me on this journey… my parents, PJ (Peter Johnston), the Giltraps, Sir Colin. It makes you reflect a lot on the past coming up to the present and then obviously the future."
Dixon also acknowledged the Kiwi spirit in motorsport, saying drivers like Liam Lawson and Brendon Hartley were "continuing the generation" of talent.
"We pack a massive punch on a world stage, not just in motor racing, but across sports and other things too. For me, it makes me super proud."
Sir Rod Drury founded Xero in 2006, building it into a global cloud accounting platform with more than four million customers and a multibillion-dollar valuation. Xero is the country's second-largest tech exporter and has been recognised as a global leader in diversity and mental health.
He stepped down as chief executive in 2018 and had since focused on philanthropic and infrastructure initiatives, many of those related to education, conservation and regeneration, renewable energy, retail payments architecture reform, electricity market disruption, and public policy advocacy.
Dame Coral Shaw has led a range of significant public sector reviews, including reviews of the Human Rights Commission and Fire and Emergency NZ. She was the chairperson for the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State Care and in the Care of Faith-based Institutions from 2019 to 2024.
As a District Court Judge in West Auckland during the 1990s, she introduced a fast-track system for family violence cases. Dame Coral has also been involved in many voluntary initiatives, including prisoner rehabilitation, services to seniors, marae-based and local community services, and the Citizens Advice Bureau.
Dame Coral told 1News she decided to accept the honour as an opportunity to recognise the work and the people she had worked alongside, and to help ensure the lessons of the Royal Commission are not forgotten.
"It’s an opportunity to remember the people I worked with and worked for, and to reflect on what has happened to them and to others."
Dame Dorothy Spotswood has contributed to a range of philanthropic causes and charities for more than five decades, alongside her partner Sir Mark Dunajtschik. Sir Mark and Dame Dorothy donated $53 million to enable the build of Wellington Children's Hospital, and this year, she announced she would fund the base build of the Dorothy Spotswood Charity Hospital, Wellington, donating $10 million for the fitout.
She has also funded several homes for the intellectually disabled across the Wellington region, and helped to found a helicopter rescue service which was the precursor to the Westpac Helicopter rescue service.
Many other notable New Zealanders received royal recognition in the New Year's Honours.
Knights and Dames
Professor Helen Danesh-Meyer, New Zealand's pre-eminent authority and an internationally recognised leader in the clinical science of interactions between the brain and the eye, has been made a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to ophthalmology.
Professor Graham Le Gros, director of the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research from 1994 to 2024, has been made a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to medical science.
Chris Parkin — who has contributed as an entrepreneur, art patron, to local government and to the hospitality industry — has been made a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to philanthropy and the arts.
Companions
Greg Barclay has been made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to sports governance. He served as chairperson of New Zealand Cricket from 2016 to 2020, and chairperson of the International Cricket Council from 2020 to 2024.
Professor Bev Lawton has been made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to women's health. Named the 2025 New Zealander of the Year, Lawton has driven critical advancements in cervical cancer screening, maternal health, and indigenous health equity.
Tony Quinn has been made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to motorsport and the community. The owner of Hampton Downs in Auckland and Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell, Quinn also won five Targa NZ events.
Professor Tom Roa has been made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori language and education.
Officers
Rod Dixon has been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to athletics. A four-time Olympian, Dixon won a bronze medal in the 1500m event at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games and won the New York City Marathon in 1983.
Richard Harman has been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to journalism and broadcasting. Harman has contributed to journalism since the 1970s, including at TVNZ where he was a news and current affairs reporter and political editor.
Julie Hart has been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to women and victims of family violence. She has been involved with Hastings Women's Refuge for 30 years, progressing from volunteer to manager.
Sandra Hazlehurst has been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to local government. The first woman to be mayor of Hastings District, Hazlehurst navigated the area through multiple crises from Covid-19 to Cyclone Gabrielle.
Lorraine Moller has been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to athletics. Her international career in track athletics and later specialising in the marathon including winning a silver medal at the 1986 Edinburgh Commonwealth Games and a bronze medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games.
Tenby Powell has been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for business, governance, and humanitarian aid. Mayor of Tauranga between 2019 and 2020, Powell founded charity organisation Kiwi K.A.R.E, which has helped bring essential aid and evacuation services to the people of Ukraine.
Cecilia Robinson has been made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business and women. Robinson first established an sold Au Pair Link, before establishing meal-kit home delivery service My Food Bag with Dame Theresa Gattung, celebrity chef Nadia Lim, and Lim's husband Carlos Bagrie, in 2012.
Members
Donna Chisholm has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to journalism. Chisholm has had a long career as a writer, investigative journalist and newsroom leader, having written for many major newspapers and magazines.
Eroni Clarke has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the Pacific community and rugby. Clarke made 150 appearances for Auckland, 51 for the Blues, and 24 appearances for the All Blacks over his 15-year career.
Martin Guptill has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to cricket. The former Black Cap has been one of New Zealand's foremost opening batsmen and is the country's all-time highest run-scorer in T20 International matches with 3531 runs.
Leighton Smith has been made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to broadcasting. Smith was the leading New Zealand morning radio host for 33 years on Newstalk ZB, focusing on current affairs and major international issues.
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