Ballina Shire 2026 Australia Day Awards

Behind every strong community are people who give their time, dedication and compassion to make a difference. Nominating in the Ballina Shire Australia Day Awards is your chance to say thank you and shine a light on their contribution.

The 2026 Ballina Shire Australia Day Award nominees have now been announced! View the full list here.

Categories include:

Young Citizen of the Year (30 years or under) – recognise young achievers making a difference.
Senior Citizen of the Year (60 years or over) – celebrate the wisdom and dedication of our seniors.
Volunteer Award (individual or group) – applaud those who selflessly support our community.
Sports Award (individual, team, coach, sports administrator) – honour sports excellence and contributions.
Arts and Culture Award (individual or group) – celebrate creative visionaries enriching our culture.
Environmental Award (individual or group) – acknowledge eco-warriors protecting our environment.
Community Event of the Year (event held during 2025) – spotlight outstanding events that brought us together.

The 2026 Ballina Shire Citizen of the Year will be selected from all nominees across all categories.

You're invited!

Winners will be announced at the 2026 Australia Day Ceremony at Lennox Head Cultural Centre on 26 January 2026. Everyone is invited to this event, to help us celebrate the ordinary people in our community doing extraordinary things.

Key dates

Nominations closed: Friday 14 November 2025
Awards ceremony: 9am - 11am, Monday 26 January 2026, Lennox Head Cultural Centre

At the ceremony we will celebrate our exceptional community members and present the 2026 Ballina Shire Australia Day Awards.

Our 2025 Ballina Shire Council Award Winners

On 26 January 2025 our community came together to honour our local heroes, welcome new Aussie citizens, and recognise all that is good about living in beautiful Ballina Shire.

Ballina Shire Council hosted the official Australia Day ceremony at the Lennox Head Cultural Centre.

More than 40 nominees were recognised across the award categories of Local Hero, Young Citizen, Senior Citizen, Volunteer of the Year, Sports Achievement, Arts and Culture, Environmental and Community Event of the Year.

You can read about our 2025 Ballina Shire Council Award Winners here.