Introducing the WL Umbrella Awards 2024.

A short, no-fuss, high-impact ceremony, to acknowledge a single person’s outstanding and enduring contributions to the Wellington wider community.

The Umberellas are for, friends, workmates & family to hear, see and celebrate remarkable feats of bravery, incredible networking and outstanding charisma that have brought extraordinary benefits to Wellington’s communities.

It’s a full-on life being a high achiever, and when you’ve done it, decade after decade, Wellingtonians, WL and the Umberella network love to reflect look forward, pause and say thank you to someone for their extraordinarily hard toil.

The Umbrella Award is held at lunchtime when carparks are in abundance at a low price.

Umbrellas are supported by:

Jeremy Smith at The Arborist

Jose Ubiaga Sugarwoods

The Bloxham foundation

Wellington LIVE

ONE Network

Previous awards achievers:

Sir Markus Dunajtschik KNZM is a New Zealand businessman, property developer, and philanthropist.

Todd Scott is a previous Wellington Zen character, visionary, bold risk taker, creative genius and modern well-respected publisher.

Next Up.

Simon Woolf.

Barry Wilson

Mike Egan

Polly Gillespie

WHY

The Umbrella Awards came about when founder Graham “Bloxi” Bloxham assembled some business leaders and council managers to discuss downtown Wellington’s vision at The Arborist bar in Willis St, downtown Wellington.

Bloxi says “I just had to give a trophy to my friend Mark D” who had agreed to be the meeting’s guest of honour. Then I thought if Mark wanted to give his time to meet others who wanted to help get Wellington soothing and growing again, then I needed to award him, and the Umbrella Awards were born.

As usual, Blox hadn’t planned a thing, turning up at The Arborist with 10 minutes to spare, Biloxi thought, what is a no-fuss trophy for Mark, so he ran into the Aotea gifts store in Willis St, grabbed an NZ umbrella and as he is a signwriter of self-appointed high regard, he handwrote, “The Wellington Umbrella Awards” above New Zealand.

The Umbrella signifies.

Protection

A Symbol of universal usefulness.

A Hypernum

An umbrella is that lightweight, collapsible cover that’s handy on a rainy day. People also use umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun. Since an umbrella covers people and things, the umbrella is also a metaphor for something that brings unity. An umbrella agency brings together other smaller and related agencies, people and communities.

And it was under $15, so it fits the no-fuss budget