Congratulations to Anna Kelland of Constellation Brands, who became the 2026 Young Horticulturist of the Year after a rigorous two-day competition in Auckland on 4-5 November.
Anna, a Viticulture Technician in Marlborough, was the 2025 New Zealand Young Viticulturist of the Year and therefore went through to represent the viticulture sector in this year’s Young Horticulturist competition.
Anna competed against four other talented, future leaders in horticulture representing the grower, arborist, amenity and plant producer sectors. Over the two days, they faced a wide range of practical, technical, business, and sustainability challenges, and submitted an innovation project.
As well as being the overall winner, Anna also won the Woolworths Innovation Project Award, the Woolworths Industry Knowledge Award, and the Horticentre Charitable Trust Sustainability Award. Her prizes include a professional development scholarship, a bespoke glass trophy and cash totalling more than $25,000.
She worked incredibly hard in the build-up to the competition and is grateful to her family, friends and wine industry colleagues who have supported her over the last few months of intense preparation and study. “I’m so excited. Thank you to everyone involved,” she beamed as she received the beautiful glass trophy.
Anna, 25, decided the wine industry was her calling at just age seven and began reading as much as she could about viticulture. She graduated from Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT) as valedictorian in 2022 with concurrent degrees in Viticulture and Wine Science. She went on to win a scholarship with Constellation Brands, where she has continued to learn and thrive.
Anna is the tenth Young Viticulturist to become Young Horticulturist of the Year, the others being Marcus Wickham, Emma Taylor, Caine Thompson, Stuart Dudley, Braden Crosby, Caleb Dennis, Annabel Bulk, Simon Gourley, and Rhys Hall.
Emma Taylor, Viticulturist and Interim Chair at New Zealand Winegrowers, was the guest speaker at the Awards Dinner. She spoke about how both the Young Viticulturist and Young Horticulturist competitions were invaluable platforms for all contestants to open doors and further their careers.
Kris Godsall, the 2026 Ormond Nurseries Young Viticulturist of the Year, will go on to represent viticulture in the 2027 Young Horticulturist of the Year competition. He was there along with other Young Viticulturist alumni to support Anna at this year’s competition and to celebrate her fantastic achievement.
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For further information, contact:
Nicky Grandorge
Leadership & Communities Manager, New Zealand Winegrowers
+64 21 780 948
Nicky.Grandorge@nzwine.com
View the Young Viticulturist website here.
New Zealand Winegrowers' images can be found here.
EDITOR NOTES:
NEW ZEALAND WINEGROWERS
New Zealand Winegrowers is the national organisation for the country's grape and wine sector, with over 600 grower members, 700 winery members, and directly employing over 7,000 New Zealanders each year. nzwine.com
NEW ZEALAND WINE
New Zealand wine is exported to more than 100 countries
New Zealand produces just over 1% of the world’s wine
New Zealand wine is New Zealand’s tenth-largest export good
New Zealand wine exports for 2024 were $2.108 billion
View Data and Insights here