NSW Local Citizen of the Year Awards Guide

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About the NSW Local Citizen of the Year Awards

The NSW Local Citizen of the Year Awards are a meaningful part of Australia Day celebrations, giving councils a way to honour and spotlight everyday Australians who make a positive impact in their communities.

From volunteers and young leaders to sporting heroes and environmental advocates, these awards celebrate individuals who inspire civic pride and community spirit.

Councils run the awards locally, tailoring the program to suit their communities, with presentations typically held at Australia Day events.

The Australia Day Council of NSW is pleased to support councils with advice, to help facilitate a fair and inclusive selection process and marketing and promotional tools to assist in delivering a successful program.

Download the NSW Local Citizen of the Year Awards Guide PDF

Award Categories

The NSW Local Citizen of the Year Awards are designed to celebrate the achievements of remarkable community members in 12 main award categories commonly presented by councils across NSW.

Councils can run as many or as few award categories as suited to their community.

* Please note the Environmental Citizen of the Year Awards are no longer a sponsored program, there are no longer state level award recipients and prizes.

Additional Award Categories

Councils may consider presenting additional award categories to reflect the specific achievements in their community. ie Arts and Culture, Business of the Year, Lifetime Achievement awards etc.

Other Suggested Guidelines

• • In the spirit of community and inclusiveness nominations should be open to all, and nominees do not have to be Australian Citizens.
  • Councils may choose to adapt the suggested criteria and guidelines, so they are relevant to their local community.
  • Self- nominations are discouraged. Nominations should be endorsed and reference/s included.
  • One nomination is sufficient to be considered; the number of nominations received per nominee should not bear weight to their assessment. 
  • Councils may consider nominations to be awarded for a category other than the one they have been nominated for.
  • Awards should not be granted posthumously; however, the council may wish to recognise and honour a recipient by adding a posthumous award category for that year.
  • Sitting members of state, federal, local government and vice regal officers should not be eligible. Councils should consider other ways to recognise such achievements for their community ie a special or honorary award presented for that particular year.

Nominations

Nomination Period

Each council determines the award nomination period.

It is recommended that councils consider opening nominations no later than 30 September as this will provide the community sufficient time to be aware of the awards and nominate. Nominations should remain open for at least 6 weeks.

Call for Nominations

There are many ways councils can encourage and promote the 'Call for Nominations' from their community including: 

• • Identifying local groups that will either nominate or help build awareness of the awards (or both). These may include schools, libraries, community centres, businesses, clubs, local journalists, media outlets, volunteers and other community groups.
  • Sending information on the awards and details on how to nominate to these groups, including posters and nomination forms
  • Making it easy to nominate by having a webpage for the awards including:
    • creating an online award nomination form on your website or build forms on other user-friendly platforms such as MS Forms, Survey Monkey or Campaign Monitor.

    • having physical nomination forms available to fill and submit at key locations around the community or by post.

    • housing FAQs on the website or on the back of forms.

  • Building awareness of the awards and the nomination period via posts on your social media channels, link your webpage so nominations can be submitted with only a click away (see example posts below)
  • Announcing the opening of nominations in local media (see promotional templates)
  • Reaching out to previous award recipients and key community members ie the Mayor to support the nomination period by: 
    • providing quotes for promotional activities. 
    • raising awareness by posting a 'call for nominations' on their social media channels (or other). 

Judging the Awards

Selection Panels

Each council convenes a panel to judge the awards at the end of the nomination period. We would recommend judging take place by mid-December ahead of the Local Government office shutdown period.

The integrity of the awards is best supported by an independent and respected judging panel that will convene to determine the Local Citizen of the Year Awards finalists and winners.

It is recommended that council invites at least 1- 2 community representatives to sit on the judging panel to assess the nominations. All panel members should be engaged ahead of the date and sign non-disclosure or confidentiality forms.

Councils should check the nominations for eligibility and depending on the number of nominations received may choose to do a preliminary shortlist of nominations. It is recommended to undertake background checks on the shortlisted nominees ahead of judging.

Judges should be provided the nominations to read and shortlist ahead of the panel meeting along with guidance on conflicts of interest. This ensures that the judging process runs in a timely fashion on the day and facilitates robust well considered discussions on the nominees.

Generally, the winners remain confidential until they are announced on Australia Day.

