IT was all about celebration and recognition of achievements at the annual Te Arawa Awards.
Hosted by Te Papa Takaro o Te Arawa, the event was held at The Holiday Inn in Rotorua on Friday and showcased talent throughout the iwi.
"It was a combination of months and months of preparation [to provide] a unique night of trying to acknowledge certain aspects of the iwi," Te Papa Takaro o Te Arawa spokesman Stephen Te Moni said.
"There is a huge focus on sporting prowess and our awards has that uniqueness where we bring a change of paradigm with the main focus on rangatahi (youth). But it's also highlighting to our rangatahi to strive for excellence and that's seen throughout the achievements of our different whanau, hapu and iwi."
Those recognised included the Crimp whanau who overcame the struggles of meningococcal disease in their family, Tumahaurangi Marae winning hapu of the year, along with trailblazer for New Zealand women's tennis, Ruia Morrison added to the iwi's Hall of Fame.
