Nominations open for Western Australian Multicultural Awards

The Western Australian Multicultural Awards 2025 will be presented at a gala ceremony on Friday 14 March 2025 to launch Harmony Week 2025.

Categories

• Nominations can be made across ten categories that celebrate multiculturalism in WA:
  • Outstanding Individual Achievement Award: The Outstanding Individual Achievement Award recognises an individual from a CaLD background who has demonstrated an outstanding commitment through service to CaLD communities and promotion of multiculturalism in a field such as business, media, health services, aged care, advocacy or education.
  • Youth Award: The Youth Award recognises an individual under the age of 25, from a CaLD background, who demonstrates leadership and promotes social cohesion and intercultural understanding.
  • Community Organisation Awards:
  • Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) Community Associations: The CaLD Community Association Award recognises a Western Australian CaLD community organisation that has shown leadership in supporting the advancement of cultural and linguistic diversity in Western Australia.
  • Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CaLD) Community Service Organisations: The CaLD Community Service Organisation Award recognises a Western Australian CaLD community service organisation that has shown leadership in supporting the advancement of cultural and linguistic diversity in Western Australia.
  • General Community Service Organisations: The General Community Services Organisation Award recognises a Western Australian non-CaLD not-for-profit organisations delivering specific services to CaLD communities that has shown leadership in supporting the advancement of cultural and linguistic diversity in Western Australia.
  • Premier’s Public Sector Award: The Premier’s Public Sector Award recognises a State Government agency that has achieved exceptional outcomes relating to their multicultural plans to implement the Western Australian Multicultural Policy Framework (WAMPF).
  • Business Award: The Business Award recognises a private sector business or other enterprise operating in Western Australia that demonstrates excellence in ensuring cultural diversity and inclusion in its workplace through policies in employment, training, staff equity and other initiatives.
  • Local Government Award: The Local Government Award recognises major improvements made, or initiatives developed, by a local municipal council that promotes and strengthens multiculturalism and meets the identified needs of its CaLD communities.
  • Artist of the Year Award: The Artist of the Year Award recognises an artist or a performer from a CaLD background who, through their artistic endeavours, has advanced intercultural understanding and achieved excellence.
  • Sportsperson of the Year Award: The Sportsperson of the Year Award recognises an individual from a CaLD background who has achieved excellence through their commitment to sport, either as an athlete, coach or sport administrator.
  • Laksiri Jayasuriya Lifetime Community Service Award: The Laksiri Jayasuriya Lifetime Community Service Award recognises the outstanding achievements of an individual from a CaLD background who has had a minimum of 20 years service in progressing and promoting multiculturalism in Western Australia.
  • Sir Ronald Wilson Leadership Award: The Sir Ronald Wilson Leadership Award recognises outstanding Western Australians who have had a sustained impact on the lives of Aboriginal, CaLD or other marginalised groups in Western Australia.

Who can submit a nomination?

• Nominations are invited from any member of the Western Australian community.
• Self-nominations for individual categories are not accepted.
• Nominations must meet the eligibility requirements and selection criteria for the category.
• You can nominate the same person or organisation for more than one category, but they can only receive one award.
• Past winners of a Multicultural Award are eligible for an award in the same category, but not for the same project.
• In the individual categories, nominees will not be eligible for awards recognising achievements that were directly related to their employment in the public sector.
• The Office of Multicultural Interests may move a nomination into another category if deemed more appropriate.

Eligibility Criteria

• Outstanding Individual Achievement Award:
  • individuals from a CaLD background
  • self-nominations are not accepted
  • nominees may not be eligible for awards recognising achievements that were directly related to their paid employment.
• Youth Award:
  • individuals under 25 years of age from CaLD backgrounds
  • self-nominations are not accepted
  • nominees will not be eligible for awards recognising achievements that were directly related to their paid employment.
• Community Service and Support Award — CaLD Community Associations:
  • incorporated not-for-profit CaLD community associations
  • must be Western Australia based
  • self-nominations are accepted
  • nominees must have one referee that is external to the organisation.
• Community Service and Support Award — CaLD Community Service Organisations:
  • incorporated not-for-profit community organisations who are specifically established for and whose core business and focus is to either:
    • provide support and deliver services and programs to CaLD communities; or
    • represent and advocate for the interests of CaLD communities
  • must be Western Australia based
  • self-nominations are accepted
  • nominees must have one referee that is external to the organisation.
• Community Service and Support Award — General Community Services Organisation:
  • non-CaLD not-for-profit organisations delivering specific services to CaLD communities in the areas of civics, employment, social services and/or advocacy
  • must be Western Australia-based
  • self-nominations are accepted
  • nominees must have one referee that is external to the organisation.
• Premier’s Public Sector Award:
  • Western Australian State Government departments, SES, non-SES agencies and statutory authorities
  • the agency’s current multicultural plan must be attached to the nomination, as part of the supporting documentation
  • self-nominations are accepted
  • nominees must have one referee that is external to the organisation.
• Business Award:
  • businesses, universities, not-for-profit organisations
  • have a registered office in Western Australia
  • minimum five full-time equivalent staff
  • self-nominations are accepted
  • nominees must have one referee that is external to the organisation.
• Local Government Award:
  • local municipal councils
  • self-nominations are accepted
  • nominees must have one referee that is external to the organisation.
• Artist of the Year Award:
  • individuals from CaLD backgrounds
  • self-nominations are not accepted
  • nominees will not be eligible for awards recognising achievements that were directly related to their employment in the public sector
  • minimum of 2 years professional practice.
• Sportsperson of the Year Award:
  • individuals from CaLD backgrounds
  • self-nominations are not accepted
  • this category is open to athletes, coaches and sports administrators.
• Laksiri Jayasuriya Lifetime Community Service Award:
  • individuals from CaLD backgrounds
  • nominees must have served a minimum of 20 years of voluntary service in community organisations, not-for-profit organisations, the private sector or government
  • self-nominations are not accepted
  • nominees will not be eligible for awards recognising achievements that were solely related to their employment.
• Sir Ronald Wilson Leadership Award:
  • individuals
  • self-nominations are not accepted
  • nominees will be assessed based upon their voluntary contributions, not their paid employment
  • nominees will not be eligible for awards recognising achievements that were solely related to their primary paid employment or employment in the public sector.

Judging Criteria

• An independent judging panel will be appointed by the Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Interests to identify winners. Judging will be based on the response to the nomination questions.
• The Office of Multicultural Interests reserves the right to ask for further information and to make additional inquiries.
• The judging panel may move a nomination into another category, if deemed more appropriate. The decision of the judges is final. No further correspondence will be entered into.

For more information, visit Office of Multicultural Interests.