Nominations closing soon for prestigious sporting awards

There’s more than $18,000 up for grabs, ranging from $250 for various runner up awards, to $2500 for the prestigious North Queensland Sportstar of the Year award.

From athletes and coaches to administrators and club members, the awards recognise the achievements of those individuals and volunteers who symbolise the very best in sport.

North Queensland Sports Foundation director and Mackay Regional Council councillor Laurence Bonaventura said the planning committee has been pleased with the response so far.

“We’ve received a good response from the North Queensland region with almost 100 nominations received to date,” Cr Bonaventura said.

“There are some key areas though where we are still chasing more nominations, including the team sports categories, service to sport and senior sporting categories,” he said.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for our local sporting heroes to be recognised in their hometown, so I encourage everyone to take the time to nominate Mackay region individuals and teams who have performed exceptionally at their sport.”

The NQ Hall of Fame inductee for 2023 will also be announced on the night and added to the list that includes Cathy Freeman, Pat Rafter and Lawrie Lawrence.

This year, the awards will be held on Saturday, November 4, at the MECC. Special guest keynote speaker is Olympic champion swimmer Brooke Hansen OAM.

For more information and judging criteria, and to nominate online, visit the North Queensland Sports Foundation website.