Nominations are now open

Please note nominations for Te Rā Ratonga Tūmatanui | Public Service Day Awards are accepted all year round but are due by the date published below. We encourage agencies to submit no more than two nominations for these awards each year.

Nomination Form

Ngā rā nui Important dates 2025

These dates are approximate and will be updated once confirmed.

  • Now – Nominations open 
  • 18 July – Nominations due 
  • Mid-August – Selection panel meets 
  • Early September – Recipients and agencies notified 
  • 5 November – Awards ceremony

Ngā wāhanga tohu Award categories

  • Te Tohu Ratonga Tūmatanui o Aotearoa | The New Zealand Public Service Medal

    The New Zealand Public Service Medal is awarded to public servants who have given service that’s worthy of merit.

    Medal recipients are people who:

    • demonstrate an outstanding commitment to New Zealand and New Zealanders
    • are exemplary, or a model for other Public Service employees
    • bring significant benefit to New Zealand or the Public Service
    • are exceptional and otherwise worthy of recognition.

    The New Zealand Public Service Medal was established by Royal Warrant in 2018 and is part of the New Zealand Royal Honours system.

  • Te Tohu Amorangi a Te Kawa Mataaho | Public Service Commissioner's Commendation for Excellence

    The Public Service Commissioner's Commendation for Excellence is awarded for outstanding spirit of service shown by a public servant. Nominees for this commendation will be those in Public Service delivery roles, such as frontline, operational, policy, corporate, technical or specialist. These people are responsible for the delivery of work rather than its management.

    Commendation recipients are people who:

    • demonstrate exceptional care and commitment to New Zealanders, and a ‘higher purpose' motivation
    • demonstrate the highest standard of integrity, kaitiakitanga, and the right attitude
    • generate pride in the Public Service.

Nomination process

  • 1. Check eligibility

    The awards are open to any public servant currently employed in the New Zealand Public Service. The Public Service includes departments and departmental agencies listed in Schedule 2 of the Public Service Act 2020 and the Crown agents listed in Part 1 of Schedule 1 of the Crown Entities Act 2004. 

  • 2. Prepare nomination

    Watch the recorded information session below to get ideas about preparing your nomination. Please get in touch with us at awards@publicservice.govt.nz if you have any questions at all and we are happy to provide support. 

  • 3. Letters of support

    Please supply two or three support letters for your nominee. Letters of support can be from colleagues, stakeholders and/or members of the public. They should be from people who are familiar with the nominee’s service. Letters cannot be accepted from the chief executive or board chair that is nominating them. Please note that the letters of support really help the selection process, and they often provide important context or background about your nominee. We recommend you approach people for letters of support at least 4-6 weeks before the deadline.

  • 4. Endorsement

    Your nomination must be endorsed by your chief executive or Crown agent board chair. A brief email is accepted as endorsement.  

  • 5. Submit nomination

    Submit your nomination to awards@publicservice.govt.nz by the deadline.  

  • 6. Selection process

    The Public Service Day Awards Selection Panel recommends award recipients to the Public Service Commissioner. The panel has a minimum of six members and is chaired by a Statutory Public Service Commissioner. At least one member represents the Cabinet Office and the remaining members are Public Service chief executives, board chairs, or senior public servants. 

  • 7. Nomination outcome

    Agency chief executives and awards contacts will be notified of the outcome via email in early September. We then contact successful nominees for their acceptance of the award. Recipients of these awards will be asked to complete a sounding form to confirm their acceptance and consent to further integrity checks, including of their HR file and a Ministry of Justice criminal history check. The purpose of the integrity checks is to ensure the recipients demonstrate the highest standards of integrity and kaitiakitanga. 

  • 8. Awards ceremony

    The awards are conferred to recipients at a ceremony held each year on or near Public Service Day, 7 November.  

Transcript

Transcript of video.(DOCX, 33 KB)

Te hoahoa o ngā tohu Award design

Both the Public Service Medal and the Commendation lapel pin carry the design of the Māori Poutama or step design found in Tukutuku wall panels. These allude to the 'stairway to heaven' or in this instance the 'steps of service'.

The basic medal ribbon design is that of the Imperial Service Order (ISO) and associated Imperial Service Medal (ISM) with the addition of narrow white edges. The red or red ochre and white provides a link to the red ochre, like in the ribbon of the Queen's Service Order (QSO) and Queen's Service Medal (QSM). Overall there is a link to the historic distinctive civil or public service honours, the Imperial Service Order and associated Medal.

The Imperial Service Order was essentially a medal for public servants, so it's appropriate that the new medal ribbon is similar. Members of the administrative or clerical branches of the civil service were eligible for appointment to the Order after at least 25 years' meritorious service, if serving in the United Kingdom or 16 years if serving in Commonwealth countries, including New Zealand.

Te Rā Ratonga Tūmatanui Public Service Day

The date of assent for New Zealand’s first Public Service Act (1912) was 7 November 1912. Since 2018, New Zealand Public Service Day has been celebrated each year on or around this date.

Public Service Day gives us an opportunity to reflect on what it means to serve the public, what makes being a public servant so rewarding, and to celebrate being part of the Public Service.

Agencies are welcome to use the resources we have developed, to acknowledge and celebrate the work of public servants. The following resources can be downloaded: 

Whakapā mai Contact

Email: awards@publicservice.govt.nz

We are available to assist with any queries you have regarding the awards and recognition programme. We engage with key contacts at each government agency throughout the year about the awards programme. Please contact us if you have any questions.