Queensland Sport Awards

The Queensland Athlete of the Year will be an individual who has attained a level of excellence and/or whose performance(s) set them apart from their peers during the period, thus warranting their recognition with this Award.

Factors to consider in completing nominations include:

• type, level (i.e. regional, state, national and/or international) and standard of competition
• basis of competition (i.e. individual competitor or member of a team)
• achievements by the athlete during the period
• significance of the athletes achievements during the period.

The Queensland Para-athlete of the Year will be an individual who holds a recognised classification and who has attained a level of excellence and/or whose performance (s) set them apart from their peers during the period, thus warranting their recognition with this Award.

Factors to consider in completing nominations include:

• type, level (i.e. regional, state, national and/or international) and standard of competition
• basis of competition (i.e. individual competitor or member of a team)
• achievements by the athlete during the period
• significance of the athletes achievements during the period.

The Queensland Junior Athlete of the Year will be an individual aged under 18 years during the period who has obtained a level of excellence and/or whose performance(s) in competition, including para-sport competition, set them apart from their peers, thus warranting their recognition with this Award.

Please include the nominee’s date of birth in the information submitted.

Factors to consider in completing nominations include:

• type, level (i.e. regional, state, national and/or international) and standard of competition
• basis of competition (i.e. individual competitor or member of a team)
• achievements by the athlete during the period
• significance of the athletes achievements during the period.

The Service to Queensland Sport Award recipients will be individuals whose commitment and contributions to sport have generated positive impacts over a sustained period. The nominee may be an employed administrator, a volunteer, a competitor, a coach, an official or anyone whose contribution and impacts over a sustained period distinguishes the nominee from their peers.

Factors to consider in completing nominations include:

• type and standard of contributions to their sport(s)
• type and standard of contributions to the industry more broadly
• achievements over a sustained period of multiple years
• significance of achievements and positive impacts they have generated.

The Queensland Sport Team of the Year will be a team of two or more participants that has attained a level of excellence and/or whose performance(s) in competition, including para-sport competition, sets the team apart from its peers during the period, thus warranting the team’s recognition with this Award.

In instances where a nominating organisation wishes to submit two or more teams that have achieved an equal result, each team is to be submitted in a separate nomination for consideration by the Selection Committee.

For example, a State Sporting Organisation wishing to submit two teams that both won a national championship title is required to submit each team’s information and achievements in a separate nomination.

Factors to consider in completing nominations include:

• type, level (i.e. regional, state, national and/or international) and standard of competition
• achievements by the team during the period
• the significance of these achievements during the period.

The Queensland Junior Sport Team of the Year will be a team of two or more participants aged under 18 years during the period that has attained a level of excellence and/or whose performance(s) in competition, including para-sport competition, sets the team apart from its peers, thus warranting the team’s recognition with this Award.

Please ensure the information that is submitted includes the date of birth of the oldest member of the nominated team.

In instances where a nominating organisation wishes to submit two or more teams that have achieved an equal result, each team is to be submitted in a separate nomination for consideration by the Selection Committee.

For example, a State Sporting Organisation wishing to submit two teams that both won a national championship title is required to submit each team’s information and achievements in a separate nomination.

Factors to consider in completing nominations include:

• type, level (i.e. regional, state, national and/or international) and standard of competition
• achievements by the team during the period
• the significance of these achievements during the period.

The Queensland Sport Administrator of the Year will be an individual who has made a significant contribution to their sport(s) and/or the sport industry more broadly during the period. The nominee’s contributions over the period will have generated benefits for their sport(s) at a standard of excellence that set them apart from their peers, thus warranting their recognition with this Award.

Factors to consider in completing nominations include:

• type and standard of contributions to their sport(s) during the period
• type and standard of contributions to the sport industry more broadly during the period
• achievements and positive impacts directly attributed to their leadership and contributions during the period
• significance of their achievements and positive impacts during the period.

The Queensland Sport Official of the Year will be an individual who has attained a level of excellence in the field of officiating (i.e. refereeing, umpiring, judging, etc.). The nominee’s contributions and achievements as a sport official over the period will be of a standard of excellence that sets them apart from their peers, thus warranting their recognition with this Award.

Factors to consider in completing nominations include:

• type, level (i.e. regional, state, national or international competition) and standard of officiating
• achievements of the official during the period
• the significance of their achievements during the period.

The Queensland Sport Volunteer of the Year will be an individual who contributes to sport in Queensland on a voluntary basis. The recipient of this Award may act as an administrator, coach, official or in another role provided they receive no remuneration (apart from reimbursements for expenses incurred) in respect to their duties.

The nominee’s contributions and achievements as a volunteer over the period will be of a standard of excellence that set them apart from their peers, thus warranting their recognition with this Award.

Note: This Award applies to achievements over the one (1) year performance period with the nominee’s number of years of service overall not considered in the judging of this category. Individuals whose sport volunteering contributions and achievements over multiple years warrant consideration should be nominated for the Service to Queensland Sport Award.

Factors to consider in completing nominations include:

• type and standard of contributions to sport as a volunteer during the period
• type and standard of contributions to industry as a volunteer during the period
• achievements and positive impacts directly attributed to their contributions as a volunteer during the period
• significance of their achievements and positive impacts during the period.

The Queensland Sport Coach of the Year will be an individual who has made significant contributions to the achievements of a person(s) or team that they have coached and/or who has made a significant contribution to increasing the coach workforce and/or standard of coaching in the sport(s) with which they have been associated.

The nominee’s contributions and achievements as a sport coach over the period will be of a standard of excellence that sets them apart from their peers, thus warranting their recognition with this Award.

Factors to consider in completing nominations include:

• type, level (i.e. regional, state, national and international) and standard of coaching
• achievements of the person(s) and/or team(s) that they have coached during the period
• additional relevant achievements recorded by the coach during the period
• the significance of these achievements during the period.

The Queensland Sport Innovation of the Year  will be an innovative product or initiative creating new value for users and/or stakeholders in the sport industry at a standard of excellence that sets them apart from their peers, thus warranting their recognition with this Award.

Eligible products or initiatives include technology-driven or technology-enhanced innovations, imaginative program design and delivery, workforce development innovations, sustainability initiatives and growth strategies.

Broad themes under which eligible innovations may sit include:

1. Participation: innovations impacting participation growth, safety, equipment and/or efficiency of sport delivery
2. High Performance: innovations that enable athletes and coaches to win and/or prioritise health and wellbeing
3. Equity & Inclusion: innovations that successfully address barriers to participation and performance for communities experiencing disadvantage or marginalisation
4. Sustainability: innovations that unlock positive environmental impacts and help the industry advance towards climate and/or sustainability goals

Factors to consider in completing nominations include:

• the innovation features a novel approach and/or incorporates novel technology or applies the technology in a transformative way
• the potential for and/or demonstrated impact of the innovation for the sport industry
• the opportunity for the sport innovation to scale and grow across sports and outside of sport into adjacent sectors.

The Queensland Sport Event of the Year will be an event recognised as having achieved a standard of excellence greater than that of any other sporting event during the period.

Events during the period may involve local, regional, state, national or international competitors, include either a single or multiple sports, and have been contested by individuals and/or teams (either professional or amateurs).

The event will stand apart based on its high standard of organisation, its successful delivery and the positive impacts generated through its delivery.

Factors to consider in completing nominations include:

• type and standard of the event (i.e. professional and/or amateur; state, national and/or international athletes, etc.)
• the number of competitors, coaches, officials, volunteers and spectators involved
• the quality of the experiences provided to those involved in the event
• single or multi-sport event
• the significance of the event and its positive impacts during the period.