About The Awards

The Mental Health Matters Awards celebrate individuals, groups, and organisations that have made a significant impact on mental health awareness, understanding, and services in NSW throughout the past year.

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What is the Mental Health Matters Awards?

Each year Wayahead hosts the Mental Health Matters Awards honouring and acknowledging the accomplishments of individuals and organisations dedicated to improving understanding, awareness, service delivery, and the overall mental wellbeing of our communities in NSW throughout the previous year.

The event showcases the programs and achievements of mental health month award finalists across several categories, with special guest speakers and the opportunity for networking across the sector.

Mental Health Matters Awards Event 2025

Join us for the 2025 Mental Health Matters Awards, a semi-formal celebration of outstanding contributions to mental health in NSW. This prestigious event will honour individuals, organisations, and initiatives that have made a significant impact on mental health awareness, services, and support across NSW.

This event has now passed

Check out the Wayahead Mental Health Matters Awards luncheon 2025.

Checkout the Wayahead Mental Health Month awards 2025. It was a great event for all involved. Looking forward to next year.

About the Mental Health Matters Awards Nominations

How the Awards are Judged

Our judging panel includes independent mental health experts, sector professionals, past award recipients, and category specialists. Wayahead staff do not participate in the judging process.

Judging is based on the following criteria:

Innovation and Approach –
Is the nomination doing something new? Combining existing things in new ways? Or are they bringing new perspectives to existing systems? Is the approach taken by the nomination appropriate? Does it reach the people it aims to? Do the aims of the project match the approach taken?

Involvement –
How are consumers, carers, and/or community involved in the design, implementation, and evaluation of the nomination? Note: as a rule, we favour those which show clear evidence of consumer, carer, and/or community involvement in all stages. For the “Leadership through Lived Experience Award” this criterion is adjusted to focus on the leadership aspects, including demonstration of incorporating principles of consumer leadership, co-design, and building these skills in others.

Response –
How has the project been received and what impact has it had? Has the response been well received by the target audience/group? Has there been strong interest in the project or positive evaluation? Not all projects will have access to detailed evaluation techniques. Nominations will not be penalised for not having access to intricate evaluation techniques. Do the outcomes/response match the aims and/or are appropriate to the project.

Award Prizes

The winner of each award category will receive $1,000 and an engraved award plaquette.

Award Categories

Learn more about each award category below, including what each award represents and the key questions to answer when submitting a nomination.

Awards
This award acknowledges outstanding excellence and/or innovation in programs, projects, or initiatives that prioritise prevention and early intervention efforts targeted at young people.

To nominate a candidate for this category, please provide supporting information addressing the following criteria (the supporting information should not exceed 1500 words).

  1. please provide a brief description outline the program/project, including its target group/s and objectives.
  2. Detail how young people were engaged in planning and executing the program/project.
  3. Explain the strategies employed for early intervention/prevention within the project/program.
  4. Present measurable impacts, including participation rates, outcomes, feedback, and survey data collected for evaluation purposes.
Awards
This award honours small, grassroots, community-driven groups, projects, or events that primarily aim to enhance the mental health and well-being of marginalised communities, particularly those from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds. These initiatives strive to facilitate access to culturally appropriate information and services. This may encompass ongoing groups dedicated to mental health support or awareness-raising events that have made a positive impact on the local community.

To nominate a candidate for this category, please provide supporting information addressing the following criteria (the supporting information should not exceed 1500 words).

  1. Describe the program, project, or initiative and detail how the community was engaged in its planning, design, and implementation.
  2. State the primary objective of the program, project, or event.
  3. Identify key mental health issues faced by the community and explain how the program/project/event targeted these issues and provided solutions.
  4. Summarise evaluation data, outcomes, and any formal or informal feedback received. Provide links to relevant resources if available.
Awards

This award celebrates programs, projects, individuals, or initiatives that significantly contribute to enhancing the social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal communities.

To nominate a candidate for this category, please provide supporting information addressing the following criteria (the supporting information should not exceed 1500 words).