Promoting Award Finalists and Recipients

Leading up to Australia Day

In the period leading up to Australia Day and announcing the recipients (winners), there is an opportunity to generate further interest in the awards by promoting all the finalists and showcasing their contributions and inspirational stories to the community.

We recommend Councils consider:

• • Featuring award finalists and recipients on council communications platforms including, website, social media, EDMs and other.
  • Feature award finalists in a social media campaign to promote and highlight their nominative or initiatives to create a buzz leading up to the award announcement.
  • Issuing a media release for local media to profile the finalists and support the announcement of the recipients on Australia Day.

After Australia Day and throughout the Year

• • Councils are encouraged to engage with award recipients throughout the year to continue to promote their stories and achievements. To maximise participation:
  • Promote and organise for award recipients to speak at community events and schools throughout the year.
  • Consider award recipients for members of judging panels for local competitions, awards and other local government opportunities.
  • Invite previous award recipients to present or assist in presenting the award to their successors at the awards ceremony on Australia Day.
  • Nominate the Local NSW Citizen of the Year recipients for other state and national awards such as:

Australian of the Year Awards

Celebrate and recognise extraordinary Australians who make a profound impact on our lives, communities and society.

Nominations are open year-long in 4 award categories and close midnight 31 July for the following year. Each state holds state award ceremonies in November. State recipients will be invited to the national awards ceremony in Canberra, where the national award recipients are announced on the eve of Australia Day.

Submit nominations online at www.australianoftheyear.org.au/nominate

NSW Government Community Service Award

Each Member of Parliament is entitled to nominate and present 2 NSW Government Community Service Awards and plaques on behalf of the Premier each calendar year. Awards recognise significant services and contributions to the community.

Submit nominations at any time of the year by email to the office of your Local Member of Parliament, attaching relevant supporting materials and links for consideration.

NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards

Celebrate and recognise the incredible dedication, effort and community service of our state’s volunteers, volunteer leaders and volunteer teams.

Nominations in 7 categories are generally open from April – May for the following year. 25 regional ceremonies are held in towns and suburbs throughout NSW with regional finalists invited to the State Gala in December in where the State winners are announced.

Submit nominations online at www.volunteering.com.au/awards/

NSW Women of the Year Awards

Celebrate the incredible women and girls improving the lives of people in NSW. Nominations are generally open from early August - September for the following year in 6 categories including Local Women of the Year.

Submit nominations online at www.nsw.gov.au/women-nsw/awards-and-events

Multicultural Community Medals

Multicultural NSW presents community awards in over 10 categories from business, arts, regional unity to languages and community services. The awards celebrate the people and organisations who continuously strive to make NSW a harmonious place for everyone through outstanding leadership, innovation and community connection. Nominations are generally open from mid-August – September for the following year.

Submit nominations online at www.multicultural.nsw.gov.au/multicultural-community-medals/

Australian Honours and Awards

Are the highest honour that can be bestowed to an individual in Australia awarded by the Governor General of the Commonwealth of Australia. The awards acknowledge those from all walks of life who work tirelessly to improve local communities and to make Australia a better place. Recognising Australians in 4 key categories who have demonstrated outstanding service or exceptional achievement, distinguished service in the public sector, emergency services or military, heroic courage in action and acts of bravery. Nominations are open year-long and announced twice a year on Australia Day (January) and the King's Birthday (June).

Submit nominations online at www.gg.gov.au/australian-honours-and-awards

Certificates

The Australia Day Council of NSW provides councils with certificate artwork for the 12 main categories in soft copy editable versions that you can add your recipient details and print yourselves.

Councils can also order hard copy certificate shells for the 12 main categories to be printed and posted to you to add your recipient details.

Click here to download the certificates

Social Media Tips and Post Templates

Start with a powerful visual

• • Use high-quality photos or short videos for your post.
  • Canva is a free easy-to-use online tool that has plenty of social media templates to help you create branded frames and posts to maintain a consistent and professional look.
  • To improve accessibility and discoverability, add alternative text to images and add captions/subtitles to videos.

• • • On most platforms you can add alt text after uploading your image, click [Edit] then click [Alt text] before posting.
    • To add captions for video, use the platform’s captioning tool or upload an SRT file to include all spoken words and important sounds.

• • Consider creating a tile or poster that can be sent to local schools, community organisations and clubs to post on their social media, in their newsletter or noticeboard.

