Australia Day Awards

Each year we recognise the valuable and inspiring contributions of Macleay Valley citizens and community groups through our annual Australia Day Awards ceremony. These awards are an opportunity to celebrate our local legends.

Nominations are now open

Nominations will close on 3pm Monday, 1 December 2025.

Reasons for nomination can include anything you see as an inspiring contribution to our community, including but not limited to: 

  • Community service 
  • Awards received 
  • Sporting achievement/s 
  • Environmental stewardship 
  • Cultural or artistic achievement/s 
  • Creating positive impacts for Aboriginal peoples 
  • Scholarly achievement/s 
  • Support for local employment 
  • Special achievements e.g. acts of bravery 
  • Contributing to local education 
  • Involvement with charities and fundraising 
  • Years of service

Nominate here!

Can't fill the form in online? Download the printable version of the form HERE.

 

Tips for nominating

Want your nomination to stand out?

Tell us a story and paint a picture of the person or people you are nominating so our committee can clearly see the impact they make in our community. You need to make sure you cover 3 main points:

  1. What did they do to make you nominate them?
  2. Who did they help?
  3. Who have they influenced?

Some ideas for things you can cover in your nomination include:

  • What makes the nominee special?
  • Why are you proud of the nominee?
  •  How do they make others feel? Do they build people up and give them encouragement?
  • What motivates them to make a difference?
  • What are some of the challenges they have overcome?
  • What changes have they created in our community?

    We want to know about the amazing residents of our shire, so no piece of information is irrelevant.

    Don’t stress to much about selecting the perfect category either. Our committee may move your nomination to a more appropriate category. The important thing is making sure the person you nominate is on our radar!

    Other helpful hints:

  • Don’t use acronyms or shorthand as our committee members may not know what they mean.
  • Including referees helps our committee to gain a fuller picture of the nominee (make sure you include the referee’s contact details so we can reach out to them though!)
  • Use examples that show why your nominee is inspiring.
  • Your nomination does not need to be long to be a great nomination. It is better to keep your sentences short and try to avoid repeating information if you can.
  • It can also help to read about previous winners to see what a person could be nominated for.

 

 

Awards are presented across six categories:

Citizen of the year

Presented to a person who gave outstanding service to the community or has been an inspiration to others. Their efforts may have occurred over the last 12 months or over several years.

 

Young citizen of the year

Presented to a person who is 30 years or younger (on 26 January 2026) and who has given outstanding service to the community or inspired others. Their efforts may have occurred over the last 12 months or over several years. 

Reconciliation award 

Presented to a person or group who has made significant efforts towards reconciliation by building relationships, respect and trust between the wider community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. 

Community group of the year 

Presented to an organised group of people who have given outstanding service to the community or inspired others. Their efforts may have occurred over the last 12 months or over several years. 

Volunteer of the year 

Presented to an individual who gives their time willingly, without financial gain for the great good of the community. This award recognises efforts made in the last year. 

Local Hero Awards

Presented to those people/groups who made the community stronger, give back, or are role models for others. This award is not open for public nomination and is selected by the committee.

Lifetime Achievement Awards

Presented to community members who have play significant roles in the community for decades and whose work has made a huge difference in our valley. This award is not open for public nomination and is selected by the committee.

 

Important awards information

Conditions for awards: 

  1. Entry in these awards is open to all persons who are residents of the Kempsey Shire on 26 January 2026.  

  2. Nominations must be made on the official form either online or in writing.  

  3.  Nominations may be made by an individual or organisation.  

  4.  You can nominate more than one individual, but a separate form must be completed for each nomination.  

  5.  It is permissible to contact Council for advice regarding nominations.  

  6.  All nomination information and materials submitted remain the property of the Kempsey Shire Council.  

  7.  The Australia Day Committee has the right to vary the category if a different category is more appropriate. 

  8.  Nominations from the previous year may be reconsidered. Nominations are permitted for those previously nominated who did not win awards.  

  9.  The Australia Day Committee's decision is final. 

Support

If you have any questions on the entry process, read our Tips for Nominating first.

If you can't find what you're looking for, please contact the Australia Day Committee by emailing communications@kempsey.nsw.gov.au or phoning 6566 3200.

