Business leader Theresa Gattung, company director Joan Withers, bioengineering professor Peter Hunter and Rocket Lab founder Peter Beck are among those being recognised in this year's King's Birthday Honours.

In all, 176 New Zealanders have been awarded honours for service to their communities and country.

Gattung, the former chief executive of Telecom, is known for being the first woman to run a large New Zealand public company and for co-founding My Food Bag. She has been made a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to women, governance and philanthropy.

Joan Withers, the former chief executive of Fairfax New Zealand and The Radio Network of New Zealand, has been made a Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business, governance and women.

She has been a director and chair of numerous private and state sector companies, and has been chair of The Warehouse Group since 2016.

Bioengineering pioneer Professor Peter Hunter has been appointed a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to medical science.

Hunter established the Auckland Bioengineering Institute and later the Physiome Project, a international initiative to measure and mathematically model all aspects of physiology in the human body.

Rocket Lab founder Peter Beck has also been made a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the aerospace industry, business and education.

In 2009, Rocket Lab's Ātea 1 became the first rocket in the Southern Hemisphere to reach space.

Rocket Lab is the most prolific commercial launch provider, behind only SpaceX, and has launched 46 missions to space including NASA's 2022 lunar CAPSTONE mission, and more than 160 satellites to orbit as of April 2024.

Former Queenstown mayor Jim Boult has been made a Companion of The New Zealand Order of Merit for services to local government, tourism and the community.

Long-serving Chief of Defence Force Air Marshal Kevin Short has been appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the New Zealand Defence Force.

Ngāi Tahu's longest serving chief executive, Arihia Bennett, has also been made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for her services to Māori, governance and the community.

Former sports stars recognised for giving back

A number of former sports stars have been recognised for services to their codes, including Chris Lewis, who reached the 1983 Wimbledon tennis final as an unseeded player.

Lewis, who has been awarded an Officer of the Order of Merit, became only the third New Zealand player to reach the final of a Grand Slam singles title and the second to reach the Wimbledon final.

Lesley Milne, who won eight national rowing titles between 1966 and 1975 and was selected for the first women's crew to represent New Zealand in Europe in 1974, has been named a Companion of the NZ Order of Merit (CNZM).

Former Olympic synchronised swimmer and Commonwealth Games bronze medallist, Katie Sadleir, is another CNZM recipient.

She has been recognised for services to sports governance and women, having held significant roles since the 1990s. Sadleir was appointed as the first woman chief executive of the Commonwealth Games Federation in 2021.

Stephen Cox represented New Zealand in cycling between 1976 and 1988, including the 1984 Olympic Games, and won almost every major road event in New Zealand. He has been named an Officer of the NZ Order of Merit (ONZM) for services to the sport, including organising more than 220 major cycling events at regional, national and international levels since 1986.

The full King's Birthday Honours list:

- To be Dames Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit:

Theresa Gattung for services to women, governance and philanthropy; and Joan Withers for services to business, governance and women.

- To be Knights Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit:

Peter Beck for services to the aerospace industry, business and education; and Professor Peter Hunter for services to medical science.

- To be Companions of the New Zealand Order of Merit:

Vincent Ashworth for services to agriculture.

Arihia Bennett for services to Māori, governance and the community

James Boult for services to local government, tourism and the community

Anne Candy for services to Māori and local government

Rodney Adrian Duke for services to philanthropy and business

William Holland for services to community governance and philanthropy

Mary Lee for services to snow sports and tourism

Lesley Joan Milne for services to rowing

Dr John Peek for services to fertility treatment and reproductive health

Catherine Ann Grant Sadleir for services to sports governance and women

Christopher John Seed for services to the State

Air Marshal Kevin Ronald Short for services to the New Zealand Defence Force

Megan Faye Tamati-Quennell for services to Māori and First Nations art

- To be Officers of the New Zealand Order of Merit:

