The NSW Government is calling all inspiring female community leaders to take part in the annual state Women of the Year Awards.

With six categories up for grabs, the Government has put out the call for nominees that may fit the bill and they need your help. 

“We're looking for the next ground-breaking thinkers, everyday heroes and social reformers. They're the innovative role models who challenge inequality and inspire us all,” according to the Women of the Year website. 

Nominations for the high-profile awards close on September 15, 2024, 11:59pm and organisers are asking rural and regional communities particularly to spotlight the amazing women in their communities that are doing outstanding things. 

With the following categories to choose from: 

• Premier’s NSW Woman of Excellence
• NSW Aboriginal Woman of the Year
• NSW Community Hero  
• NSW Regional Woman of the Year 
• NSW Young Woman of the Year  
• Ones to Watch  

Last year's winners showed the calibre of women in our state, including these women:

Dr Casey Sullivan was named NSW Aboriginal Woman of the Year. She is a proud Wiradjuri and Gamilaroi woman, is a General Practitioner (GP) who owns her own medical practice in Tamworth – the first Indigenous privately-owned and managed GP practice in NSW. She is committed to increasing medical accessibility and cultivating change in the North West NSW community.

NSW Regional Woman of the Year 2024 Theresa Mitchell. Photo courtesy NSW Women of the Year

Theresa Mitchell, the NSW Regional Woman of the Year founded Agape Outreach Inc, a charity that focuses on assisting the homeless and those in need, in 2009. Agape has grown substantially since then and is currently valued at almost $2 million. 

NSW Woman of Excellence for 2024, Jess Hill. Photo courtesy NSW Women of the Year

Jess Hill, the 2024 NSW Woman of Excellence, is a Walkley Award–winning journalist, advocate and public speaker who specialises in the subjects of coercive control and gendered violence. Prior to this, she was a Middle East correspondent, and worked as both a producer and reporter for various current affairs programs on the ABC. Her reporting on gendered violence has been awarded two Walkley Awards, three Our Watch Awards and an award from Amnesty International. 

The 2025 award recipients will be announced at the NSW Women of the Year Awards ceremony on March 6, 2025 as part of NSW Women's Week, which will run from Sunday 2 March to Saturday 8 March. 

To help recognise and celebrate their achievements and contributions, you can find the nomination form link for each award category here.