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2027 Citizen of the Year Awards
On this page:
- 2027 Citizen of the Year Awards
- Award categories
- Who could you nominate?
- How to nominate
- Who can be nominated?
- How are the awards decided?
- When will the winners be announced?
- More information
Know someone who makes a difference in our community? Nominate them for a 2027 Citizen of the Year Award.
Nominations for the 2027 Citizen of the Year Awards are now open, providing an opportunity to recognise the people, groups and events that help make our community a great place to live.
Whether they are a long-time volunteer, a young person making their mark, someone quietly supporting others behind the scenes or a group bringing the community together, your nomination could help recognise their contribution.
Nominations close 20 November 2026.
Award Categories:
- Citizen of the Year - recognising an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the community.
- Young Citizen of the Year - recognising a young person who is making a difference in their community.
- Community Event of the Year - recognising an outstanding community event and the person or group behind it.
- Awards for Active Citizenship - recognising a person or group who has delivered outstanding work on a community event or project during the past calendar year.
The awards recognise contributions made to the local community. Nominees do not need to live within the District Council of Yankalilla area, provided their contribution is to our local community.
Who could you nominate?
Think about the people and groups who make a difference in our community.
It could be someone who volunteers their time, supports a local organisation, brings people together, creates opportunities for others, contributes to community projects or simply goes above and beyond to help others.
And you don't need to wait for someone else to nominate them. One nomination is enough for a person to be considered and the number of nominations received does not affect the selection process. So your nomination matters!
How to Nominate
Nominations can be submitted online through the Citizen of the Year website or using a hard copy nomination form.
Online: Visit citizenoftheyear.com.au
Hard copy: Download the nomination form or collect a copy from the Civic Centre.
Hard copy forms can be returned to Council:
By email: council@yankalilla.sa.gov.au
By post: District Council of Yankalilla, PO Box 9, Yankalilla SA 5203
In person: Civic Centre, 1 Charles Street, Yankalilla SA 5203
Anyone can submit a nomination.
For full award criteria and eligibility requirements, visit the Citizen of the Year website.
Who can be nominated?
Nominees for the Citizen of the Year, Young Citizen of the Year and Community Event of the Year categories must be Australian citizens. The Award for Active Citizenship is open to people and groups who do not need to be Australian citizens.
For the Young Citizen of the Year category, nominees must be 30 years or under on 26 January 2027 and at least 16 years of age. Self-nominations are not accepted.
The awards recognise achievements and contributions from the year immediately before the award, as well as past achievements and ongoing contributions to the community.
How are the awards decided?
Nominations will be assessed by the 2027 Citizen of the Year Awards Assessment Panel, which will make recommendations to Council for recipients in each applicable category.
The Assessment Panel comprises:
- Mayor Darryl Houston
- Deputy Mayor David Olsson
- a minimum of one and a maximum of two additional elected members
- a 2026 Citizen of the Year Award recipient, by invitation.
You can view the Citizen of the Year Awards Assessment Panel Terms of Reference.
When will the winners be announced?
The winners of the 2027 Citizen of the Year Awards will be announced in January 2027.
An official awards ceremony will take place on Australia Day, 26 January 2027.
More information
Find out more about the Citizen of the Year Awards, including previous recipients.
For more information about the 2027 awards, contact Council on (08) 8558 0200 or council@yankalilla.sa.gov.au.