Building People Awards 2026

At the Building Institute Aotearoa we are all about people.

Our awards recognise the people across the building and construction industry making a real impact. From our inspiring Next Gen already shaping the future, to those delivering major projects on site and behind the scenes, the awards celebrate excellence at every stage, in every role and at every scale.

The 2026 Building People Awards will take place on Friday 14th August at the New Zealand International Convention Centre (NZICC) in Auckland. We will be accepting entries and nominations from the 14th April 2026. 

Read about all our 2025 winners here!

Entries now closed - Thank you to all those who entered!

Key dates

Awards Ceremony

Awards Ceremony
Tickets available here

5.30pm – 11:00pm, Friday 14 August 2026
NZICC, 101 Hobson Street, Auckland CBD, Auckland 1010

Dress code: Business Formal / Cocktail

Events Schedule

Congratulations to our 2025 finalists! View the list of finalists here. 

How to enter

Eligibility

• Nominees do not have to be members of the Building Institute Aotearoa to enter.
• Nominees need to be based in New Zealand and legally allowed to work here,
• In the 'cost-based' categories the project used by a nominee to demonstrate their performance must be located in New Zealand, and to have been practically completed (the issuing of a CCC is not a prerequisite) during the period 1 January 2025 to 1 August 2026.

Cost
Building Institute Aotearoa members can enter the Awards for FREE.

• The entry cost for non-members is $360 + GST, with the following exceptions:
• Entry is free to a team (i.e. Collaboration category) where at least one team member is an Institute member;
• Entry is free to a nominee entering the ‘Consultants Award’ category who are members of: NZIA, Engineering NZ, or NZIQS;
• Entry is free to a nominee entering the ‘Innovation Award’ category who are members of: NZGBC and OffsiteNZ;

Categories

Find out more about the Award categories and which one might fit you best.

Judging Criteria

Find out more about the Judging process.

About the Awards

The Institute has been delivering a popular and respected awards programme since 1994. The 2026 Building People Awards will be the 33rd awards.

Over the years the name, categories and judging criteria have shifted to continue to reflect the changing environment. What hasn't changed is the focus of celebrating excellent people in the construction industry.

The New Zealand Building People Awards are open to anyone in the building industry, and entries are judged by a panel of senior construction practitioners.

The 2025 winners were celebrated on 8th August at the Awards evening. Check out photos from the Awards evening.

Natasha Possenniskie is the Convener of Judging of the Awards in 2025. Natasha is a passionate construction industry professional with extensive experience in New Zealand and abroad, spanning both public and private sectors. She is the Founding Director of Urban Outcomes Limited.

Contact us

For any questions about the awards get in touch with us at hello@buildinginstitute.nz

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