The latest Honours list in the biannual tradition will be revealed this Queen's Birthday weekend.
File photo of Buckingham Palace. Photo: 123rf
Each Honours list is approved by the Queen, on our Prime Minister's advice.
New Kiwi Dames and Sirs are then named, orders get new members, and medals are handed out.
The nominations and lists are managed by a small team within the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, called the Honours Unit.
Figures from the unit show 4400 people were nominated in the five years to March 2021.
And, about 80 of those nominations came from partners or spouses.
Monarchy New Zealand chair Dr Sean Palmer says it's not just a case of loving bias.
"In a small number of nominations, it probably does fall to the spouse of the nominee who is prepared to take on the coordination that's required to put these nominations together. I mean, this is quite a rigorous process. Before the Governor General and the Queen approve these awards, they've got to be vetted."
The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet estimates less than one percent, or 18 of the 1800 people awarded New Zealand Honours since 2016, were nominated by their partner or spouse.
And when someone is nominated, there has to be at least two letters of support from other people.
The department says self-nominations are not considered and it does not keep records of the number of people who nominate themselves.
Some Kiwis, like Te Herenga Waka Associate Professor Carwyn Jones, say the Honours system is out of touch.
He has been heavily involved with Aotearoa Matike Mai, the Independent Iwi Constitutional Working Group, and says traditions inherited from our colonial heritage - like the Royal Honours System - were not shaped with tikanga Māori in mind.
"It's something which is a bit removed from perhaps where we are today in Aotearoa in the 21st century and not as relevant as an Honours system which might be sourced here in Aotearoa."
Twenty-five years ago, a government advisory committee described the New Zealand titles as a way to say "thanks and well done to those who have served and those who have achieved".
As to who we'll say that to this time - all will be revealed this long weekend.
