With 11 categories featuring 64 incredible finalists, the University was honoured to sponsor the New Thinking Award and be in the running for the Bluestar Green Gold Award with our new regenerative building, Ngā Mokopuna.
Several alumni-led companies also won top prizes.
Creative force Bret McKenzie scooped the New Thinking Award. Sponsored by Te Herenga Waka, the award recognises individuals who embody creativity, curiosity, and bold, unconventional thought.
Handing him the award, Professor Stephen Cummings noted that Bret cut his teeth in the film and theatre programme at Vic, and since then his creativity has known no bounds.
He has pushed at the edges of comedy, music, film, and theatre. As one half of Flight of the Conchords, alongside Vic alumnus Jemaine Clement, Bret took the world by storm—first with a cult BBC radio series and then with their beloved HBO show that redefined what musical comedy could be.
Among the night’s biggest winners was GoodNature. Founded by alumni Robbie van Dam and Craig Bond, the company took home both the Global Gold and the prestigious Supreme Award for their humane pest control technology making waves worldwide.
From the Taiawa Wellington Tech Hub, two Vic-connected ventures were recognised—Roady claimed the Emerging Gold Award for their travel app, while Evithé Bio was nominated for its pioneering novel, patented healthcare products.
Associate Professor Edgar Rodríguez Ramírez, Viv Baartman, Xuxu Amoozegar-Montero and Aïda Amoozegar-Montero received the Innovation Award for Uunafit, a revolutionary custom bra system developed with support in its early days from the UniVentures Emerging Innovator Programme—a standout example of research powering real-world impact.
Vice-Chancellor Nic Smith says, “The extraordinary talent of our community was truly on show at the 2025 Gold Awards. What all these people have in common is their contribution to Wellington as the cultural, creative and cool capital of Aotearoa New Zealand.”
Our living building, Ngā Mokopuna, was up for the award in the Bluestar Green-Gold category. The new marae complex is a flagship for sustainable practice in Aotearoa and a cultural landmark for our city. It generates all its own electricity via solar, collects and recycles 100 percent of its water, and treats all wastewater onsite. The winner of this category was JH Whittaker & Sons for their inspiring work to make their business sustainable at every level.