Several Bay of Plenty athletes have been announced as nominees for the 54th annual Halberg Awards.

The Halberg Disability Sport Foundation announced 87 nominations have been received across six categories at the awards which celebrate Kiwi teams and athletes sporting achievements in 2016.

Thirty one different sports are represented in the nominations, which have been submitted from National Sports Organisations and an independent Nominations panel.

Halberg Disability Sport Foundation chief executive Shelley McMeeken says 2016 has been a huge year for sport which is represented in the size and cross section of sports included in the nominations.

'Now it's over to the judges who have one of the hardest jobs in the country – deciding who wins the coveted supreme Halberg Award.”

Sportsman of the Year received the most nominations with 22 athletes put forward from 16 sports including Mahe Drysdale (Rowing), Max Beattie (Surf Life Saving), Sam Meech (Yachting).

While Sportswoman of the Year is expected to be a hotly contested award with 12 athletes nominated including canoeists Lisa Carrington and Luuka Jones.

In the other categories, there's nine nominations for Disabled Sportsperson of the Year, 17 for Team of the Year, 18 for Coach of the Year, and nine for the Emerging Talent Award.

Nominees in the Disabled Sportsperson, Sportsman, Sportswoman and Team of the Year categories will all be eligible for the Supreme Halberg Award – the country's highest accolade for sporting excellence.

Other awards presented during the ceremony include; New Zealand's Favourite Sporting Moment (public vote category), Sport New Zealand Leadership and Lifetime Achievement. Inductees into the Sports Hall of Fame will also be made at the event.

Halberg Awards judges are former athletes, coaches and sports journalists who'll now review nominations and shortlist finalists which will be announced in early January 2017. Performances by athletes or teams that take place up until December 31 are still open to nomination.

The 54th Halberg Awards ceremony will be held at Vector Arena in Auckland on Thursday, February 9, 2017.

Mahe Drysdale (Rowing), Max Beattie (Surf Life Saving) and Sam Meech (Yachting) have been nominated for Sportsman of the Year. File Photo.

NOMINATIONS FOR THE 54TH HALBERG AWARDS:

Sportsman of the Year: Beauden Barrett (Rugby), Brayden Graham (Mixed Martial Arts), Byron Chivers (Mixed Martial Arts), Chris Wood (Football), Danny Lee (Golf), George Bennett (Cycling), Hayden Paddon (Motorsport), John Kennard (Motorsport), Joseph Parker (Boxing), Jossi Wells (Snow Sports), Mahe Drysdale (Rowing), Max Beattie (Surf Life Saving), Nick Willis (Athletics), Peter Michael (Skating), Sam Gaze (Cycling), Sam Meech (Yachting), Shane Van Gisbergen (Motorsport), Shannon McIlroy (Bowls), Steven Adams (Basketball), Tom Walsh (Athletics), William Trubridge (Diving), Winston Reid (Football).

Sportswoman of the Year: Abby Erceg (Football), Amy Satterthwaite (Cricket), Christy Prior (Snow Sports), Eliza McCartney (Athletics), Laura Quilter (Surf Life Saving), Lisa Carrington (Canoeing), Luuka Jones (Canoeing), Lydia Ko (Golf), Natalie Rooney (Shooting), Portia Woodman (Rugby), Valerie Adams (Athletics), Zoe McBride (Rowing).

Disabled Sportsperson of the Year: Amy Jane MacDonald (Para-Waka Ama), Anna Grimaldi (Para-Athletics), Cameron Leslie (Para-Swimming), Corey Peters (Para-Skiing), Liam Malone (Para-Athletics), Mary Fisher (Para-Swimming), Nikita Howarth (Para-Swimming), Rick Dodson, Andrew May, Chris Sharp (Para-Sailing), Sophie Pascoe (Para-Swimming).

Team of the Year: Women's 49erFX - Alex Maloney and Molly Meech (Yachting), All Blacks (Rugby), Black Ferns (Rugby), Blackjacks Men's Fours - Mike Nagy, Mike Kernaghan, Blake Signal and Ali Forsyth (Bowls), Haden Paddon and John Kennard (Motorsport), Men's 49er – Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (Yachting), Men's Blackjacks (Bowls),Men's Pair – Hamish Bond and Eric Murray (Rowing), New Zealand Black Fins (Surf Life Saving), New Zealand Golf Croquet Team - Chris Clarke, Jenny Clarke, Duncan Dixon, Phillip Drew and Mike Crashley (Croquet), Paddle Ferns (Canoeing), Rowing Women's Eight (Rowing), Rowing Women's Pair - Rebecca Scown and Genevieve Behrent (Rowing), Squash New Zealand World Doubles Team (Squash), Team Sprint – Eddie Dawkins, Ethan Mitchell and Sam Webster (Cycling), The Hurricanes (Rugby), Women's 470 - Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie (Yachting).

Coach of the Year: Anthony Peden (Cycling), Brent Ward (Para-Athletics), Chris Boyd (Rugby), Dale Stevenson (Athletics), Gordon Walker (Canoeing), Hamish Willcox (Yachting), James Mortimer (Para-Athletics), Jason Pocock (Surf Life Saving), Jeremy McColl (Athletics), Jim Maloney (Yachting), Kiwi Campbell (Waka Ama), Mark Howard (Yachting), Nathan Handley (Yachting), Raylene Bates (Para-Athletics), Roly Crichton (Para-Swimming), Sean Thompson (Snow Sports), Simon Mayne (Para-Swimming), Steve Hansen (Rugby).

Emerging Talent: Dylan Schmidt (Trampoline), Finn Bilous (Snow Sports), Monty Patterson (Football), George Gautrey (Yachting), Nick Johnson (Yachting), Jason Matthews (Baseball), Hamish McLean (Para-Swimming), Maynard Peel (Cycling BMX), Campbell Stewart (Cycling).