Councillor Tricia Hitchens presents 2023 Citizen of the Year Royce Simmons with his award.

Nominations are now open for the 2024 Local Celebration Awards.

The Local Celebration Awards program is Penrith City Council’s opportunity to shine a light on the unsung heroes in our community. The Awards recognise people of all ages who go above and beyond, who dedicate their time to make Penrith a great place to live, or who work tirelessly for the benefit of others.

Penrith Mayor Todd Carney encourages nominations for Council to recognise and reward the valuable contribution of deserving people in the community.

“I have been both delighted and humbled by the selfless work of the past Local Celebration Awards winners – incredible people like 2023 Citizen of the Year Royce Simmons, and the Mayor’s Local Hero Andrew Paech, both of whose dedication to helping others through charity and fundraising work is an inspiration for everyone in our community,” Cr Carney said.

“I know there are many people in Penrith quietly achieving great things, and I am looking forward to hearing more about their work and meeting them once this year’s Local Celebration Awards are announced later this year – so get your nominations in now!”

Nominations for the 2024 Local Celebration Awards are open until 15 April 2024 and submissions will be accepted in person, online, by mail and by video. There are four award categories to choose from:    

• Citizen of the Year (over 18yrs old)

• Young Citizen of the Year (aged 24 years and under

• Mayor’s Local Heroes Award (all ages)

• Making a Difference – Community Service Award (all ages).

The award recipients will be announced at Council’s Ordinary Meeting in June 2023.

Following the announcement in June, the Local Celebration Award winners will be formally recognised at a Civic Reception event held in July 2024.   

Find out more about the award program, selection criteria and how to nominate at penrith.city/local-celebration-awards