Sharks named Club of the Year

The people, teams and creators who helped bring the 2026 Sal’s NBL season to life have been recognised with the announcement of this year’s Sal’s NBL Media Awards.

The annual awards celebrate excellence across club operations, game presentation, fan engagement, social media, photography, video, digital content and independent media coverage.

The Southland Sharks have been named the 2026 Club of the Year, recognising the organisation’s work and impact across the season, beating out tough competition across the competition. 

Jadcup Auckland Tuatara General Manager Dale Budge has received the General Manager of the Year award, while the Tuatara have also been recognised for Best Fan Engagement. 

The Canterbury Rams have collected two awards, taking out Best Social Media and Best Game Presentation for their work across the club’s digital platforms and home-game experience in another strongly contested category.

Club of the Year

SBS Bank Southland Sharks

The Southland Sharks have been named the 2026 Sal’s NBL Club of the Year.

The award considers performance and sportsmanship, game-day delivery and operations, community and charity involvement, local market engagement, player development and relations, media and marketing activity, fan engagement, and the club’s professionalism and collaboration with the League, Basketball New Zealand and our commercial partners.

The Sharks have been recognised for their strong work across those areas and their overall contribution across the 2026 Sal’s NBL season on and off the court.