Community stalwarts Moe Milne ONZM (Ngāti Hine, Ngāpuhi) and Ahorangi Tom Roa CMNZ (Ngāti Maniapoto, Waikato) have been recognised for their lifelong contributions to the revitalisation of te reo Māori.
The pair received the supreme award at the 2026 Ngā Tohu Reo Māori awards, with Te Taura Whiri i Te Reo Māori Tumu Whakahaere Ngāhiwi Apanui acknowledging their longstanding service to te reo and their communities.
“Tom was a key figure in the 1972 Māori language petition, and wider movement that lead to the official status of the language and Te Wiki o te Reo Māori. Moe has made an extraordinary contribution to the revitalisation of te reo Māori and is a truly deserving recipient of Te Tohu Oranga Angitu,” said Ngahiwi Apanui, CEO of Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori.
Nine recipients were recognised at the awards, held at Te Papa in Wellington on the evening of October 29, 2026.
Ko te reo Māori ki te ao
Olympic medallist Eliza McCartney received Te Tohu Whetū Tārake, a special recognition honouring her commitment to promoting te reo Māori on the international stage.
In an interview with Te Ao Māori, McCartney said she has no whakapapa Māori but has spent years learning te reo Māori and believes it is a language all New Zealanders should learn.
“It’s funny, I think overseas, te reo, te ao Māori, just our culture in general, is far less maybe controversial than it can be at home, which I think is a little ironic,” she explained at the time.
Kotahi Mano Kāika
The evening’s supreme award, Te Tohu Whakaharahara o Tū Rangatira, went to Kotahi Mano Kāika, Kotahi Mano Wawata, the Ngāi Tahu language strategy that has spent 25 years strengthening intergenerational language transmission and supporting reo Māori-speaking homes across the iwi.
Established in 2000, the strategy has become one of the most influential language revitalisation initiatives in Aotearoa, creating a lasting legacy for generations to come.
Te Taura Whiri i Te Reo Māori says the 2026 awards mark the second year of a refreshed awards framework aligned with internationally recognised principles of language revitalisation.
“This year’s recipients demonstrate the strength, diversity and growing reach of te reo Māori across Aotearoa for all New Zealanders,” Apanui said.
