Rising All Blacks hooker Nathan Harris, kite surfer Marc Jacobs and Black Sticks' Rose Keddell and Sam Charlton are part of the high-calibre list of sports stars nominated for this year's Bay of Plenty Sports Awards.

The award finalists, announced today, showcase the outstanding performances by Bay of Plenty men and women on the world stage.

Black Sticks defender Sam Charlton.

Organised by Sport Bay of Plenty, the annual awards salute outstanding achievement by Bay sports' stars at home and abroad during the last 12 months.

Sport Bay of Plenty manager and judging convenor Megan Cleverley says the judging panel, representing all sports from around the Bay, worked through a high number of nominations and each category was hotly debated.

The gala awards evening is to be held at Energy Events Centre, Rotorua on December 5.

Megan says all category winners and the Supreme Award recipient are widely regarded as the ultimate accolade for sporting excellence in our region.

And the calibre of nominations never fails to amaze Megan.

'This year has highlighted the number of athletes performing on the international stage,” she says, 'and in particular the wide variety of sports and schools doing well.”

In the junior sportswoman category, Papamoa surf life saver Natalie Peat is up against canoe slalom's Haylee Dangen and Black Stick international Rose Keddell.

Olympic kayaker and gold medallist Lisa Carrington is back in the Sportswoman of the Year running alongside Black Sticks' Sam Charlton and rowing pair Julia Edward and Zoe Stevenson.

For Sportsman of the Year, sailor Peter Burling lines up with All Blacks Nathan Harris and Sam Cane, Blackcaps Kane Williamson and Corey Anderson and rower Curtis Rapley.

New in 2014 is the Junior Team of the Year award, with judges recognising that sport is changing and there is a need for the category to accommodate the growing sector of youth athletes.

The category is for teams between secondary school and open age groups, under 21, that are showing great talent in their chosen field

Also presented on the night are the Bay of Plenty Secondary School Sports Awards.

These awards recognise secondary school students who have achieved nationally or internationally and include the Waiariki Institute of Technology Secondary School Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year awards, Bay Office Products Depot Boys Team of the Year, Bay Cardiology Girls Team of the Year and CodeBlue Coach of the Year.

'The Bay has a fantastic array of talent and is home to a large number of top sportsmen and women,” says Sport Bay of Plenty chief executive Heidi Lichtwark.

'It is a privilege to be able to honour our top athletes and officials at these annual awards.”

'All those listed as finalists are a credit to their communities and our region, and we look forward to following their continuing achievements in the future. We are proud to continue to host the awards, which has been celebrating sporting excellence since 1969,”

The People's Choice continues this year with the public having an opportunity to vote for their favourite Bay of Plenty junior athlete.

The public can vote from November 7-26 with all votes going into the draw to win a 4G Apple iPad Mini powered by Vodafone. The winner will be announced on November 28 via the Sport Bay of Plenty facebook page.

For more information click here.