About the Awards
We recognise and celebrate students who have made a positive impact on their peers and shown commitment to their study and research.
The awards acknowledge Agricultural Science, Agribusiness, Animal Science, Earth & Environmental Science and Horticultural Science students, with awards for excellence going to the top student in each qualification. The awards are for 1st, 2nd and 3rd year students.
Each year since 1993 we have celebrated the best and brightest in the primary industries and as the number one university in New Zealand for agriculture, Massey continues to contribute to the strength of the sector.
The Awards are celebrated at a dinner each year, held at the Palmerston North Function and Conference Centre.
Awards Dinner
Join us in celebrating excellence in agricultural education. Meet industry partners, Massey staff and students at the annual awards dinner.
This event is the highlight of our agricultural calendar, celebrating student academic success and Massey’s coveted position as New Zealand's number one university in agriculture. An essential fixture for industry and Massey’s best and brightest students.
All students, including 1st year, are encouraged to attend. It's a fantastic opportunity to connect with the industry and establish career-long relationships.
Award recipients
Each year we celebrate our best and brightest students. Congratulations to all award winners. Thank you to all our sponsors for their support.
2025
2025
Young Farmers Club Sally Hobson Award
Winner: Patrick Coogan
Young Farmers Cutting Edge Award
Winner: Jock Bourke
Agricultural and Horticultural Practicum Awards I
Winner: Olivia Webber
Agricultural and Horticultural Practicum Awards II
Winner: Alyssa Brazendale
Award for Excellence in Agriculture and Horticulture
Excellence in Agricultural and Horticulture Award – First year academic prize
First place: Kelsey Norrie
Second place equal: Aston Evans-Parkes
Second place equal: Lauren Phillips
Excellence in Agricultural and Horticulture Award – Second year academic prize
First place: Aodhan Wildbore
Second place: Katja Newberger
Third place: Olivia Webber
Excellence in Animal Science
Excellence in Animal Science Award - Second year academic prize
First place equal: Adam Beard
First place equal: Michaela O'Shea
Second place: Eunseo Park
Excellence in Earth & Environmental Science
Excellence in Earth and Environmental Science Award – Second year academic prize
Winner: Melissa Jones
NZ Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Science Leading Student Award * Paid directly by NZIAHS
Winner: Katja Newberger
School of Agriculture and Environmental Student Leadership & Service Award
Winner: Levi Jennings
Third year prizes
Excellence in Earth and Environmental Science Award – Third year academic prize
Winner: Merle Taendler
Excellence in Horticulture Award – Third year academic prize
First place: Andor Laszlo
Second place: Teresa Wylaars
Third place: Nathan Pollard
Excellence in Animal Science award – Third year academic prize
First place: Nicola Walsh
Second place: Georgia Stephens
Third place: Ella Knight
Excellence in Agriculture Award – Third year academic prize
First place: Oliver Cayley
Second place: Alyssa Brazendale
Third place: Lonay Johnson
William Gerrish Memorial Award – last year 2025
Winner: Toby Collis
2024
2024
William Gerrish Memorial Award
Winner: Yeun An
Massey University Award for Excellence in Agricultural Science and Horticulture
First-year students (Agriculture, Horticulture, Agribusiness)
First place: Katja Newberger
Second place: Jessica Huntington
Third place: Kate Morton
Second-year students (Agriculture, Horticulture, Agribusiness)
First place: Oliver Cayley
Second place: Jennifer Aylicia
Third place: Sulite Bao
Third-year students (Agriculture, Agribusiness)
First place: Katya De Silva
Second place: Yeun An
Third place: Rebecca Spindler
Third-year students (Horticulture)
First place: Brooke Challis
Second place: Rong Ting (Kayln) Tan
Third place: Elyssa Russell
Massey University Award for Excellence in Animal Science
Second-year students
First place: Nicola Walsh
Second place: Georgia Stephens
Third place: Hari Nair
