NSW Women of the Year Awards

The NSW Women of the Year Awards celebrate the incredible women and girls improving the lives of people in NSW.

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NSW Women of the Year Awards 2024 Ceremony

Watch the recording of the Awards Ceremony, held on Thursday 7 March 2024

Since 2012 these annual awards have recognised the women and girls whose determination, bravery, skill and passion has inspired their communities and others to achieve great things.

The awards celebrate the role models who challenge inequality, innovate and inspire.

Women of the Year Awards 2024

We are proud to announce the recipients of the six NSW Women of the Year Award categories below. Congratulations to all our amazing recipients and finalists!

Nominations for 2024 opened on 31 August and closed on 24 October 2023. The NSW Women of the Year 2024 recipients were announced at a ceremony on Thursday 7 March at the International Convention Centre, Sydney.

See the photo gallery from the Awards Ceremony.

Follow Women NSW on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn to stay up to date with the latest Awards news and announcements.

Premier’s NSW Woman of Excellence

The Premier’s NSW Woman of Excellence is a role model who has excelled in her chosen field. In doing so, she effects lasting change and is an inspiration to others. 

NSW Aboriginal Woman of the Year 

A dedicated pillar of her community, the NSW Aboriginal Woman of the Year is a role model who promotes economic, cultural and/or social opportunities for Aboriginal people in NSW.  Open to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women.

NSW Community Hero

The NSW Community Hero Award shines a light on the accomplishments of an extraordinary woman who works tirelessly to contribute to the prosperity of those in her local community.

NSW Regional Woman of the Year

The NSW Regional Woman of the Year recognises the accomplishments of an exceptional woman living in regional NSW who inspires and advances their community,  and contributes to the fabric of their local area.

NSW Young Woman of the Year

The NSW Young Woman of the Year has demonstrated incredible potential or achievement in her chosen field, passion or area of interest. Open to women aged 16-30 years.

The Ones to Watch

Recognises girls and young women aged 7 to 15, who demonstrate a single act or ongoing acts of courage, strength, determination and/or kindness to help and support those around them.

The 2024 recipients are:

Local Women of the Year Honour Roll

The NSW Local Women of the Year are chosen by Members of Parliament and are recognised for their contribution to their local community.

See the Local Women of the Year Honour Roll for 2024
  • Julianne Whyte - Albury
  • Kathy Garancsi - Auburn
  • Leisa McGivern - Badgerys Creek
  • Belinda Daly - Balmain
  • Mona Mahamed    Bankstown
  • Liz Schembri - Bathurst
  • Carina Severs - Bega
  • Seema Balasubramanian - Blacktown
  • Ailie Banks - Blue Mountains
  • Beverley Donald - Cabramatta
  • Denise Pritchard - Camden
  • Susan McGarrity - Campbelltown
  • Sajeda Bahadurmia - Canterbury
  • Melissa Monteiro - Castle Hill
  • Lexie Matthews - Cessnock
  • Leanne Lynch - Charlestown
  • Cheryl Dimmock - Clarence
  • Carol Cleary - Coffs Harbour
  • Vivienne McCredie - Coogee
  • Marie Tame - Cootamundra
  • Julie McKinnery - Cronulla
  • Alizée Vanderveken - Davidson
  • Myff Clarke - Dubbo
  • Shannon Foster - East Hills
  • Sinilia Maria Radivojevic - Fairfield
  • Louise Lambeth - Gosford
  • Beth Hoskins - Goulburn
  • Randa Kattan - Granville
  • Fiona Germaine - Hawkesbury
  • Annette Jones - Heathcote
  • Helen Te Rata - Heffron
  • Laura Cowell - Holsworthy
  • Nat Tobin - Hornsby
  • Nyan Thit Tieu - Keira
  • Kylie Tzavaras - Kellyville
  • Barbara Adams - Kiama
  • Patricia Will - Kogarah
  • Marea De Angelis - Lane Cove
  • Antoinette Sulfaro - Leppington
  • Jenny London - Lismore
  • Sally Atkins - Liverpool
  • Sharon Le Ban - Londonderry
  • Jenny Woolfe - Macquarie Fields
  • Evelyn Stonham - Maitland
  • Georgie Furze - Manly
  • Christina Iskandar - Maroubra
  • Diane McInerney - Miranda
  • Chloe Pailthorpe - Monaro
  • Aleksandra Dyrka - Mount Druitt
  • Jennifer Rose - Murray
  • Carmel Hanson - Newcastle
  • Sarina Afa - Newtown
  • Laura Stone - North Shore
  • Tian Harris - Northern Tablelands
  • Paula Townsend - Orange 
  • Jacqueline Moshtaghi-Qaziani - Parramatta
  • Julia Parashko - Penrith
  • Laura Enever - Pittwater
  • Sue Ashton - Port Macquarie
  • Jackie Bower - Port Stephens
  • Julie-Ann Mifsud - Prospect
  • Krianne Doherty - Riverstone
  • Fadia Mehanna - Rockdale
  • Tanya Kwee - Ryde
  • Rhiannon Halling - Shellharbour
  • Sandra Gray - South Coast
  • Elizabeth Wang - Strathfield
  • Carolyn Walker - Summer Hill
  • Laurel Williams - Swansea
  • Shalini Pratap - Tamworth
  • Louise Vangestel - Terrigal
  • Mirandra Browne - The Entrance
  • Gail Solman - Upper Hunter
  • Alethea Gold - Vaucluse
  • Lynne Graham - Wagga Wagga
  • Mala Mehta - Wahroonga
  • Sonja Walker - Wakehurst
  • Anna Dawson Glasby - Wallsend
  • Solveig Coulon - Willoughby
  • Nicole Smith - Wollondilly
  • Maria Di Carlo - Wollongong
  • Ricki-Lee Abrams - Wyong

