2026 Lord Mayoral Awards Open Now: Nominate Here
The Lord Mayoral Awards recognise and honour individuals with disabilities who have made a significant impact in the community by standing up for the rights and well-being of others living with disability.
The winners will be announced at the DiversAbility Fun Day on Thursday 3 December 2026 in celebration of International Day of People with Disability.
Nominations will close Wednesday 4 November.
Nominate now by:
- Filling out the webform below, or;
- Filling out the editable/physical form here
Nominations will open again in October 2027.
Nomination Categories
- The Champion Award
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For an experienced advocate with a disability. An advocate is a person who speaks up for the rights of others. This person has made an outstanding contribution to the rights and well-being of people with a disability.
Criteria:
- The nominee has a disability (lived experience).
- The nominee has made a significant contribution to the Darwin community which has resulted in improved conditions, services, well-being, or understanding of individuals or groups of people with disabilities.
- The nominee has a long record of being a champion for the rights of people with disabilities.
- The Rising Star Award
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A person under 30 years old who is actively helping their school, workplace, or community by advocating for the rights and well-being of people with disabilities.
Criteria:
- The nominee is under 30 years old with a disability (lived experience)
- The nominee makes an ongoing contribution to their school, workplace or community.
- The nominee speaks up for and advocates for the rights and well-being of people with disabilities.
- Community Impact Award
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Recognises individuals or groups (with or without disability) whose efforts through activism, advocacy, volunteering, or community programs have advanced everyday inclusion for people with disability
Criteria:
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Celebrates efforts that have improved everyday inclusion for people with disability in community life.
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The nominee can be 1 person or a group. They can have a disability or not.
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Can include volunteering, grassroots activism, public advocacy, or community programs.
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- Support Worker of the Year Award
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This award honours the legacy of Sharm Bali, who founded Territory Care and Support Services (TCASS) in 1999. It celebrates his lifelong commitment to person-centred support, selfless service and creating opportunities for people with disability to live with greater choice, independence and inclusion.
The Support Worker Award recognises a paid support worker or support team who demonstrates outstanding empathy, compassion and dedication, and who makes a meaningful difference in the life of a person with disability.
TCASS supports this award in honour of Sharm Bali’s contribution and legacy.
Criteria:
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A paid support worker or team of support workers who provide exceptional support to people with disabilities.
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The nominee has supported a person with disability to achieve a personal goal, build independence or participate more fully in community life
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The nominee may work for a disability service provider or independently.
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The nomination must be made by a person with disability or supported and signed by a person with disability (part e of form)
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2025 Winners
Rising Star Award – Ben Hankin
Ben is a young leader driving meaningful change for people with disability in the Northern Territory. Using his lived experience, he champions inclusion, accessible information and people’s rights. As Inclusion Advisor at Inclusion NT, he contributes to Easy English resources, MCs community events and was a finalist in the 2025 NT Disability Inclusion Awards. Through his work on the NT Disability Advisory Committee and national discussions, he advocates for fair pay, open employment and inclusive decision-making.
Champion Award – Lynne Strathie
Lynne Strathie has spent over 20 years championing inclusion and accessibility in Darwin. As a long-term carer, educator, and former Director of Carers NT, she brings experience, compassion, and leadership to her advocacy. Through her work on the Access and Inclusion Advisory Committee and community volunteering, Lynne has made a lasting impact on equality, dignity, and opportunities for people with disability.
Accessibility Innovator Award – CDU Access and Inclusion
The Access & Inclusion Team at Charles Darwin University (CDU) is creating a more inclusive and accessible student experience. Supporting students with disabilities, mental health conditions, and learning differences, they provide tailored Access Plans, assistive technology, sensory-friendly spaces, and mobility supports. Key initiatives include the Neurodiversity Hub, Inclusive Language Guidebook, and First Nations outreach.
Community Impact Award – Free Space Studio
The Free Space Studio, run by Arts Access Darwin, is Darwin’s only accessible visual arts studio for artists with disability. Established in 2013, it supports 18 local artists by providing studio space, skills development, mentorship, exhibition opportunities, and access to funding and paid projects. The studio also collaborates on public art projects across Darwin, including playground designs, foreshore installations, Lightboxes exhibitions, and community art partnerships, promoting recognition and professional outcomes for artists with disability.
Past Winners
- 2024 Winners
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The winners of the 2024 Lord Mayoral Awards were announced at the Carnival of Fun held on 3 December 2024 to celebrate International Day of People with Disability.
