It was revealed in early August Mr Joyce was actually a New Zealand citizenship by descent through his father, threatening the government's majority in parliament.

But while it's a major constitutional issue in Australia, Kiwis seem to have seen the funnier side.

New Zealand of the Year award manager Glyn Taylor on Friday revealed Mr Joyce was the second-most nominated person on the prize's longlist so far.

"At the conclusion of the nominations period, the awards office will assess Mr Joyce's eligibility based on his citizenship and other criteria," he said.

"It's also not unusual for people of the moment to attract significant support during the public nominations period."

But Mr Taylor seemed to hint Mr Joyce wasn't in for much of a chance.

"The independent judging panel will then consider each nomination on how a particular individual has contributed to making New Zealand a better place to live."

Mr Joyce has since renounced his New Zealand citizenship.

About 371 nominations have been received so far, with a deadline of September 18.

A shortlist will be chosen by a panel and announced in December.

The award was this year won by filmmaker Taika Waititi.