Surf lifesaving has featured in the nominations for the prestigious Halberg Awards, announced today.

The New Zealand Black Fins are nominees for Team of the Year which also makes them eligible for the supreme Halberg Award.

They will come up against teams such as the All Blacks, yachting pair Peter Burling and Blair Tuke, rowing's Hamish Bond and Eric Murray and The Hurricanes.

Black Fins Max Beattie and Laura Quilter have also been recognised individually as nominees for High Performance Sport New Zealand Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year respectively.

And Black Fins coach Jason Pocock is a nominee for Buddle Findlay Coach of the Year. Eighteen nominations have been including Steve Hansen, Hamish Willcox, Gordon Walker, Anthony Peden and Roly Crichton.

Named after Olympic champion Sir Murray Halberg (ONZ), the Halberg Awards is the nation's pre-eminent event to honour and celebrate sporting achievements by New Zealand teams and athletes.

Eighty seven nominations have been received for six categories covering 31 different sports at the 54th Halberg Awards.

Nominations are submitted from National Sports Organisations and an independent Nominations panel. The nominations will now be judged by the Halberg Awards Voting Academy and shortlisted into finalists who will be announced in early January 2017.

The 54th Halberg Awards ceremony will be held on Thursday February 9, 2017 at Vector Arena in Auckland.

For more information go to www.halbergawards.co.nz.