Media Release Sharath Mahendran, the creator behind successful YouTube channel, Building Beautifully, has taken out the People’s Choice Award at this year’s Sydney Awards.
Since launching the channel, Sharath has amassed more than 62,000 subscribers, making him one of the most recognisable independent voices on urban planning in Sydney.
His engaging and easy-to-understand content turns dense, technical planning debates into accessible and visually appealing content for a young, digitally native audience.
What began as a passion project has since drawn coverage from major Australian media outlets, appearances on radio stations, speaking invitations and formal submissions to the NSW Parliament.
Building Beautifully shows how a grassroots creator platform can shift public conversations on civic issues and bring younger Australians into planning debates that have typically been dominated by policymakers, businesses and established commentators.
The Committee for Sydney’s People’s Choice opens voting for the final award to the public. Sydneysiders can vote for one of their own – a person or project that exemplifies what it means to help Sydney thrive – to take out the final gong.
Eamon Waterford, CEO of the Committee for Sydney, said: “Sharath is unashamedly obsessed with transport and planning in Sydney. His love of this is infectious – and seeing how he has inspired so many people with his work has been a delight. That is the power of Building Beautifully – a YouTube channel that has made urban planning discussions accessible and compelling to Sydneysiders of all walks of life.”
“At the Committee for Sydney, we’re big fans of Sharath’s work – and clearly, so are thousands of other Sydneysiders. We love to see how he’s continuing to grow Building Beautifully and helping to change our city for the better.”
Designed to celebrate people whose efforts make Sydney the greatest city in the world, there are six categories: Sydneysider of the Year, Young Sydneysider of the Year, Project of the Year, Local Project of the Year, Unsung Hero and the People’s Choice.
The judging panel for the awards included:
- The Hon. Prue Car MP, Deputy Premier of NSW
- Kellie Sloane MP, Leader of the Opposition
- Zac McLean, Head of News, The Daily Telegraph
- Prof. Leonie Tickle, Executive Dean, Macquarie Business School
- Susan Wheeldon, Country Manager, Australia, New Zealand and Oceania, Airbnb
- Kerry Robinson OAM, CEO, Blacktown City Council
- Shaun Christie-David, Founder & CEO, Plate it Forward
- Karen Bevan, CEO, Full Stop Australia.
The Sydney Awards are supported by major partner Macquarie Business School, media partner The Daily Telegraph, and event sponsors Aqualand, Architectus, EY, Sydney Airport and Lime.