The Victorian Government and the Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC) is set to honour people and organisations that have greatly contributed to the state’s multiculturalism.
Minister for Multicultural Affairs Ros Spence today opened nominations for the Victorian Multicultural Awards for Excellence.
“Victoria’s success as a multicultural society is due to the extraordinary and ongoing contributions of Victorians of all backgrounds,” Minister Ros Spence said.
The multicultural awards will pay tribute to champions of diversity and others who have supported Victorians from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
“It is a great privilege to invite nominations for this year’s Multicultural Awards for Excellence so we can formally acknowledge those who help make our state such a welcoming, inclusive and wonderful place to live,” Minister Spence said.
The annual awards will look different in 2020 – not just due to the pandemic – but also because they will feature seven new categories reflecting the many fields in which diversity is being embraced.
“We are pleased to announce new categories that reflect the depth and breadth of inspiring work being undertaken to promote and embed diversity and inclusion in the areas of justice, refugee advocacy, health, the arts and sport,” VMC Chair Vivienne Nguyen said.
It includes the Community Response and Recovery category to honour the remarkable efforts of those who have assisted during the coronavirus pandemic and the bushfires of early 2020.
“And to recognise the truly remarkable and selfless efforts by and for multicultural communities in response to coronavirus and the bushfires of 2020, we have introduced a community response and recovery category,” Nguyen said.
Victorians can now be nominated for either paid or voluntary work across 15 categories:
- Premier’s Award for Community Harmony
- Business Award
- Education and Early Childhood Award
- Community Innovation Award
- Local Government Award
- Media Award
- Police Awards
- Youth Leadership Award
- Refugee Advocacy Award
- Sport Award
- Arts Award
- Health Award
- Justice Award
- Emergency Services Award
- Community Response and Recovery Award
Award recipients will be honoured during an online ceremony hosted by the Victorian Multicultural Commission later in the year.
The Victorian Multicultural Awards for Excellence were first held 19 years ago, recognising the state’s strong diverse history and many Victorians that contribute to it.
For more information about the awards, eligibility or to submit a nomination, go to multiculturalcommission.vic.gov.au/multicultural-awards-for-excellence.
Nominations close 11.59pm on Sunday, 11 October 2020
In 2020, the category of Meritorious Service to the Community will not be included in these awards and will be transformed into a separate honour roll in March 2021 during Cultural Diversity Week.
The Victorian Refugee Awards will also be re-introduced to acknowledge the contributions and achievements of Victorians from refugee backgrounds.
