Roger Award

The Roger Award For The Worst Transnational Corporation Operating in New Zealand was an annual media campaign run since 1997 by two activist organisations, Campaign Against Foreign Control of Aotearoa and GATT Watchdog. The winners were chosen by a group of academics, activists, businesspeople and trade unionists. In April 2018 it was announced the 2016 Roger Award would be the final award, due to a declining number of nominations.

The awards bear the name of former New Zealand Finance Minister Sir Roger Douglas, who introduced far reaching market oriented reforms in the 1980s (also taken into account during the naming decision were New Zealand Business Roundtable director Roger Kerr, the verb "to roger", and the term "Jolly Roger"). These changes, reinforced by successor Ruth Richardson in the 1990s, made the country's economy one of the most open in the world. Through this period, the role and profile of multinational companies increased. The privatisation of Tranz Rail and Telecom New Zealand, companies that have won multiple Roger Awards, remain particularly controversial since being given their first awards, they have been re nationalised and unbundled respectively. The Roger Award has been used as the model for similar campaigns overseas.

The winner was selected by evaluation of the judges made on four criteria, "Economic dominance"; "Impact on people"; "Environmental damage and abuse of animals"; and "Political interference". This last criterion was judged on the basis of whether the nominee is "running an ideological crusade". Having "won" on three occasions, Tranz Rail was inducted into the 'Hall of Shame' in 2003. It has ceased to exist having been absorbed by Toll NZ, a two time nominee, and subsequently nationalised as KiwiRail by the Fifth Labour Government of New Zealand. Telecom New Zealand was nominated each year since 1997, and has since been succeeded by Chorus Limited and Spark New Zealand.

Year Winner Runners Up Other Finalists Special Awards 1997 Tranz Rail, New Zealand's largest rail operator Independent Newspapers Limited (INL), Coeur Gold Telecom New Zealand, Comalco, Westpac, Juken Nissho, Lion Nathan, Brierley Investments 1998 Monsanto Company, a US based manufacturer of agricultural products 1999 TransAlta , a Canadian power company 2000 Tranz Rail 2001 Carter Holt Harvey, a timber company 2002 Tranz Rail Tranz Rail becomes the first occupant of the Hall of Shame 2003 Juken Nissho, a timber company 2004 Telecom New Zealand, New Zealand's largest telco 2005 Bank of New Zealand and Westpac, banks 2006 Progressive Enterprises, the largest supermarket operator in New Zealand Runner up: Telecom New Zealand Other finalists: Toll NZ, ANZ Bank, British American Tobacco, Contact Energy, ABB 2007 Telecom New Zealand Joint runners up: British American Tobacco and Spotless Other finalists: GlaxoSmithKline, ANZ Bank, APN News & Media, Independent Liquor, Pike River Coal 2008 British American Tobacco Runner up: Rio Tinto NZ Other finalists: ANZ Bank, Contact Energy, GlaxoSmithKline, Infratil, McDonald's, Telecom New Zealand Business New Zealand awarded inaugural Accomplice Award 2009 ANZ Bank Runner up: Rio Tinto NZ Other finalists: Bank of New Zealand, Infratil, Newmont, Rymans, Telecom New Zealand, Transpacific and Westpac. Accomplice Award: Auckland City Council and its officials 2010 Warner Brothers Finalists: BUPA, Imperial Tobacco, Vodafone, Warner Brothers and Westpac 2011 Rio Tinto Alcan Oceania, Sajo Oyang Corporation and Westpac Other finalists: Adidas, Newmont Waihi Gold, Skycity Entertainment Group and Telecom New Zealand Accomplice Award: the New Zealand Government (in its own right and accompanying both Sajo Oyang and Telecom). 2012 Taejin Fisheries Runners up: Rio Tinto Alcan, King Salmon Finalists: The four Australian owned banks collectively (ANZ, ASB, Bank of New Zealand & Westpac), Insurance Australia Group, Newmont Waihi Gold, Taejin Fisheries Co. Ltd, and Vodafone. Accomplice Award: The New Zealand Government, United Fisheries
People's Choice Award: British American Tobacco 2013 Rio Tinto Sky City Casino, Chorus Finalists: ANZ, Chorus, IAG Insurance Group, Imperial Tobacco, Rio Tinto, Sky City Casino and Talent 2. There were several nominations for the Accomplice Award, all for the Government 2014 ANZ Bank IAG/State Insurance Finalists: ANZ Bank, British American Tobacco NZ, Coca Cola Amatil, IAG/State Insurance, PGG Wrightson, and Rio Tinto. Food & Grocery Council 2015 IAG/State Insurance Serco Bunnings Warehouse, Westpac, MediaWorks New Zealand, Apple 2016 Youi IAG/State Insurance Uber