Professor Fiona Alpass for services to health psychology and seniors

Associate Professor Rohan Ameratunga for services to immunology

Andrew Barnes for services to business and philanthropy

Professor Ian Bissett for services to colorectal surgery and education

Andrea Blair for services to the geothermal industry and women

Dr Patricia Bradbury for services to sport and education

Richard Coon for services to business and philanthropy

Stephen Cox for services to cycling

Noel Davies for services to engineering, business and the community

Tanya Drawbridge (Ashken) for services to sculpture, silversmithing and jewellery

Andrew Dunn for services to people with Parkinson's disease

Peter Fegan for services to Fire and Emergency New Zealand and the community

Allison Ferguson for services to netball

Meri Gibson for services to dragon boating and breast cancer awareness

Tere Gilbert for services to early childhood and Māori language education

Gordon Glentworth for services to the livestock and dairy industries

Ian Grant for services to literature and historical preservation

Sarah Haydon for services to people with disabilities

William Jansen for services to wildlife conservation

Robert Jury for services to structural engineering and design

The Very Reverend Taimoanaifakaofo Kaio for services to the Pacific community

Christopher Lewis for services to tennis

Patricia Lindsay for services to netball and governance

Alexander Mackay (Jamie) for services to broadcasting and the rural community

Deborah Manning for services to the community and the environment

Leslie Noel McCutcheon for services to the thoroughbred and harness racing industries

Gemma New for services to music direction

Dr Colin O'Donnell for services to wildlife conservation

Professor Emerita Nicola Peart for services to the law

Anapela Polataivao for services to Pacific performing arts

Professor Phillippa Poole for services to medical education

Dr William Round for services to medical physics and biomedical engineering

Professor Christine Stephens for services to health psychology and seniors

Lisa Warrington for services to theatre and education

Dr Murray Williams for services to wildlife conservation and science

Ms Sheryll Christine Wilson for services to early childhood education

Adrienne Winkelmann for services to the fashion industry

- To be a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:

Jeanette Banfield for services to philately

Karen Bartlett for services to the community and social services

Dr Suzanne Blackwell for services to clinical and forensic psychology and the law

Barry Brown for services to structural engineering

Jane Cartwright for services to health governance

Frank Chapman for services to health

I-Hua (Eva) Chen for services to the Asian community

Phillip Lam for services to martial arts

Christine Clark for services to alcohol and drug harm reduction

Professor John Collins for services to surgical education and breast cancer management

Fleur Corbett for services to conservation

Thomas Coyle for services to the New Zealand Police, Disaster Victim Identification and theatre

Mark Crompton for services to meteorology and the community

Detective Niall Deehan for services to the New Zealand Police

James Doy for services to theatre, particularly youth theatre

Anthony Dreaver for services to the community

Reid Fletcher for services to the wine industry

Brian Foley for services to the plumbing industry and the community

Ian Godfrey for services to surf lifesaving and water safety education

Keith Gordon for services to diving and maritime history

Inspector Freda Anne Grace for services to the New Zealand Police

Elizabeth Greive for services to child poverty reduction

John Haldane for services to arts administration, particularly music

Grant Harrison for services to volleyball

David Henshaw for services to archery

Dr Barbara Hochstein for services to radiology and education

Jolie Hodson for services to business, governance and women

Leigh Hopper for services to property development and philanthropy

Kerry Hudson for services to land management

The Venerable Joseph Anthony Huta for services to the Anglican Church, Māori and the community

Dianne John for services to ornithology

Keith Jones for services to metrology

Stephen Kafka for services to conservation and wildlife research

Bridget Kauraka for services to the Cook Islands community

Rex Kerr for services to the community and rugby

Murray King for services to the dairy industry

Frederick Lewis for services to philanthropy and sport

Samuel Lewis for services to business and the community

HunKuk Lim for services to the Korean community

Jee Chin Lim (Venerable Abbess Manshin) for services to the community

Allister Macgregor for services to pipe bands

Allan John McCaw for services to the apiculture industry

Anthony McGovern for services to the racing industry

John McKenzie for services to education

Lorraine Mentz for services to education and philanthropy

Ereti Mitchell for services to New Zealand - United Kingdom relations

Maureen Morris for services to nursing

Vivian Naylor for services to people with disabilities

Linda Nelson for services to people with intellectual disabilities

Frances Oakes for services to mental health and the Pacific community

Julie Paterson for services to women and sport

Leitualaalemalietoa Lynn Lolokini Pavihi for services to Pacific education

Catherine Petrey for services to the New Zealand Police, arms control and the community

