AUT Blue Awards: celebrating students who excel
Behind every Blue Awards winner is unseen work. Early mornings. Rehearsals after lectures. Training, deadlines and long nights. The AUT Blue Awards recognise students who perform at an elite level in sport, art, design and culture – and still show up in their studies.
Congratulations to our AUT Blue Award winners! Your dedication, talent and commitment deserve to be celebrated.
What are the AUT Blue Awards?
A Blue Award carries weight for a reason. The Blues are part of a tradition dating back to 1922 in New Zealand and earlier in England. Introduced in 2002 alongside AUTSA, the AUT Blue Awards recognise high-performance athletes and artists whose commitment shows across every part of their university life. Past recipients include Sarah Cowley, Gemma Flynn, Jerome Kaino and Jarred Kenn – names that reflect the standard a Blue Award represents.
Nominations are now open
You can nominate someone (or yourself) in the following award categories:
Arts, Culture and Design Blue
This award recognises students who are making their mark regionally, nationally or internationally in their chosen creative field. From kapa haka to choreography, pottery to poetry – if you’re shaping culture and doing it at a high level, this is where it counts.
Sporting Blue
Serious about your sport? So are we. Whether you compete in rugby, horse riding and waka ama, or sports like surfing and lacrosse, this award recognises high-performing athletes competing at regional to international levels.
Officials Sporting Blue
Great sport needs great officials. This award recognises AUT students officiating at the highest levels of sport, from senior franchise games to senior international semi-finals and finals.
Previous Blue Award winners
Blue Awards: see what it’s like
Explore all AUT awards
From students and staff to graduates and honorary recipients – this is where AUT recognises the people whose work makes a difference.
AUT Blue Awards 2026 Referral
Know someone doing amazing things? Nominate them. From athletes representing their region to performers, artists and creatives making their mark, help us recognise students achieving at the top of their field.
Watch the awards
The awards will be livestreamed from 6pm on Tuesday 14 October for friends and family at home.
Gold medallist wins major Blue Award
The 2024 AUT Blue Awards saw Dame Lisa Carrington present her Olympic team-mate and AUT student, Tara Vaughn, with the Female Athlete of the Year Award.
