The AIMES Emerging Talent Awards are part of the North Harbour Club's AIMES Awards programme, which has been running since 1995 and has gifted over $3 million to date to outstanding individuals aged 13 to 25. The Emerging Talent Awards are designed to acknowledge and encourage those who display considerable promise and potential in their chosen field, and who may go on to win an AIMES Award in the future.
This year, 17 talented and dedicated North Harbour youth were awarded at the North Harbour Club’s ‘Emerging Talent Awards’ on Thursday night. Among them was 2022 Commonwealth Games representative in diving, Maggie Squire, who received an Emerging Talent Award sponsored by Bellingham Wallace. Maggie shared her story of overcoming challenges and pursuing her passion for diving and education.
“I have high standards for my diving and education. I was scheduled to finish school in 2023, but was determined to finish a year early to focus on working towards Paris Olympic selection. This meant I had to skip a year ahead in the majority of my subjects and work really hard to achieve my NCEA excellence endorsements in both Level 2 and Level 3 in the same year,” says Squire.
Maggie is not the only one who has shown remarkable resilience and dedication. All of the Emerging Talent Award winners have demonstrated exceptional achievements and aspirations in their respective fields, from arts and music to innovation and service. They have also contributed positively to their communities and inspired others with their passion and talent.
The Emerging Talent Award winners receive a cash grant of $3,000 each, as well as access to the AIMES Excellence Support Programme sponsored by Precise Homes. This programme provides them with additional opportunities and resources, such as a goodie bag with beauty and health products, access to Shore Junction youth hub, mentoring and networking events, and media exposure.
The AIMES Excellence Support Programme also benefits the past and present AIMES Award winners, who are part of the AIMES Winners Network sponsored by Simpson Western. The AIMES Winners Network is a community of over 300 young achievers who have received an AIMES Award since 1995. This unique network aims to foster connections and collaborations among its members, as well as provide ongoing support and recognition for their endeavours.
The AIMES Award winners are selected from six categories: Arts (sponsored by ASB), Innovation (sponsored by Massey University), Music (sponsored by Yamaha Home Entertainment), Education (sponsored by Kristin School), Sport (sponsored by AUT Millennium) and Service to the Community (sponsored by Albany Toyota). Each category winner receives $15,000, and one of them is chosen as the Supreme Award winner and receives an additional $15,000. The Supreme Award winner also receives the Sir Peter Blake Trophy, named after the founding patron of the North Harbour Club.
This years’ winners will be announced at a gala dinner on Saturday 11 November at the Bruce Mason Centre. The event will feature performances by some of the past and present AIMES Award recipients, as well as speeches by the category winners and the Supreme Award winner.
Some of the previous AIMES Award winners have gone on to achieve remarkable success in their fields, such as:
- Sam Neill (AIMES Arts Award winner 1996), actor and filmmaker
- Lydia Ko (AIMES Sport Award winner 2011), professional golfer
- Dr Siouxsie Wiles (AIMES Innovation Award winner 2012), microbiologist and science communicator
- Parris Goebel (AIMES Arts Award winner 2014), dancer and choreographer
- Dr Malvindar Singh-Bains (AIMES Education Award winner 2015), neuroscientist and mental health advocate
- Marlon Williams (AIMES Music Award winner 2016), singer-songwriter
- Georgia Hale (AIMES Service to the Community Award winner 2019), rugby league player and community leader.
Bellingham Wallace is honoured to be part of this amazing programme that celebrates and supports the emerging talent of North Harbour. We believe that these young people are not only achieving excellence in their fields, but also making a positive difference to the people, businesses and communities they work with. We look forward to seeing them grow and thrive in the future.