Women are expected to dominate the honours at 2019 Halberg Sports Awards in Auckland Thursday night.
Top Left to Bottom Right: Lisa Carrington, Scott McLaughlin, Sophie Pascoe, Zoi Sadowski-Synnott, Israel Adesanya and Noeline Taurua. Photo: Photosport
Four of the five finalists for Team of the Year are female with the Netball World Cup winning Silver Ferns heading the list.
The World Series winning Black Ferns Sevens, who won the Team Award in 2018, are again finalists along with the Black Caps and two rowing crews, the women's eight and the women's double of Olivia Loe and Brooke Donoghue.
Lisa Carrington heads the Sportwoman of the Year category with the canoe sport star in line for her fourth straight award.
Carrington won two world titles last year and she's a finalist again along with Silver Ferns captain Laura Langman, motorcross world champion Courtney Duncan and snowboard world champion Zoi Sadowski-Synott.
It's a competitive Sportsman Award with MMA fighter Israel Adesanya a strong contender after claiming the UFC middleweight world title.
He has strong competition from Australian Supercars champion Scott McLaughlin, shot-putter Tom Walsh and Black Caps captain Kane Williamson.
Sophie Pascoe heads the finalists for Para athlete/team of the year after winning four gold medals at the 2019 Para Swimming World Championships.
The other finalists are swimmer Cameron Leslie, cyclists Emma Foy and Hannah van Kampen and shot-putter Lisa Adams.
Silver Fern mentor Dame Noeline Taurua, Carrington's coach Gordon Walker, Adesanya's coach Eugene Bareman, rowing coach Gary Hay and para swimming coach Roly Crichton are the Coach of the Year finalists.