Third-year students
First place: Jack Foster
Second place: Hannah Towgood
Third place: Dorothy Schmidlin Wilson
Massey University Award for Excellence in Environmental Science
Winner: Kaiya Elmes
Massey University Award for Excellence in Earth Science
Winner: Arthur Wickham
NZ Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Science Leading Student
Winner: Benjamin Penno
Student Leadership and Service Award
Winner: Leith Anderson
Agriculture and Horticulture Practicum Awards
Practicum 1 winner: Levi Jennings
Practicum 2 winner: Ashleigh Storey
Young Farmers Club Sally Hobson Award
Winner: Tegan Mitchell
Young Farmers Cutting Edge Award
Winner: Matthew Lever
2023
2023
William Gerrish Memorial Award
Winner: Alyssa Hayes
Massey University Award for Excellence in Agricultural Science and Horticulture
First-year students (Agriculture, Horticulture, Agribusiness)
First place: Oliver Cayley
Second place: Vsevolod Chemeris
Third place: Jennifer Aylicia
Second-year students (Agriculture, Horticulture, Agribusiness)
First place: Katya de Silva
Second place: Kayln Tan
Third place: Rebecca Spindler
Third-year students (Agriculture, Agribusiness)
First place: Harriet Halewood
Second place: Maddison Roberts-Hubers
Third place: Sophie Rutherford
Third-year students (Horticulture)
First place: Harriet Barber
Second place: Tandia Molina
Third place: Wanda O'Meara
Massey University Award for Excellence in Animal Science
Second-year students
First place: Jack Foster
Second place: Dorothy Schmidlin Wilson
Third place: Leo Farrell
Third-year students
First place: Pippa Smyth
Second place: Hannah Fletcher
Third place: Ella Jones
Massey University Award for Excellence in Environmental Science
Winner: Ilyse Bates
Massey University Award for Excellence in Earth Science
Winner: Stuart Dearlove
NZ Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Science Leading Student
Winner: Harriet Barber
Student Leadership and Service Award
Winner: Sarah Wilson
Agriculture and Horticulture Practicum Awards
Practicum 1 winner: Matthew Coogan
Practicum 2 winner: Kathryn Olsen
Young Farmers Club Sally Hobson Award
Winner: Maggie White
2022
2022
William Gerrish Memorial Award
Winner: Adam Honeyfield – Bachelor of Agribusiness
Massey University Award for Excellence in Agricultural Science and Horticulture
Agriculture 3rd-year students
- First place: Erika Lilley – Bachelor of Agribusiness
- Second place: Katie Ervine – Bachelor of Agribusiness
- Third place: Monique Radford – Bachelor of Agricultural Science
Horticulture 3rd-year students
- First place: Lachlan Barrett
- Second place: Isabella Ellmers
- Third place: Emma Charleston
Agriculture and Horticulture 2nd-year students
- First place (equal): Harriet Barber – Bachelor of Horticultural Science
- First place (equal): Ye Un An – Bachelor of Agricultural Science
- Third place: Maddison Roberts-Hubers – Bachelor of Agricultural Science
Agriculture and Horticulture 1st-year students
- First place (equal): Gemma Bayly – Bachelor of Agricultural Science
- First place (equal): Katya de Silva – Bachelor of Agricultural Science
- Third place: Sophie Johnston – Bachelor of Agricultural Science
Massey University Award for Excellence in Animal Science
Animal Science 3rd-year students
- First place: Brooklynn Taylor
- Second place: Sophie Stark
- Third place: Kimberley Bergh
Animal Science 2nd-year students
- First place: Pippa Smyth
- Second place: Hannah Fletcher
- Third place: Hannah Towgood
Massey University Award for Excellence in Environmental Science
Winner: Joanna Wood
Massey University Award for Excellence in Earth Science
Winner: Ingeborg Smythe
NZ Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Science Leading Student
Winner: Monique Radford
Student Leadership and Service Award
Winner: Fatima Imran
Agriculture and Horticulture Practicum Awards
Practicum I winner: Tessa Whale
Practicum II winner: Adam Honeyfield
Young Farmers Club Sally Hobson Award
Winner: Georgia Young
Gallery
Our 2025 sponsors
The School of Agriculture and Environment thank the industry for their support.
Award sponsors
AgFirst
Sponsor of the School of Agriculture and Environmental Student Leadership & Service Award.
