The shortlist for the 2017 Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year has been announced.

The 10 person list includes well-known names such as comedian Mike King, director Taika Waititi, and poet Sam Hunt.

Chief Judge Cameron Bennett says courage is what makes these 10 New Zealanders so exceptional.

'It's the courage they've shown to advocate for their fellow Kiwis living on the margins, the courage to take our story to the world, the courage to lead,” he says.

'They've done this in typical Kiwi fashion – with humility, decency and fairness.

'While only one of these 10 people will ultimately be named Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year for 2017, each is already a very special Kiwi in their own right.”

The annual New Zealander of the Year awards are in their eighth year. They are open to all New Zealanders to honour extraordinary Kiwis whose selflessness, creativity, and vision make us proud to call New Zealand home.

A total of 375 nominations were received for the title of 2017 Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year. In January, the judging panel – comprising representatives of all the awards patrons, presenters, sponsors, community leaders and independent experts – will announce the final shortlist of the three Kiwis being considered for the 2017 Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year title and the other category finalists.

The winner will be announced at the New Zealander of the Year Awards Gala in Auckland on February 22, 2017.

Previous winners of the New Zealander of the Year Award are: Richie McCaw (2016), Sir Stephen Tindall (2015), Dr Lance O'Sullivan (2014), Dame Anne Salmond (2013), Sir Richard Taylor (2012), Sir Paul Callaghan (2011) and Sir Ray Avery (2010).

The 2017 New Zealander of the Year Shortlist

Sam Hunt CNZM, QSM (Kaipara)

A New Zealand icon, Sam Hunt has been a giant of New Zealand poetry for the past five decades. He has taken poetry out of the rarified confines of the literary world to the streets, to the Kiwis inside the working bars, pubs and community halls. He has helped make poetry and verse relevant to New Zealanders, reflecting our special way of life. He has made an outstanding contribution to New Zealand's arts and culture landscape with his body of work, releasing his 22^nd collection of poems, Salt River Songs, earlier this year. He was awarded a Queen's Service Medal in 1986, named a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2010 and won the Prime Minister's Poetry Award in 2012.

Taika Waititi (Piha)

Taika Waititi is a filmmaker whose work at home and overseas has made a major contribution to New Zealand's cultural identity. Waititi's fourth feature film, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival. The comedy adventure, based on a book by the late Barry Crump, broke records for a New Zealand film in its opening weekend and garnered international critical acclaim. Waititi's first major Hollywood film, Thor: Ragnarok will be released in 2017.

Karen Walker CNZM (Central Auckland)

Fashion designer Karen Walker has achieved remarkable international success in what is one of the world's most competitive industries. She has inspired generations of aspiring Kiwi fashion designers with her down-to-earth approach to business and creativity, reflecting new confidence in New Zealand's business community. The Karen Walker brand is available in 38 countries, 200 cities and 1020 stores, including Barneys New York, Liberty London and Harvey Nichols. Her influence has seen her consistently ranked for the past four years in The Business of Fashion's powerhouse BoF 500, reflecting her position as a global industry figure shaping the future.

Graeme Dingle ONZM, MBE (Gisborne)

Mountaineer and adventurer Graeme Dingle has made a career of achieving global firsts worldwide, including first ascents of mountains and faces in the Himalayas, the Andes and New Zealand. Dingle served as the chairman of the Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor Pursuits Centre and The Project K Charitable Trust, and was the founding chairman of the New Zealand Outdoor Assembly. Alongside partner and co-founder Jo-anne Wilkinson, Dingle established the Graeme Dingle Foundation, a charity that helps Young New Zealanders achieve their potential.

Major Campbell Roberts (Wellington)

Major Campbell Roberts is the National Director of Social Policy for The Salvation Army in New Zealand, Fiji and Tonga. Roberts is the founder and director of The Salvation Army Social Policy and Parliamentary Unit, which works towards the elimination of poverty in New Zealand by influencing, and engaging national, political, corporate, government, education and media leaders. Roberts is a passionate New Zealander committed to working with those at the margins of New Zealand society. He has a wide range experience of working in the delivery of Community and Social Services with extensive experience in the management and governance of these services within The Salvation Army and other community organisations. He is a trusted national spokesperson and commentator in many forums on issues of poverty, prison reform, housing, welfare and employment.

Mike King (Papatoetoe)

Initially making his name as a stand-up comedian, playing heavily on his Māori origins, Mike King has drawn on his own experience of mental illness and addiction to challenge and change the way Kiwis feel, think, talk and behave in relation to mental health. He is a prominent mental health educator and motivational speaker who works tirelessly to reverse the population trends of addiction, depression and suicide by effecting a positive social change.

Phillip Mills (Auckland)

Business leader and former track and field athlete Phillip Mills is the founder and Chief Executive of Les Mills International and a founder of Pure Advantage, a green business lobby group. Mills has authored a number of articles on the financial benefits of a clean, green economy along with the need for New Zealand to take action on climate change. The Pure Advantage Trust's mission is to showcase New Zealand's domestic and global green growth advantages and foster national discussion about the long-term economic and environmental benefits of these advantages to the country.

Mere Berryman ONZM (Waikato)

Educator and researcher Mere Berryman has led the development and trial of programmes aimed at supporting educators to work more effectively with Māori students and their families in a range of education settings. Through kaupapa Māori approaches, she has pioneered culturally responsive and collaborative understanding and resolution of problems, acknowledging and supporting the expertise of the child and their family. She was instrumental in establishing and leading the Te Kotahitanga professional development programme.

Dr Malcolm Legget (Meadowbank, Auckland)

Dr Malcolm Legget is a consultant cardiologist at the Auckland Heart Group and Auckland City Hospital and associate professor of Medicine at the University of Auckland. Malcolm has been part of the team that has established CT coronary angiography and percutaneous aortic valve implantation through the Auckland Heart Group and Mercy Angiography. He has continued research into valvular heart disease. Diagnosed with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours, Dr Leggett supports others suffering with the cancer as chairman of Unicorn Foundation New Zealand.

Minnie Baragwanath MNZM (Auckland)

Partially sighted, Minnie Baragwanath has played a leading role in effecting social change for disabled New Zealanders over the past decade, with roles that have included working in the media and community and policy development in local government. Her innovative approach to problem-solving and social change has led her to become increasingly interested in how New Zealand can strengthen itself socially, economically and culturally. She is CEO and co-founder of Be. Accessible, a social change agency that is shifting how Kiwis value accessibility and the contribution to our world by people with access needs. Baragwanath was a recipient of the Sir Peter Blake Leadership award 2013 and was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit Queens Honour in 2014.