2024 NZPPA Payroll Excellence Awards

Nominations close on 15th November 2024.

Payroll practitioners are the unsung heroes of business. They manage one of an employer’s largest costs while applying legislation, deadlines, and a changing work environment, all to pay employees correctly and on time.

For 2024, four award categories make up the NZPPA payroll industry awards:

Payroll Professional of the Year 2024
  • This award recognises the payroll professional who is an exceptional performer and has gone above and beyond in their role as a payroll professional to assist the business, the employees they pay, or even in developing the payroll industry.
Payroll Team of the Year 2024
  • This award recognises the payroll team that has performed exceptionally for the business and its employees, achieving a business outcome (increased productivity, cost savings, etc.) over the last 12 months.
Payroll Leader of the Year 2024
  • This award recognises the payroll leader who has shown exceptional leadership in areas such as team development, promoting payroll to the business, and achieving recognised results for payroll in compliance, cost-effectiveness, or best practices over the last 12 months.
Payroll Provider of the Year 2024
  • This award recognises a payroll provider that has provided exceptional service and support, whether it is an externally processed payroll service or payroll software for in-house payroll.

Winners will be announced at the NZPPA 17th Annual Payroll Conference on 6th December 2023.

Why should you enter?

Entering these awards allows the wider payroll industry to acknowledge and celebrate payroll excellence and promotes payroll as a profession in NZ.

NZPPA Awards

Nominations for the NZPPA awards open on the 23rd of September 2024.

The aim of the NZPPA awards is to celebrate the exceptional work payroll leaders, individuals, and payroll teams do within the New Zealand payroll industry.

Winners will receive the following:

NZPPA Payroll Leader of the Year

Payroll Leader of the Year

  • A framed award and trophy
  • NZPPA training vouchers to the value of $200
  • Prezzy card to the value of $200
  • Article in ePayroll
  • A listing as this year’s winner on the NZPPA website

NZPPA Payroll Practitioner of the Year
Payroll Practitioner of the Year

  • A framed award and trophy
  • NZPPA training vouchers to the value of $200
  • Prezzy card to the value of $200
  • Article in ePayroll
  • A listing as this year’s winner on the NZPPA website

NZPPA Payroll Team of the Year
Payroll Team of the Year

  • A framed award and trophy
  • NZPPA training vouchers to the value of $100 for each team member
  • Prezzy card to the value of $500
  • Article in ePayroll
  • A listing as this year’s winner on the NZPPA website

NZPPA Payroll Provider of the Year

Payroll Leader of the Year

  • A framed award and trophy
  • Article in ePayroll
  • A listing as this year’s winner on the NZPPA website

Please note:

For an award to be given, there must be at least five nominations in the category. NZPPA may combine categories if there are fewer nominations so that an award can still be given if possible.

How to apply or nominate for this year’s awards

Who can enter?

  • Any person involved in NZ payroll based in NZ is eligible to enter, whether they are a member of the NZPPA or not.

How to enter?

Payroll Leader, Practitioner, and Payroll Team Awards:

  • To apply for Payroll Leader, Practitioner, or Payroll Team of the Year awards, applicants must provide the following:
  • Clearly state what award you are applying for (payroll leader, practitioner, or team).
  • State in detail (at least) three examples of how exceptional work in payroll has been achieved, and how it has impacted payroll, the business, or employees.
  • The immediate manager of the payroll leader, practitioner, or team must endorse the award application.
  • Include a photo of the individual leader, practitioner, or team (to be used on the NZPPA website and in ePayroll).
  • Send your application via email to: [email protected]

Judging process and confidentiality

Who are the judges?

Each award is judged by three NZPPA-certified payroll professionals (from any of the five certification levels). Judges cannot be involved in a panel if they have made an application for the specific award.

*NZPPA employees are excluded from the judging panels and the decision-making process.

What are the judges looking for?

The judges seek to recognize the exceptional contribution of a payroll leader, individual, team, or provider that has demonstrated excellent execution of good business ideas and practices, while focusing on future direction.

Entry confidentiality

  • For the awards process to be effective, there must be unquestionable fairness and objectivity for all concerned.
  • All award applications are treated as confidential by the organising team and judges.
  • The awards management process is comprised of employees of NZPPA, who are impartial and are not involved in the selection of award winners.
  • Judges will be asked to declare any conflicts of interest, and if necessary, alternative judging arrangements will be made.
  • Each judge has volunteered their time without compensation and is committed to assisting with the success of the awards.
  • Judging decisions remain confidential to judges and no correspondence will be entered into regarding the outcome of the awards.
  • A NZPPA judging panel will assess all applications made.