Young Canberra Citizen of the Year Award
About the awards
The Young Canberra Citizen of the Year Awards recognise individuals and groups of young Canberrans aged 12 to 25 who have made a significant contribution to the ACT community.
The awards celebrate young people for achievements in sport, education, science, culture, the environment or personal development.
Who you can nominate
When nominations are open we encourage nominations from and for young people from all backgrounds and life experiences. You can nominate yourself or someone else.
Nominations can reflect important, everyday contributions like volunteering, supporting your peers, or making a positive impact in your community.
If you know a young person doing great things, make sure you nominate them for the 2026 Young Canberra Citizen of the Year Awards.
Before you apply
Read the 2025 Young Canberra Citizen of the Year Award guidelines [Word 52KB].
Award categories
The 2025 Young Canberra Citizen of the Year Awards includes 6 award categories. You can nominate an individual or a group for more than one category.
Young Canberra Citizen of the Year Award
This award recognises an individual aged 12 to 25 who:
- is an exceptional role model
- has championed youth issues
- has made significant contributions to the ACT through personal effort or community involvement.
This award is sponsored by Beyond Bank Australia.
Young Achiever Award
This award recognises an individual aged 12 to 15 who:
- demonstrates emerging leadership potential
- has championed the values of youth issues in the ACT
- has taken initiative to achieve goals that benefit their community in the ACT.
This award is sponsored by the ACT Youth Advisory Council.
Personal Achievement Award
This award recognises an individual aged 12 to 25 who has:
- overcome adversity to achieve their life goals
- shown exceptional commitment to achieving their goals
- advocated for young people or youth organisations in the ACT.
This award is sponsored by Anglicare ACT.
Environment and Sustainability Award
This award recognises an individual or a group of young people aged 12 to 25 who:
- have made a meaningful contribution conserving, rehabilitating, or sustaining the environment
- promote the development and benefits of environmentally responsible behaviour
- have contributed towards a cleaner, greener, and a more sustainable Canberra
- have driven positive environmental change locally.
This award is sponsored by Ginninderry.
Group Achievement Award
This award recognises a group or organisation that:
- has delivered initiatives that promote and benefit young people in the ACT
- has championed the values and needs of young people in the ACT
- has maximised existing or provided new opportunities/services to young people in the ACT.
This award is sponsored by the Australian Catholic University.
Arts and Multimedia Award
This category recognises an outstanding young creative individual and/or group of young people who:
- have excelled in the Arts, and/or
- have shown best practice in utilising art/ multimedia/ social media to promote and express youth issues in the ACT; and/or
- have used art/multimedia to empower and inspire young people in the ACT; and/or
- have used or created social media platforms that inspire or empower young people.
This award is sponsored by the ACT Government.
How to nominate
Nominations for the 2025 Young Canberra Citizen of the Year Awards are now closed.
In 2026, you will be able to nominate a young person doing great things for the 2026 Young Canberra Citizen of the Year Awards.
You can make a nomination online. You need to fill in a separate nomination form for each category or nominee. If you submit an incomplete form, it will not be accepted.
To nominate online:
- Choose the award category or categories
- Atttach supporting material
- Submit your nomination before the closing date.
We recommend that you give a copy of your nomination form to any referees. This will help if the selection panel contacts them.
How we choose a winner
The nominations are assessed by representatives from the ACT Government and award category sponsors.
Sponsors
Sponsors for the 2025 Young Canberra Citizen of the Year Awards:
- Beyond Bank Australia (Young Canberra Citizen of the Year Award)
- ACT Youth Advisory Council (Young Achiever Award)
- Anglicare ACT (Personal Achievement Award)
- Ginninderry (Environment and Sustainability Award)
- Australian Catholic University (Group Achievement Award)
- ACT Government (Arts and Multimedia Award)
2025 award winners
- Young Canberra Citizen of the Year Award: Peter Harris
- Young Achiever Award: Loga Gandhi
- Personal Achievement Award: Dakota Thorne
- Environment and Sustainability Award: Rebecca Price
- Arts and Multimedia Award: Alice Groenhout
- Group Achievement Award: Canberra High School Period Products Pilot
Young Canberra Citizen of the Year 2025
'Being nominated for the Young Canberra Citizen of the Year Award is an honour that reflects the spirit of my community that is built on strength, hope and self-determination. This recognition is not just for me, but for every voice that has fought to make our communities stronger, more connected, and grounded in culture,' Peter says.
Hear from our Young Canberra Citizen of the Year 2025 Peter Harris.
Past winners
Find all past winners of Young Canberra Citizen of the Year Awards.