Craft emotionally engaging captions and have a clear call to action

• • The captions that tell a story, have a narrative, catchy tagline or share a quote make the most impact. Keep captions concise but meaningful to resonate with your audience.
  • Use a clear call to action or direct prompt ie ‘Nominate Now!’ ‘Submit yours today at…’ ‘Let us know…’ or ‘Tag someone…’

Use links, mentions and hashtags

• • Include a nomination link or website link in every post!
  • Use mentions if you’re confident and it’s appropriate - @ a person, group, business or even a past recipient/ finalist in your post or @ them in a comment to your post.
  • Combine campaign and your own community hashtags – we’ve provided some hashtags you can use to help your posts reach a wider audience, connect with state-wide conversations, and make your content easier to find by the relevant audience.
  • Use hashtags strategically – 3 to 5 hashtags per post work best.

Post at the right time and engage with comments!

• • Share content when your audience is most active. Use platform analytics to confirm peak times.
  • Best posting times vary by platform, but generally, NSW audiences are most active:

• • • early mornings (5-8am)
    • lunch (12-2pm)
    • and early evenings (6-9pm)
    • performing best midweek
  • Use analytics to refine timing for your community. Test and adapt posting time to suit your specific community and audience
  • Prep and schedule posts ahead of time.
  • Engage with your audience and respond to comments and questions, thank people for reposting/ tagging, reshare posts in stories – especially within the first hour of posting to maximise reach. 

Make it easy to share and repost

• • Create branded tiles or reels that others can repost.
  • Leverage local media, businesses, community pages and local figures and influencers. Share your posts with them and encourage them to repost or feature a shout out or call to nomination in one of their posts.

Track what works for your community

• • Monitor which posts get the most likes, shares and comments to understand what resonates with your audience, what sparks conversation and drives engagement. These insights will assist you to better plan your next post.

Campaign Hashtags

#NSWLocalCitizenoftheYearAwards

#[Council Name]CitizenoftheYear

#AustraliaDayAwards

#NSWLocalLegends

#NominateNow

#AusDayNSW

#AustraliaDay

#ReflectRespectCelebrate

Milestone 1: Nominations open

 Facebook / Instagram

1. 1. 1. [Council Name] is searching for the [Year] Local Citizens of the Year! Nominate someone who’s doing something extraordinary and deserves to be recognised in our community. Find out more and nominate at [Insert link]
      2. Every community has someone who goes above and beyond. Whether it’s a tireless volunteer, a young changemaker, or a sporting hero - now’s your chance to give them the recognition they deserve. Nominate someone for the [Council Name] Local Citizen of the Year Awards at [Insert link]
      3. Nominate someone you know for the [Council Name] Local Citizen of the Year Awards and help us celebrate the everyday Australians who uplift our community. 👉 Nominate now! Find out more at [Insert link]
      4. Nominations are now open for the [Council Name] Local Citizen of the Year Awards. Recognise someone who’s making a real difference in your community. Categories include [Insert Categories] Find out more and submit nominations at [Insert link]

1. 1. 1. Know someone who inspires others - who makes a real impact in our community that deserves recognition? Nominate now for the [Council Name] Local Citizen of the Year Awards! [Insert Link]

Milestone 2: Nominations Reminders and Final Call

Send reminders to maximise reach and encourage action. Principles for effective language:

• • Be clear about the deadline: “Nominations close this Friday” is stronger than “Don’t miss out”.
  • Use action verbs: “Nominate”, “Submit”, “Celebrate”, “Recognise”.
  • Create urgency without pressure: “Last chance to nominate your local hero” feels motivating, not stressful.
  • Highlight the benefit: “Help us celebrate the people who make a difference”.

 Facebook / Instagram

1. 1. 1. Know someone who inspires you? Nominations are still open for the [Year] [Council Name] Local Citizen of the Year Awards!
         Tell us why they deserve to be celebrated and help us recognise the people who make our community stronger.
         👉 Nominate now: [Insert Link]
      2. ⏰ One week left! Nominate someone for the [Year] [Council Name] Local Citizen of the Year Awards.
         We’re celebrating volunteers, sports stars, local legends, eco-champions and everyday heroes who make [Council Name] a great place to live.
         Nominate today: [Insert Link]
      3. Final call! Nominations for the [Year] [Council Name] Local Citizen of the Year Awards close on [Insert Date].
         Know someone making a real difference? This is your chance to celebrate them.
         👉 Nominate now: [Insert Link]

