Zanda McDonald Award Announces Finalists For 2026

The Zanda McDonald Award, one of the primary sector’s most respected trans-Tasman honours, has named its six finalists for 2026. Following interviews in Greytown and Brisbane on Monday, three standout young Australians have been selected as finalists, alongside three New Zealanders. Recognised as a gold-standard accolade in agribusiness, the Award is renowned for propelling careers and connecting emerging leaders with some of the sector’s most influential figures.

The six finalists for 2026 are:

• Chloe Butcher-Herries (32) — farm manager Mathews Station sheep and beef farm, Central Hawkes Bay
• Karn Dhaliwal (32) — Founder/Owner of greenfield development cropping business Ohinewai Harvest Ltd & Dhaliwal Ag Ltd, Te Hoe, Waikato
• Lana Marshall (31) — Client Director at NZAB, financial guidance and strategic planning for farmers, and 50:50 sharemilker, Invercargill
• Bryce Neyland (35) — Engineering & Development Manager, Rural Funds Management, Gol Gol, New South Wales
• Caitlin Crowe (27) — Head of Department Agriculture, Technologies & Arts, St George State High School, St George, Queensland
• Nicholas van den Berg (34) — Livestock Agent, Platinum Livestock, Keith, South East South Australia

Shane McManaway, Award Chair and lead judge, says, “This year’s applicants were incredibly strong. It’s a real highlight for us to spend time with the candidates and narrowing it down has been tough. Our finalists demonstrate exceptional drive, leadership, and potential, and we’re excited to see where their careers go from here. We can’t wait to announce the winners in March.”

All finalists will attend the Award’s annual Impact Summit in Christchurch in March 2026. During the summit, one Australian and one New Zealand winner will be announced at a celebration attended by industry leaders and Award partners.

The winners will receive an impressive personal development package, including a tailored mentoring trip across both Australia and New Zealand, $10,000 towards further education or training, media coaching, and ongoing networking opportunities.

Zanda McDonald was a prominent identity and leader in the Australian beef and livestock industry, who died in 2013 at 41 years old, following an accident on his Queensland property. This trans-Tasman award was born in 2014 in his honour, and is now run independently by the Zanda McDonald Award Foundation, backed by supportive businesses and organisations in Australia and New Zealand. The Award recognises young people aged 21 – 35 years, working in the primary industry sectors in New Zealand and Australia and supports their future career development. This is further supported by the Zanda Mentoring Group (ZMG), a collective of over 250 of Australasia's top rural leaders. This impressive network of top industry mentors throughout Australasia provides mentoring and support to the award, its finalists and winners.

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