Shine Awards open nominations for 10th annual program

Nominations have opened for the 10th annual Shine Awards, run by The Weekly Times and Harvey Norman to recognise women across rural and regional Australia.

The awards have recognised more than 1,000 women since launching a decade ago.

News Corp Australia Community Ambassador and Herald & Weekly Times Chairman Penny Fowler said the program had grown beyond what she and Harvey Norman chief executive Katie Page expected when they established it.

“When Katie and I started the Shine Awards we could never have imagined how many inspiring women we would have the privilege of recognising, or the extraordinary stories we would hear along the way,” Fowler said.

“Every single woman we have celebrated has helped make her community a stronger, better place for everyone who works and lives there.

“At the heart of the Shine Awards are their amazing stories. This reflects our company’s belief in creating positive change through our journalism and storytelling.”

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More than 1,000 women recognised

Page said the program had grown to include more than 1,000 women over its first decade.

“In the 10 years of Shine, our community of girls and women has grown to over a thousand women - the size of a small country town.

“When Penny and I first started Shine, our aim was to ‘shine’ a light on the extraordinary women of rural and regional Australia. We also hoped that national recognition would raise awareness and reduce the individual sense of isolation that impacts and challenges rural and remote Australians in daily life.”

Last year’s overall winner was Samantha Longmore, a disability advocate, motivational speaker, world champion waterskier and operator of several rural and agricultural businesses.

“Taking the time to acknowledge the work people are doing really does matter. You never know what opportunities, connections and confidence can come from being recognised,” Longmore said.

2026 campaign

The Shine Awards cover six categories: Belief, Courage, Dedication, Grace, Passion and Spirit, alongside a Youth award for a nominee under 30.

The campaign will run across The Weekly Times, The Australian, The Mercury, NT News, The Townsville Bulletin and The Toowoomba Chronicle, with a special magazine to be published on 25 November announcing the winners.

Each category winner and the Youth award winner will receive a $2,500 Harvey Norman voucher, with $5,000 awarded to the overall winner.