1. 1. 1. They give. They lead. They uplift. Nominate a local changemaker for the [Council Name] Local Citizen of the Year Awards - only one week left! [Insert Link]
      2. Don’t forget to nominate a [Council Name] Local Legend for the [Year] Local Citizen of the Year Awards. Nominations close on [Insert Date] [Insert Link]
      3. One week left! Nominate a local hero for the [Council Name] Local Citizen of the Year Awards before it’s too late.
         Recognise someone who makes our community stronger [Insert Link]

Milestone 3: Announcing and Promoting Finalists in the lead up to Australia Day

 Facebook / Instagram

1. 1. 1. Meet [Finalist Name] one of the incredible finalists for the [Council Name] [Year] Local Citizen of the Year Awards. Their story is one of [Insert Details ie dedication, resilience and community spirit] - and we can’t wait to celebrate them on Australia Day! Follow us to meet more inspiring finalists this week [Insert Link]
      2. [Council Name] is proud to showcase our [Year] Local Citizen of the Year Awards finalists nominated by you! Join us on Australia Day [or Insert Event Date] as we celebrate these inspiring Australians making an extraordinary impact in our community. [Post with group image/ tile image of finalist’s headshots]
      3. We’re proud to announce [Finalist Name] as a finalist in the [Year] Local Citizen of the Year Awards. Their work with [Cause / Community] has made a lasting impact in [Field / Details]. Join us in celebrating their achievements this Australia Day [or Insert Event Date]. Follow us for Australia Day event details [Insert Link]
      4. Did you know the NSW Local Citizen of the Year Awards honour volunteers, leaders and changemakers in each council across our state on Australia Day every year? Meet the finalists of the [Council Name] [Year] Local Citizen of the Year Awards. Join us at the awards ceremony on [Insert Event Date] as we come together to celebrate their achievements as a community.

1. 1. 1. From [mentoring youth] to [leading local initiatives], [Finalist Name] is a force for good. They’re a finalist in the [Council Name] [Year] Local Citizen of the Year Awards - and we couldn’t be prouder.
      2. The countdown to #AustraliaDay is on! We’re celebrating our [Council Name] [Year] Local Citizen of the Year finalists - starting with [Finalist Name], whose story is nothing short of inspiring.
      3. Let’s hear it for [Finalist Name]! A finalist in the [Council Name] [Year] Local Citizen of the Year Awards, they’ve shown what it means to [lead with heart].

Media Release Templates

Media releases are a great way to spark interest and generate local awareness and publicity for your awards program, local initiatives of nominees and finalists and Australia Day events.

For greater impact, councils can leverage your own promotions with the state and nation-wide campaigns and information reported in the media throughout January by the Australia Day Council of NSW, Destination NSW and the National Australia Day Council.

Simply copy the media release templates below into a new Word document and fill it out with information about your local awards and presentation event.

Call for Nominations

Announcing and Promoting Finalists in the lead up to Australia Day

Tips for Working with Media

Contacts:  keep your media contacts up to date and send media releases to the right journalist/ news editor.

Deadlines: be aware of media deadlines for your area, when they need information and images by as they are different for newspapers, radio and television.

Hook or angle:  offer a hook or angle that will catch their attention. ie local media like local angles and local personalities. Humour, quirky stories and human-interest angles are always popular, as are anniversaries or milestones (e.g. the first or biggest).

Include quotes and statistics:  for more impactful statements to the media include a quote from a prominent person ie Mayor, GM, Australia Day Committee or spokesperson. Provide relevant statistics on components of the program or event for accuracy.

Responding to media enquiries: prepare responses to anticipated questions you may be asked i.e. requests for quotes, photos or biographies. Respond to media enquiries with information as quickly as possible and to their deadline.

Integrity:  remain professional, be realistic and objective. Don’t make promises you can’t keep; don’t assume an answer you don’t know to be correct or issue a response you are unsure of to meet deadline as this can damage your relationship with the outlet and the reputation of your organisation.

Newsletter / Website Article Templates

Consider using the below templates in your planning and feature an article on your website or send a newsletter to your council database, networks, stakeholders and organisations in your community.

Call for Nominations

Announcing and Promoting Finalists in the lead up to Australia Day

Contact

Australia Day Community Programs Team                

Australia Day Council of NSW               

T: 02 9372 8740   

E: [email protected]