Award eligibility requirements and terms and conditions

Below are the eligibility requirements and terms and conditions for the NSW Women of the Year Awards 2024.

General eligibility requirements
  • Nominee is a woman or girl residing in NSW. 
  • Self-nominations will be accepted.
  • Awards will not be granted posthumously.
  • Sitting state and federal politicians and current vice-regal officers are not eligible.
  • Retired politicians and vice-regal officers will be considered for work undertaken in addition to their official duties.
  • A previous winner cannot receive a second award in the same award category but can be considered for recognition in a separate category in following years.
  • Unsuccessful nominees, including previous finalists may be re-nominated in subsequent years. Re-nominations must highlight achievements and/or contributions accomplished after the previous nomination.
  • Groups of people or couples will not normally be eligible though in exceptional cases the selection panels reserve the right to consider such nominations.
Category eligibility requirements
  • Nominees for the NSW Young Woman of the Year must be aged 16 to 30 years.
  • Nominees for the Ones to Watch must be aged 7 to 15 years.
  • Age criteria as of 7 March 2024.
  • Nominees for the NSW Aboriginal Women of the Year must be of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent.
  • Nominees for the NSW Regional Woman of the Year must reside outside of Newcastle, Wollongong and Greater Sydney.
Nominations
  • Nominees must consent to their nomination before an entry is submitted.
  • Nominations will be accepted from 9:00am on Thursday 31 August 2023 to 11:59pm on Tuesday 24 October 2023.
  • Nominations must be submitted online. Hard copy nomination forms will not be accepted. Please email WomenOfTheYear@premiersdepartment.nsw.gov.au if you have any difficulty submitting your nomination online. 
  • All required fields must be completed and criteria must be addressed for the nomination to be considered valid.
  • Nominators must provide required contact details for themselves and their nominee including an active email address and mobile phone contact number.
  • Entry is conditional upon confirmation of eligibility by the selection panel.
  • Nominees may be contacted by the Premier’s Department to request additional information including a photo and biography.
  • Nominees who progress through the assessment process will be subject to a National Police Background Check and referee check.
  • An awards ceremony will be held during NSW Women’s Week 2024 (4-10 March) in Sydney and finalists will need to be available to attend the event.
  • Travel arrangements to attend the Ceremony in March will be organised for finalists where required. 
  • A nominee can be entered into more than one category using separate nomination forms.
  • The panel reserves the right to move your nomination to another award category if they deem it more suitable.
  • All nomination forms and materials submitted remain the property of the Premier’s Department.
  • Entry into the NSW Women of the Year Awards is deemed acceptance of the Terms and Conditions.
Selection
  • Nominees must meet the eligibility criteria to be considered for shortlisting.
  • The judging panel's decision is final and no correspondence or discussion will be entered into.
General information
  • Successful nominees agree to make themselves available for media and promotional activities outside of the awards ceremony event.
  • Where a nominee has a current media contract it must not preclude her from participating in media activities around the award ceremony and promoting the NSW Women of the Year Awards for the following year.
  • Upon returning a signed permission form, nominees grant permission for the Premier’s Department to use and disclose their personal information provided through the nomination process, additional submissions, correspondence, photographs and videos at its discretion including for, but not limited to, media and promotional purposes.
  • Alternative format nomination forms can be made available for people with disability upon request. Please email WomenOfTheYear@premiersdepartment.nsw.gov.au.
     
Privacy
  • Personal information about nominees and nominators provided will only be used for the conduct and promotion of the NSW Women of the Year Awards.
  • Should you have any enquiries about access to your personal information held by the Premier’s Department please direct your request to: WomenOfTheYear@premiersdepartment.nsw.gov.au.
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