 

More information

About the 2025 Awards

2025 Australia Day Awards and Citizenship Ceremony

The Slim Dusty Centre came alive on Sunday, 26 January 2025, as the Kempsey community gathered to honour the exceptional individuals and groups who make the Shire a better place.

This year marked a special milestone with the introduction of the inaugural Reconciliation Award, reflecting a commitment to fostering understanding and unity. The new award highlighted the incredible efforts of individuals and groups championing reconciliation by building relationships, respect and trust. 

Kempsey’s 2025 Australia Day Ambassador, Mark Morrison OAM, delivered heartfelt congratulations to all nominees, recognising their tireless efforts and significant impact. "To be nominated for your outstanding service to the community, through volunteering, building capacity and tireless commitment over many years is something I hope you all reflect on and feel proud of. Marrungbhu, for your gifts to our beautiful valleys. Please share your stories today to inspire others," Morrison said.  

In total, 32 nominations were received from the community, showcasing a wide array of community contributions. The Kempsey Australia Day Awards Committee faced the tough task of selecting winners from such an outstanding group.  

Find out about the Australia Day Award recipients for 2025 by clicking here.

About the 2024 Awards

2024 Australia Day Awards and Citizenship Ceremony

Kempsey community members gathered at the Slim Dusty Centre on Friday 26 January 2024 to celebrate the outstanding contributions of citizens and volunteers from around the Shire.

Kempsey’s 2024 Australia Day Ambassador, Philip Lee OAM, congratulated all the award nominees for their incredible contributions to the community.

All 32 nominations for Australia Day awards were sent in by members of the community, with the Kempsey Australia Day Awards Committee having the challenging job of deciding upon award recipients.

In total, 10 awards were presented under the category of Lifetime Achievement, Citizen of the Year, Young Citizen of the Year, outstanding Local Hero, and Community Group of the Year.

Find out about the Australia Day Award recipients for 2024 by clicking here.

About the 2023 awards

2023 Australia Day Awards and Citizenship Ceremony

More than 300 members of the Kempsey community gathered at the Slim Dusty Centre on Thursday 26 January 2023 to celebrate the outstanding work of a record number of citizens and volunteers from around the Shire.

The annual Australia Day Awards and Citizenship Ceremony kicked off the public holiday with entertainment, a free community breakfast and the celebration of Australia’s newest citizens.

Kempsey’s 2023 Australia Day Ambassador, television star Jolene Anderson, congratulated all the nominees on their incredible contribution to the community. The Kempsey Australia Day Awards Committee, which determines the community awards, reported that they had received a record number of nominees this year from the community and presented 17 awards including:

  • Community Group of the Year
  • Volunteer of the Year
  • Young citizen of the Year
  • Citizen of the Year
  • Local Heros (more than one of these awards may be presented).

The event was jointly funded by Council and the NSW Government through the Reconnecting Regional New South Wales Grant.

Find out about the Australia Day Award recipients for 2023 by clicking here.



About the 2022 awards

2022 Australia Day Awards and Citizenship Ceremony

The 2022 Australia Day Awards and Citizenship Ceremony was held at the Slim Dusty Centre on 26 January 2022 with a free breakfast from 9am, entertainment and a morning full of celebrations. Sixteen of the shire's newest Australian citizens were also welcomed.

The Australia Day Ambassador for 2022 was Dr David Kirkpatrick. Although he is the son of our local legend Slim Dusty, he has certainly made a name for himself, not only as a singer but also as a medical doctor and Chair of the Slim Dusty Foundation. As you can imagine, growing up on the road with Slim and his wife, Joy, was not the typical upbringing but a unique Australian story that David shared with us.

The Australia Day Awards are administered by the Australia Day Awards Committee on behalf of Kempsey Shire Council. The committee selects each award category winner. Being nominated for an Australia Day Award is a great honour.

Kempsey Shire Council celebrated the 2022 Australia Day by presenting awards for:

  • Citizen of the Year
  • Local Hero (more than one of these awards may be presented).

Find out about the Australia Day Award recipients for 2022 by clicking here.

Previous winners

Read through the winners back to 1981 on our archive of former award winners.

 

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