  1. Could you offer a brief overview of the program/project/service, including its objectives?
  2. In what capacity were Aboriginal people engaged in the planning and execution of this project?
  3. How does this program/project contribute to improving the social and emotional wellbeing of Aboriginal communities?
  4. Can you provide a summary of the evaluation findings, outcomes, and any feedback received, whether formal or informal? Please include relevant links if available
Awards

This award acknowledges excellence and/or innovation in mental health promotion activities, programs, or initiatives that significantly contribute to heightened awareness, decreased stigma, and improved wellbeing associated with mental health and/or mental ill-health.

To nominate a candidate for this category, please provide supporting information addressing the following criteria (the supporting information should not exceed 1500 words).

  1. Provide a concise overview of the program, project, or service.
  2. Outline the specific goals and objectives of the program or project.
  3. Detail the strategies utilised by the project or program to achieve its aims and objectives.
  4. Provide a summary of the evaluation data, outcomes, and any formal or informal feedback received. If available, include links to relevant resources.
Awards

This award honours an individual with lived experience of mental ill-health, mental illness, or someone caring for a person with lived experience, who has demonstrated exceptional leadership in advocacy and driving social change for the benefit of those with similar experiences. This recognition can encompass the initiation or coordination of a specific program or a lifelong commitment to this cause.

To nominate a candidate for this category, please provide supporting information addressing the following criteria (the supporting information should not exceed 1500 words).

Could you offer a brief summary of the nominated individual and their contributions, highlighting any projects or programs they have led and their respective objectives?

Describe how the nominee’s actions have driven advocacy efforts and facilitated social change for individuals with lived experience of mental ill-health.

Discuss some of the lasting effects the individual’s work has had on the lives of people with lived experiences of mental health issues.

Include links to feedback, media coverage, or any other relevant resources that support the nomination.

Awards

This award acknowledges organisations that have proactively fostered a positive work environment for all employees and have provided support for their mental health and wellbeing in the workplace. The prize for this award includes exclusive access to select features of the Wayahead Workplaces program.

To nominate a candidate for this category, please provide supporting information addressing the following criteria (the supporting information should not exceed 1500 words).

  1. Outline the range of initiatives undertaken by the organisation to promote workplace well-being, highlighting specific programs and any policy changes implemented.
  2. Explain the primary objective of the program or project.
  3. Describe the key factors or motivations that prompted the organisation to develop and implement the program or initiative in the workplace.
  4. Summarise the evaluation data, outcomes, and any formal or informal feedback received regarding the effectiveness of the initiatives. If available, include links to relevant resources.
Awards

This award celebrates individuals or organisations that have produced thoughtful, informative, and responsibly reported media and/or artistic projects addressing mental health illness. Eligible projects may include journalism, visual art projects, theatrical productions, or musical endeavours.

To nominate a candidate for this category, please provide supporting information addressing the following criteria (the supporting information should not exceed 1500 words).

  1. Give a concise overview of the submitted media or arts project.
  2. Summarise any evaluation data, outcomes, and formal or informal feedback received regarding the project’s impact and effectiveness.
  3. Detail the participation of individuals with lived experiences of mental ill health in the creation or execution of the project.
  4. Provide links to any relevant media that can be accessed online, such as written articles, reviews, videos, or advertisements, to support the submission.
Awards
This award honours mental health-related programs, projects, or initiatives that demonstrate a dedication to the mental health and wellbeing of LGBTIQA+ individuals.

To nominate a candidate for this category, please provide supporting information addressing the following criteria (the supporting information should not exceed 1500 words).

  1. Provide a concise overview of the program/project/service, including its objectives?
  2. In what ways does the service or program proactively recognise and cater to the mental health needs of LGBTIQA+ individuals?
  3. How were members of the LGBTIQA+ community actively engaged in the planning and execution of the project or program?
  4. Can you outline the evaluation findings, outcomes, and any feedback received, formal or informal? Please include relevant links if available.
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