Who will be the next Man of the year?
M2 Man of the Year has been celebrating New Zealand success since 2007. We have people to be proud of in every sector of society. Mark Ellis was our first Man of the Year, and sportsmen have featured frequently over the years. Sportsmen might bring us international prestige but it’s our local business owners that bring in jobs and new ideas. Even then no one would have suspected that New Zealand made Vodka might become a premium item in ritzy bars in New York till Jeff Ross showed up with 42 Below.
Love them or hate them, politicians make our world go round. When John Key brought National victory back in 2008 no one would have thought that he’d continue to steer his party through two more successful elections.
Our winners have a mind of their own and didn’t get to where they are today purely through blind patriotism. In many instances it was about following their passion and doing what they wanted to. Nothing can stop truly driven people, and last year’s winner, Paralympian Liam Malone is a perfect example of this after bringing home two gold medals from the 2016 Summer Paralympics.
2011 – John Key (Politician / Chairman)
Whatever your political leanings, you’d be hard pressed to argue that John Key hasn’t been one of our most likable politicians. His personable, irreverent approach resonated with many of us. While New Zealand voted him in as Prime Minister in 2008 more importantly they voted him in as the M2 Man of the Year for 2011. While he has handed over the wheel to his old friend Bill, Key still keeps himself in the spotlight care of high level business appointments.
2014 – Taika Waititi – Filmmaker
Not only has Taika taken New Zealand stories to the world with some of our top films, he is now showing Hollywood how to tell their stories. With Thor: Ragnarok achieving critical acclaim, expect to see much more from our directorial export. Of course, we are sure that his 2014 M2 Man of the Year award remains high on his list of achievements.
“I’d rather see my kids grow up seeing their dad happy in his vocation because I think that will give them a good work ethic and a teach them to pursue what they love. Unless what they love is murdering people. I’ll probably discourage that.”
2016 – Liam Malone (Paralympian)
The M2 Man of the Year award for 2016 went to two-time gold and one-time silver medal winning Paralympian and blade running record breaker Liam Malone. He may have only had three years to prepare for Rio but as he has proven, he moves quickly. On and off the track. Expect to see much more from this inspiring New Zealander.
“When you give someone the tools to engineer their own kind of path through life, they usually take on more powerful directions.”
2013 – Dean Barker (Yachtsman)
Our 2013 America’s Cup loss was a hard pill to swallow for many fans but skipper Dean Barker still had a lot of public support and was voted as the M2 Man of the Year for 2013.
His stoic approach and cool head, which saw the team race away to a remarkable series lead, and his humble nature following a heart-breaking loss to the American syndicate are traits that made Barker a popular choice for voters.
This year’s coveted M2 Man of the Year 2017 with Champagne Bollinger winner will be announced on Friday 10 November 2017, following an exclusive awards ceremony to be held Thursday 9 November.
The 2017 finalists include: Rocket Labs CEO Peter Beck, Boxer and WBO Heavyweight Champion Joseph Parker, Emirates Team New Zealand Helmsman & America’s Cup Winner Peter Burling, Oklahoma City Thunder basketball player Steven Adams, and filmmaker Taika Waititi.
Award night photos plus an exclusive photoshoot and interview with the winner will be in M2 December 2017 collector’s issue (on sale Monday 27 November) and on M2magazine.co.nz.
Along with Champagne Bollinger, other sponsors of the awards include BMW, Glenfiddich, Coach, Civic Quarter, JBL by Harman, and Under Armour.