Aviagen
Sponsor of the Excellence in Animal Science award for the most proficient 2nd year students.
Farmlands Co-operative
Sponsor of the Excellence in Agriculture Award - Third year academic prize
FarmSource
Sponsor of the Excellence in Agricultural and Horticulture Award - Second year academic prize
Horizons Regional Council
Excellence in Earth and Environmental Science Award - Third year academic prize
LIC
Sponsor of the Excellence in Animal Science award for the most proficient 3rd year students.
New Zealand Institute of Agricultural & Horticultural Science (NZIAHS)
Sponsor of the NZ Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Science Leading Student award.
Perrin Ag
Sponsor of the Agricultural Practicum and Horticultural Practicum I and II Awards.
Ravensdown
Sponsor of the Excellence in Agricultural and Horticulture award for the most proficient 1st year students.
Taranaki Regional Council
Sponsor of the Excellence in Earth and Environmental Science Award - Second year academic prize
Zespri
Sponsor of the Excellence in Horticulture Award for the most proficient 3rd year horticulture students.
Table sponsors
AgResearch
AgResearch is a New Zealand Crown Research Institute. Its purpose is to enhance the value, productivity and profitability of New Zealand’s pastoral, agri-food and agri-technology sector value chains to contribute to economic growth and beneficial environmental and social outcomes for New Zealand.
Agricom
Auckland Council
Aviagen
BakerAg
Barenbrug
Barenbrug is the world’s largest privately owned seed company. In New Zealand, Barenbrug specialises in homegrown feed, operates the country’s largest privately owned forage research facility and has 2 cool store distribution centres located in Rolleston and Hamilton.
Farmlands Co-operative
Farm Focus
Farmers Weekly
FarmSource
FMG
Horizons Regional Council
Horticulture New Zealand
Institute of Rural Professionals
K9 Natural
www.K9natural.com and www.felinenatural.com
Massey University Foundation
Massey Ventures
Mr Apple
New Zealand Institute of Agricultural & Horticultural Science (NZIAHS)
Palmerston North City Council
PĀMU
Perrin Ag
Sponsor of the Agricultural Practicum and Horticultural Practicum I and II Awards.
Pioneer Brand Products
Ravensdown
Taranaki Regional Council
TR Ellett Agricultural Research Trust
Watties Agriculture
Zespri
School of Agriculture and Environment – Te Kura Mātauranga mō Ahuwhenua me
The School of Agriculture and Environment offers internationally recognised teaching and research. It aims to develop a balance between social, environmental and economic outcomes for production and sustainability.
News
Harvesting excellence: Celebrating the future of primary industries
The School of Agriculture and Environment celebrated its standout students during the annual Agriculture, Horticulture and Environment Science Awards Dinner last week.
School of Agriculture and Environment celebrates successful students within top ranked programmes
The School of Agriculture and Environment has named its top students of the year at their annual Agriculture, Horticulture and Environmental Science Awards Dinner last week.
Massey’s top land-related science students celebrated
Massey’s School of Agriculture and Environment has named its top students of the year at their annual Agriculture, Horticulture and Environmental Science Awards Dinner.
Massey announces top agricultural students
Prizes have been announced for the undergraduate agricultural and horticultural students who have excelled in the past year.
Agriculture awards showcase Massey’s finest
Massey University's rising stars have been named at the 26th annual Agriculture Awards Dinner in Palmerston North.
Top agriculture student shares secret of success
Bachelor of AgriCommerce student James Robertson is your classic jack of all trades, but rather than mastering none, he excelled in everything he put his hand up for.
Agriculture’s leading students celebrated
Massey's School of Agriculture and Environment has named its top students of the year at their annual Agriculture Awards Dinner.
Swapping the cycle track for the farm track
Reliable, compassionate, dedicated and supportive - these are the words fellow students have used to describe third-year Bachelor of AgriScience student Kate Stewart.
Top students celebrated at Agriculture Awards Dinner
Over 250 people gathered at Massey University's Sport and Rugby Institute on Friday night for the Agriculture Awards Dinner.
Contact us
Contact us from June 2025 to sponsor the awards or discuss the awards dinner.
