Leadership in Government Awards

Recognise and celebrate the leaders shaping the future of the Australian public sector.

The annual Leadership in Government Awards, hosted by Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ), celebrate outstanding individuals who are making a meaningful difference across the Australian public sector.

The awards recognise leaders at all levels – from emerging talent and high-performing contributors to senior executives – who demonstrate integrity, innovation, collaboration and a commitment to delivering public value.

In 2026, the awards have expanded to reflect the breadth of modern government, recognising excellence across:

  • Finance and accounting
  • Governance, risk and assurance
  • Public sector leadership and capability

By showcasing outstanding leadership and contribution, the awards aim to inspire others, celebrate excellence, and highlight the critical role public sector professionals play in building stronger institutions, better services and a more resilient future.

Award categories

Outstanding Contribution to the Public Sector

Celebrates a senior leader who has made a significant and lasting impact on the public sector.

This individual:

  • Leads with purpose and integrity
  • Drives meaningful change and system-wide outcomes
  • Builds capability beyond their immediate team
  • Creates lasting public value through their contribution

The prize for the Outstanding Contribution to the Public Sector Award is a bursary to the value of A$15,000.

Emerging Leader

Recognises an individual demonstrating strong leadership potential and early career impact.

This individual:

  • Shows initiative and innovation
  • Builds capability in themselves and others
  • Demonstrates leadership beyond their formal role
  • Is on a clear trajectory toward senior leadership

The prize for the Emerging Leader Award is a bursary to the value of A$10,000.

Most Valued Team Player (New)

Acknowledges a consistently high-performing individual who makes a significant contribution through collaboration, reliability and positive team influence.

This individual:

  • Is a trusted and valued team member
  • Consistently delivers high-quality work
  • Contributes to team success and culture
  • May be early in their career or developing their leadership style

The prize for the Most Valued Team Player is a bursary to the value of A$5,000.

Who can be nominated?

Nominees must:

  • Be CA ANZ members in good standing
  • Work in or with the public sector
  • Demonstrate significant and relevant contributions across any one or multiple disciplines, including finance, governance, risk, assurance, or broader leadership roles

Anyone can submit a nomination. Nominees do not need to be nominated by a CA ANZ member, however self-nominations are not accepted.

We encourage all members to nominate someone making a significant impact in the public sector.

Why nominate?

Nominating someone is an opportunity to:

  • Recognise and celebrate their contribution
  • Showcase excellence across government
  • Support their ongoing professional development
  • Strengthen capability across the public sector
  • Inspire the next generation of public sector leaders

Key Dates

Date   Direction  
 3 August 2026   Nominations open
 21 September 2026  Nominations close 5.00pm AEST
 25 September 2026  First round of judging
 2 October 2026  Shortlist contacted for supplementary evidence (1 week to respond)
 28 October 2026  Final judging decision
 12 November 2026  2026 Leadership in Government Awards ceremony - TBC

Nomination forms

More information

  • Terms and Conditions

    These Terms and Conditions form part of this Nomination Guide and should be read alongside the judging criteria and process outlined above.

    Eligibility

    • Nominees must be full members of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ) in good standing as at 1 June 2026.
    • For the Achievement Award, nominees must also be a current employee of, or contracted (directly or indirectly) to the Public Sector in any Australian region as at 1 June 2026.

    Submission Requirements

    • Nominations must be submitted via the form and include all information required under the relevant category criteria.
    • Supporting material should only be provided if requested by the judging panel.
    • Nominees must be willing to provide additional information if requested.

    Key Dates

    • Entries open at 9:00am, 3 August 2026 AEST.
    • Entries close at 5:00pm, 21 September 2026 AEST.

    Judging

    •  Entries will be assessed in accordance with the criteria outlined in this Guide.
    • The judges’ decision is final, and no correspondence will be entered into.

    Verification and Compliance

    • CA ANZ reserves the right to verify any information provided in a nomination and may request supporting evidence or contact third parties.
    • Failure to comply with requests for information or directions from CA ANZ may result in the nomination not being considered. 
    • CA ANZ may, at its discretion, reject any entry that is incomplete, inaccurate, misleading, offensive, or otherwise non-compliant with these Terms and Conditions.

    Member Standing and Award Conditions

    • If, within 12 months of the close of entries, a nominee becomes subject to disciplinary proceedings, ceases to be a member, or is otherwise deemed ineligible for membership, CA ANZ may require repayment of any bursary awarded.

    Privacy and Consent

    • By submitting a nomination, the nominator confirms they have obtained the nominee’s consent to the collection and use of personal information in accordance with the CA ANZ Privacy Policy and Privacy Collection Statement.
    • Nominees also consent to CA ANZ contacting third parties for verification purposes.

    Acceptance of Terms

    • Submission of a nomination constitutes acceptance of these Terms and Conditions.

     

  • Privacy Collection Statement

    This Collection Statement contains details about how CA ANZ (We, Us) including its subsidiaries and controlled entities may collect, hold, use and disclose the personal information you have provided to Us in connection with nominations for the Local Government Awards 20255. In addition, your personal information will be used and disclosed as set out in the CA ANZ Global Privacy Policy, available at https://www.charteredaccountantsanz.com/privacy-policy.

    We collect personal information from the nominee or their nominator (You) directly via the nomination form, including information relating to Your membership with Us (and, where applicable) Your criminal record (if any) Your health, religious beliefs or affiliation, racial or ethnic origin and any other sensitive information, to the extent that it is reasonably necessary to administer and process Your nomination for the Local Government Awards 2025.  We may also collect personal information about You from third parties to verify Your personal information.

    Where You have consented to Our processing of such information (including any sensitive information) you may withdraw such consent at any time, by contacting Us using the contact details in Our Global Privacy Policy at [email protected]. Please note, however, that in certain circumstances it may be still lawful for Us to continue processing this information even where consent has been withdrawn, if one of the other legal bases is applicable. If You do not provide Your personal information or You withdraw your consent, we may be unable to process Your nomination.

    We may disclose Your personal information to CA ANZ employees, as well as agents, contractors and service providers such as where we outsource functions.

    Our Global Privacy Policy also contains the contact details of Our Privacy Officer and information regarding Your rights (including how to withdraw your consent, if applicable) and how you can seek to access and correct Your personal information or raise a privacy concern with Us and how it will be dealt with.

2024 Leadership in Government Awards

Ketvi Roopnarain CA and Natalia Cowley CA discuss the work that earned them the 2024 CA ANZ Leadership in Government awards.

Read more

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