David Robie for services to journalism and Asia-Pacific media education

Louise Rummel for services to nursing education

Merrick Sanderson for services to orthopaedic surgery

Emma Scotter for services to Motor Neuron Disease research

Rachel Smalley for services to broadcasting and health advocacy

Akinihi Smith for services to Māori and the Anglican Church

Graham Smith for services to horticulture

Orquidea Mortera for services to diversional and recreational therapy and education

Amohaere Tangitu for services to Māori health

Glenn Teal for services to Fire and Emergency New Zealand and the community

Allison Todd for services to equestrian coaching and water safety

Kristine Tynan for services to people with long-term conditions and older adults

Jocelyn Urbahn for services to surf lifesaving and squash

Sally Walker for services to health advocacy

Detective Inspector Lewis Warner for services to the New Zealand Police and the community

Lisa Whittle for services to wildlife conservation

Adine Wilson for services to netball

Nicola Wilson for services to mental health advocacy, particularly disordered eating

Abann Yor for services to ethnic and migrant communities

- To be an Honorary Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit:

Allyn (Aliya) Danzeisen for services to the Muslim community and women

- To be Companions of the King's Service Order:

Daniel Allen-Gordon for services to youth and charitable governance

Josephine Anderson for services to Māori

Colleen Brown for services to people with disabilities, local government and the community

Elizabeth Cunningham for services to governance

Michael Hollings for services to education and Māori

Karen Morrison-Hume for services to the community

- The King's Service Medal (KSM)

Mervyn Allison for services to brass bands

Marie Bennett for services to seniors

Lance Berry for services to Fire and Emergency New Zealand and the community

Patricia Boyle for services to the community

John Bray for services to rugby league

Henry Brittain for services to transport history and tourism

Janice Burnett for services to the community

Sandra Burrow for services to swimming

David Cade for services to conservation and bio-security awareness

Ian Campbell for services to Fire and Emergency New Zealand and Taekwon-Do

Patricia Carrick-Clarke for services to sport, particularly cricket

Brian Carter for services to Fire and Emergency New Zealand

Marian Ceregra for services to the Polish community and veterans

Robin Clarke for services to the community

Jacqueline Dwyer for services to the community

Robert Feisst (deceased) for services to the community

Patricia George for services to mosaic art and the community

Mervyn Gore for services to rugby league

Dr Matire Harwood for services to Māori health

Mailigi Hetutū for services to the Niuean community

Leslie Hokianga for services to physical fitness and mental health

Arthur Imms for services to Fire and Emergency New Zealand

Tupuna Kaiaruna for services to the Cook Islands community and performing arts

Katareina Kaiwai for services to women and the civil construction industry

Maituteau Karora for services to the Cook Islands community

Fraser Lake for services to the community

David Laughlin for services to conservation

Trevor Marshall for services to the community

Peter McNeur for services to education and the community

Marilyn Milne for services to netball

Charles Nightingale for services to the community

Linda-Lee Odom for services to people with disabilities and sport

Sharda Patel for services to the Indian community and women

Bernard Power for services to the community

David Grant Smith for services to the community

Heather Smith for services to the community

Jillian Spicer for services to the community and refugees

Fay Taylor for services to the community

Robert Webb for services to Fire and Emergency New Zealand and the community

Glenn Williams for services to Fire and Emergency New Zealand and the community

Vicki Wood for services to victim support

Joseph Zawada for services to the Polish community and historical research

- The New Zealand Distinguished Service Decoration (DSD)

Wing Commander Mark Alan Whiteside for services to the New Zealand Defence Force