Deadline: 10-May-21
Applications are now open for the Multicultural Queensland Awards to recognize the valuable contributions of Queenslanders who support and promote a united, harmonious and inclusive Queensland community.
The Multicultural Queensland Awards 2021 program provides an opportunity to increase awareness of the benefits of diversity, while sharing the innovative ways people and organizations are making Queensland communities strong and cohesive.
Award Categories
The 2021 categories are:
- Outstanding contribution by a new Queenslander
- Recognizing the outstanding contribution of a Queenslander who has actively contributed to improving their local community or Queensland society. This can be through activities such as starting a social enterprise or business that provides opportunities for others, by volunteering, or actively contributing to a local community group.
- This category is for individuals who have arrived from overseas to live in Queensland in the past 10 years.
- Diversity and inclusion champion
- Recognizing individuals or groups who have gone above and beyond to create ways of helping others find belonging in Queensland. This could be through activities such as corporate or social mentoring programs, educational scholarships, employment initiatives or other supports that break down barriers to participation for people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
- This category is open to individuals, corporations, businesses, community organizations and government agencies.
- Multicultural sector outstanding achiever
- Recognizing individuals or groups from the multicultural sector who are working innovatively and achieving outstanding success in supporting Queenslanders from a diversity of backgrounds to meaningfully participate in the social and economic life of Queensland.
- This category is open to the multicultural sector including employees, non-government organizations, not-for-profit and community groups.
**A ‘Minister’s Multicultural Award’ will also be awarded recognizing the outstanding contributions of a nominee, selected by the Minister for Multicultural Affairs from all category nominations. One winner will be selected from each category and recognised with an award at the Multicultural Queensland Awards to be held during Multicultural Queensland Month in August.
Why nominate?
The most prestigious and longest running multicultural awards program in the state, the Multicultural Queensland Awards provide individuals and organizations with a unique opportunity to have their contributions to Queensland recognized.
The awards not only highlight the value of diversity, but also open doors for winners.
- For individuals, being a winner can:
- Provide recognition of their hard work
- Raise their profile and help inspire others to take action.
- For organizations, being a winner can:
- Help build the business and raise its profile
- Provide recognition of the organisation’s hard work.
- Successful winners will have an opportunity to be:
- Publicly recognized at the Multicultural Queensland Awards ceremony, in front of an audience of peers, community leaders, businesses and the broader Queensland community
- Presented with an award endorsed by the Minister for Multicultural Affairs
- Considered for an interview by a variety of media outlets.
Eligibility Criteria
- Nominations are open to individuals, community organizations, businesses, media, local government, state government and educational institutions operating in Queensland, depending on the category.
- Be a resident of Queensland or a Queensland-based entity.
- All nominees must be of good name and character and have not engaged directly or indirectly in any conduct which might discredit the awards.
- The nominator must have the consent of the nominee to enter a nomination.
- Nominators and nominees under 18 years of age must have the consent of a parent/guardian to nominate or be nominated.
- The nominator must verify that the information about the nominee contained in the nomination is true and correct.
- All nominees agree that their name and photo can be used in any promotional activities conducted by the Department of Children, Youth Justice and Multicultural Affairs.
- You may nominate a family member.
- Family members of either the nominee or nominator cannot be referees.
- Sponsors of Multicultural Queensland Month and/or the Multicultural Queensland Awards, employees of the Department of Children, Youth Justice and Multicultural Affairs involved in the administration and judging of the Multicultural Queensland Awards 2021 and their immediate family and any other people involved with the administration and judging of the Multicultural Queensland Awards 2021 and their immediate family are ineligible to nominate or be nominated for the awards.
Assessment Process
- All nominations are reviewed and assessed by an independent judging panel. The judging panel will include three representatives external to the department and one representative from the department as the panel chair.
- The judges will assess only on the information provided in the nomination, using the responses to the questions and criteria for each category.
- The Minister for Multicultural Affairs will choose an outstanding nominee from all nominees to receive the Minister’s Multicultural Award. The judging panel reserves the right to:
- not award a particular category
- change your nomination category where your nomination would otherwise be ineligible
- consider your nomination across several categories, where you are eligible for more than one category, to increase your chances of being a winner of an award.
For more information, visit https://www.qld.gov.au/about/events-awards-honours/awards/queensland-multicultural-awards/multicultural-queensland-awards