The annual Sydney Awards recognise the achievements of people whose impact drives Sydney to be a vibrant, thriving city. Nominations for 2025 open on Monday 28 April, with winners announced at the gala dinner on 24 September.
Celebrating someone who has made an extraordinary contribution over the past year to making Sydney the best city in the world (considering people from across the many sectors that make our city tick, including planning, mobility, economy, resilience, culture and equity).
Celebrating an up-and-coming Sydney leader aged 16-30 who is already making a significant impact on our city.
Celebrating the people who go under the radar, yet play an essential role in making Sydney the best city in the world.
A transformative project that shifts how Sydney functions at scale – across transport, housing, technology, sustainability, culture, equity, or systems of governance. These projects shape the future of the city and its people, often impacting multiple suburbs, regions or sectors.
A community-driven project that improves everyday life at the neighbourhood, precinct, or suburb level. These projects are rooted in local identity and respond directly to the needs, values, and voices of the people who live there.
While specific instructions on what to include in the application are outlined in the nomination form, see below for a general summary.
When selecting our 2024 Sydney Awards winners, our judges will consider the nominees’ achievements in the year immediately prior to receiving the award, as well as their past achievements and ongoing contribution to making Sydney the best city in the world – a smart, vibrant, globally connected city.
We are looking for people who have made a significant difference to our city, whose efforts have improved future outcomes for those who will be living, working and playing here in the next 10, 20, 30 years...or more. What obstacles have been overcome? What wins have been celebrated? How have they made an impact?
Our judges will also consider significant achievement (personal, academic, professional), contribution to benefit others, demonstrated leadership, innovation, and creativity, community involvement and personal interests, challenges overcome, voluntary work, and public good (nature and length of activity or service).
Nominations are completed through a Google Form, which asks for contact details and longform responses about the nominee. There is an opportunity to provide links, documents, and referees. The nomination form will be published here on Monday 28 April.
Any enquiries about the awards and the nomination process can be sent to committee@sydney.org.au.
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