The man who has brought nearly 400,000 visitors to Te Papa can now place the Wellingtonian of the Year trophy alongside his Oscars.

Sir Richard Taylor was named the supreme winner at the Wellingtonian of the Year Awards on Wednesday night.

Taylor, who also took out the arts category, is the CEO and co-founder of Weta Workshop, and won the award for his outstanding contribution to the entertainment and creative industries.

1 of 8 Maarten Holl Stu Barr who leads Goodnature, a company which manufactures humane traps for pests, won the award for the environment category. 2 of 8 Ross Giblin Philippa Howden-Chapman won the government category for her work and research into improving children's health by reducing poor housing. 3 of 8 Andy Jackson/Fairfax NZ Hurricanes captain and All Black Conrad Smith has won the sport category for his contribution to his home team. 4 of 8 TALIA CARLISLE Tawa couple Elizabeth Sneyd and Craig Utting won the community service category for donating hundreds of hours of tuition and instruments to children in Wellington's Eastern suburbs. 5 of 8 CRAIG SIMCOX/FAIRFAX NZ Mike Egan, co-owner of Monsoon Poon in Blair St has won the business category. 6 of 8 FAIRFAX NZ Wellington College headmaster Roger Moses has won the category for education. Moses has lead the school since 1995. 7 of 8 SUPPLIED Lucy Carver & Skye Chadwick won the youth category for their leadership programme aimed at young people. 8 of 8 SUPPLIED John-Daniel Trask won the science and technology category. He co-founded the philanthropic website Givealittle.

His most recent project with Te Papa, Gallipoli: The scale of our war, has been seen by more than 396,258 visitors since opening in April.

Speaking after the awards, Taylor said he was "very, very privileged" to win.

He said while people had certainly tried to tempt him away from Wellington with "very, very persuasive arguments" he thought Wellington was the place to be.

"I always say don't leave until you've tested the waters...Wellington is a fertile environment, a great garden bed to plant a seed."

He said one of his greatest achievements had been in pitching Wellington as a place to bring entertainment projects.

With five Academy Awards and four BAFTAs to his name, Taylor's contribution to film is obvious.

Weta began over 25 years ago in the back of a Wellington flat Taylor shared with his now wife, Tania.

The company expanded with various local projects, but shot to fame after its work on Sir Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

For the films, Weta Workshop provided the design, fabrication, on-set operation of creatures, special make-up effects, prosthetics, armour and weaponry.

Since then, Weta Workshop, along with Weta Digital, has been involved with some of Hollywood's biggest blockbusters including Fast and Furious 7, Godzilla, and Tintin.

In 2010, Taylor was awarded a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to film, and in 2012 he was named Kiwibank New Zealander of the year.

Along with his wife Tania, Taylor was thanked at the awards for bringing work and employment to Wellington wherever possible.

As well as his work on feature films, Taylor is also known for his production company Pukeko Pictures, which has produced a number of animated television programmes out of Wellington.

These include the award-winning Jane and the Dragon, pre-school series The WotWots and the second season of Thunderbirds Are Go,that's currently being produced.

The award winning workshop's retail outlet, Weta Cave, which showcases a selection of the team's work has become a must-see attraction for people visiting the capital.

In between major projects, Weta also creates public art sculptures and travelling art exhibitions. His team have published 17 books, showcasing their unique Wellington story to the world.

The awards are hosted each year by The Dominion Post.

CATEGORY AWARD WINNERS:

Business: Mike Egan - Regarded as one of the pioneers of Wellington hospitality, Egan has opened several landmark establishments. Some of his notable eateries include the popular Monsoon Poon and Osteria del Toro. He was also one of the minds behind the now popular Wellington On a Plate event.

Government: Philippa Howden-Chapman - Professor Howden-Chapman is director of He Kainga Oranga/Housing and Health Research Programme. Her work is helping improve children's health by reducing respiratory and infections linked to poor housing in the Wellington area.

Science and Technology: John-Daniel Trask - CEO of Raygun, a software development company, Trask's customers include Apple, Microsoft and Nordstorm. In 2007 he co-founded the popular philanthropic website Givealittle. Per-month, Givealittle facilitates almost $1.5 million in donations to worthy causes.

Sport: Conrad Smith - Described as the senior statesmen for the All Black's midfield, Smith has been a valuable player and capitan for the Hurricanes. His leadership skills are regarded as an integral part of the team's successful 2014 season.

Environment: Stu Barr - Leader of the Goodnature team, Barr heads a company which provides an effective pest trap that humanely kills destructive pests and then resets itself. A popular tool for local councils wanting to reduce pests but also protect native birds.

Community Service: Dr. Elizabeth Sneyd and Craig Utting - The pair are co-founders of 'The Virtuoso Strings', a string orchestra to help young people in Wellington learn to play in an ensemble. They also offer free music tuition in East Porirua.

Education: Roger Moses - The Wellington College Headmaster is a well-known and respected leader in the education sector. He previously held a position on the executive of the Secondary Principals' Association and is Chairman of the Association of Boy's Schools of New Zealand.

Youth: Lucy Carver & Skye Chadwick - The pair are founders of Orientation Aotearoa, an eight month residential programme for aspiring young people. The programme focuses on leadership, sustainability and social entrepreneurship.

World Class Welly: Anna Paquin - This new award pays tribute to Wellingtonians who have found success abroad. Paquin has gone from winning an Academy Award at age 11, to becoming a renowned name in Hollywood for her role in the hit series True Blood.

PAST WELLINGTONIAN OF THE YEAR WINNERS:

2000: Rebecca Welsh, Canteen leader.

2001: Peter Jackson, film maker.

2002: John Miller, law lecturer & ACC claimant rights campaigner.

2003: Peter Biggs, Creative NZ chairman.

2004: Sir Roy McKenzie, philanthropist.

2005: Marco Zeeman, sinker of ships.

2006: Professor Peter Barrett, climate change scientist.

2007: Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement, Flight of the Conchords.

2008: Sir Jon Trimmer, Royal New Zealand Ballet performer.

2009: Steve Logan and Al Brown, restaurateurs.

2010: Ruth Gotlieb, local government veteran.

2011: Father Des Britten, Wellington city missioner.

2012: Neville Jordan, investor and entrepreneur.

2013: Suzanne Snively, committed community devotee.

2014: Steven Adams, NBA basketballer.