Dame Lisa earned the supreme award at the 59^th edition of the Halberg Awards, with a ceremony held at Spark Arena in Auckland to mark the achievements of 2021.

This was the 32-year-old's second time winning the supreme award following a triumph in 2016 - a year she won Olympic gold and bronze medals.

The canoe sprint athlete also won the sportswoman of the year award, which gives her five consecutive honours in that category.

Dame Lisa made history for New Zealand last year as she managed to take home three gold medals from the Olympics, in the K1 200 metres, K1 500m and K2 500m.  

She is also New Zealand's most successful Olympian of all time and her mid-term goal is the 2022 Canoe Sprint World Championships, due to be held between August 3 and 7 in Halifax in Canada.

Paralympic swimming champion Dame Sophie Pascoe had a great night as well by winning the prize for the Para athlete or team of the year for the seventh time. 

Dame Sophie won two gold medals, a silver and a bronze in Japan.

The men's cricket side were named team of the year in recognition of winning the inaugural World Test Championship.

Black Caps captain Kane Williamson was also named the sportsman of the year for the second time.

Coach of the year went to Gordon Walker, who was conducting the women’s canoe team in Japan.

The youngest swimmer on the Olympic team, Erika Fairweather, won the emerging talent award after managing to achieve eighth place in women’s 400m freestyle at Tokyo 2020.

Fairweather turned 18 on New Year's Eve.

The leadership award went to Kereyn Smith, the chief executive and secretary general of the New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC).  

Smith is due to depart the NZOC shortly.

Finally, Emma Twigg got the favourite sporting moment award for how she managed to win Olympic single sculls gold at Tokyo 2020 on her fourth attempt.