(L-R) Champion Award winner, Richard Crookes; QLD/NT State Manager for Sport4All and for time Paralympian, Blake Cochrane; Deputy Lord Mayor, Sam Weston, Rising Star Award winner, Tristan Toll.
- Champion Award
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Richard Crookes, a passionate advocate who has dedicated his efforts to improving the lives of stroke survivors and their families across the Northern Territory, was awarded the Champion Award. Through public education campaigns, Richard has championed the critical F.A.S.T. message to help communities recognise and respond to strokes quickly. Richard works tirelessly to improve accessibility, advocating for disability ramps at fishing spots and increased wheelchair parking. Richard’s support for hospital patients and leadership in fundraising initiatives like Stride4Stroke further highlight his unwavering commitment to supporting the community. As a stroke survivor, Richard draws on his lived experience, advocacy, writing, and community initiatives to inspire and empower others.
- Rising Star Award
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Tristan Toll, a 19-year-old entrepreneur and advocate for access and inclusion in employment, was awarded the Rising Star Award. Tristan co-founded a thriving lawn mowing and gardening business dedicated to empowering people with disabilities and is now the Operations Manager, leading a team across more than 150 sites. Tristan’s impact extends beyond business, he was recognised for co-designing and supporting facilitating programs such as ‘Get Ready to Work’ and ‘Supported Employment, Empowering Disabilities’, which focus on developing skills and knowledge in the gardening sector, as well as understanding employment rights. Living with Autism, Tristan shares his journey to inspire others and spoke at the 2023 NT Youth Conference. Passionate about fairness and inclusion, Tristan creates opportunities to ensure everyone feels valued and empowered to achieve their goals.
- 2023 Winners
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The winners of the 2023 Lord Mayoral Awards were announced at the Carnival of Fun held on 1 December 2023 to celebrate International Day of People with Disability.
(L-R) The Champion award winner, Izzy Dak; City of Darwin Lord Mayor, Kon Vatskalis; and Rising Star award winner, Toby Reynolds.
The Champion award winner for 2023 is Izzy Dak. A passionate advocate for people with lived experience of disability, Izzy Dak has been awarded The Champion Award for his tireless work in various working groups and advisory boards including the NTPHN Access and Advisory Group. Izzy is a life member of Integrated disAbility Action and in the last 12 months has volunteered at many events including the Carnival of Fun, All Abilities Expo, Australia Day Oz Fusion 2023 and the Royal Darwin Show. A genuinely kind person, Izzy was recognised for easily building relationships by taking the time to make himself available to the community, enabling people with a disability to share confidences with him. Izzy utilises his proactive attitude to advocate on behalf of people with a disability by raising issues in the community.
The Rising Star award winner for 2023 is Toby Reynolds. A member of the Sing Song Signers and a talented sports person, Toby Reynolds, has been awarded the Rising Star award for his participation in community activities and prowess on the sporting field. Toby has represented the Northern Territory at the Special Olympics in ten pin bowling and in athletics as a junior, and currently plays Rising Stars basketball and participates in winners league bowling and athletics. Toby was recognised for his efforts in leading by example while advocating for people with disabilities through his participation and success in various sports and activities. Toby connects with people through sports, and his participation has allowed him a better understanding of individuals with disabilities as well as helped him develop different communication tools and styles.
- 2022 Winners
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The winners of the 2022 Lord Mayoral Awards were announced at the Carnival of Fun held on 2 December 2022 to celebrate International Day of People with Disability.
The Rising Star for 2022 is Abigail Maralngurra. Abigail is the youngest member of the Freespace Public Art Collective, the group of exceptional artists operating out of Darwin Community Art's, Free Space Studio, who delivered the most significant public art installation created in Darwin. Abigail's contribution to the Jingili Water Gardens Playground upgrade was significant in scale and sophisticated in concept, responding to the ecosystem of the Rapid Creek area through her drawings. Abigail's art has been used outside of this project to feature on City of Darwin infrastructure in parts of Rapid Creek and the Nightcliff Foreshore. For the significance of her contribution to the vibrancy of Darwin at such a young age Abigail is deserving Rising Star winner.
The Champion for 2022 is Paul Johnes. Paul has facilitated vegetable gardens at his supported independent living accommodation and at the Inclusion Centre encouraging everyone to join in reducing stress and promoting positivity. Paul has introduced the activity of wood burning at The Inclusion Centre and takes it upon himself to impart his skills and provide exceptional support to people who would like to learn this activity. he tries to enrich the lives of people around him - his unsolicited mentoring and contributions to participants at the centre display his dedication to serving people around him. he also educates others about their rights and services they can access from NDIS.
