WAACA Awards

About WAACA Awards

The Western Australian African Communities Awards (WAACA Awards) recognise the positive contribution and impact of African Australians in WA. The awards acknowledge young people, innovators, business leaders, community leaders, and champions for their contributions to the African Australian community locally, state-wide, and nationally. The Awards also reward outstanding community groups and organisations that support the state’s multicultural agendas.

Community Categories

Emerging Young Leader Award

This category recognises an emerging African Australian aged 18 to 30 who has demonstrated leadership in our community. The person may demonstrate leadership qualities such as mentorship or other forms of capacity building in their expertise or be regarded as a role model by peers within the African Australian Community.

Selection Criteria

Has committed and been involved in a volunteering capacity for the last 12 months or more within the African Australian Community in WA
Has organised, been involved, or contributed to a community group that has improved African Australians’ lives for at least 12 months.
Has positively contributed to an organisation or group that is community focused on the African Australian living in WA.

Women In Leadership

This award is designed to celebrate, honour, and profile successful African Australian Women.
The category focuses on private, public, and not-for-profit organisations and businesses with agendas that are inclusive, collaborative, compassionate, and courageous women who serve as role models and mentors in their fields of expertise or at the grassroots and community levels.

Selection Criteria

Must demonstrate an intangible quality that uplifts their community and engages in various leadership or civic activities in their school, church, or community.
A woman who exhibits leadership and excellence in her field of expertise and has made outstanding contributions to advancing the industry.
A woman who has demonstrated leadership through business and/or innovation.
A woman who is a positive role model and mentor and has made outstanding contributions to supporting the industry and the people who work in it.

Outstanding Community Champion

The Award honours African Australians who, through their volunteer efforts, have significantly enhanced the WA African communities with their commitment, leadership, and service to others.

Selection Criteria

Passionate about fostering community harmony and well-being with strong evidence of community engagement within the WA African Community, such as Community involvement and service — active participation and responsibility in volunteer and collaborative efforts that address the community’s needs through local organisations, groups, networks, and projects.
Provide evidence of the positive impact on the lives of individuals and families in the WA African Communities.
Community involvement and service — active participation and responsibility in volunteer and collaborative efforts that address the community’s needs through local organisations, groups, networks, and projects.
A strategic plan or steps implemented to secure the sustainability of the initiatives created within the community groups and/or association.

Excellence In Innovation

This category recognises African Australians who have turned their innovative skills, strength, courage, ideas and resilience into original projects or businesses that address the African community’s problems and share knowledge about African culture with a broader audience to break boundaries.

Selection Criteria

Demonstrate leadership that uplifts the WA African Communities, showing resilience, growth, and commitment to providing employment, skills, and problem-solving.
An originator or a key contributor to the development/creation of an innovative idea, project, or business which can be new or established (minimum 12 months for an innovation).
Able to demonstrate or show evidence of achievement in their area of innovation that resolves, or aims to resolve, an issue affecting the African community.

Social Change / Impact Award

This category recognises an individual, charity, community group or company that has worked to make a positive difference in the local, state, national, or global community to promote the common good of the African community in WA

Selection Criteria

This individual, charity, community group or company should have worked toward enhancing the well-being of African communities.
This is the only award that recognises “unsung heroes” that have demonstrated extraordinary commitment to delivering initiatives that transform and empower marginalised communities.

Community Pillar Award

The category strives to identify and recognise individuals well-regarded by the African Communities across Australia, executive management of the OACWA, and the larger community for promoting the interests of the African Communities in Australia. No nomination is available for this award.

Selection Criteria

An African Australian or Australian
Extensive involvement with WA Community groups, OACWA, and African-related organisations (minimum five years)
Demonstrates national, state, or regional leadership about African Australians’ agendas.

Sports & Entertainment Award

This award category recognises outstanding sports, media, and entertainment individuals with dedication and commitment. The Award recognises those individuals who have displayed success, talent, and excellence in their field of choice. This includes:

Entertainers who are musicians, performers, choreographers, and poets; and
All forms of sport, including athletics, coaches and team members who have displayed athletic ability and a strong sense of character.

Selection Criteria

The nominee is an African-Australian individual sports player, media producer, entertainer, or part of a sporting/media/entertainment team that has excelled in a chosen sport/media.
The nominee must be a positive role model to the young African Australian.

Student Award

This category recognises students who have demonstrated excellence in academics and leadership through volunteering, achieving, and maintaining a required grade point average (or the equivalent Proficiency Level for elementary students) during 2023. Students eligible to be appointed to this category are African-Australian undergraduate students from all five
universities in Western Australia who are due to graduate in 2023/2024 and would have completed the degree requirement by September 2023. This will be awarded to a student nominated by their primary study institution.

Selection Criteria

Top Academic performance by a student of African origin
The student who has demonstrated initiative, perseverance, and the ability to overcome significant obstacles in attaining his/her degree/master’s.
The student who has provided outstanding leadership activities and has been a spokesperson and role model for multicultural students, including students of African origin.
The student who has provided outstanding leadership activities and has been a spokesperson and role model for multicultural students, including students of African origin.
The student who has contributed to campus and/or community service initiatives and has made an important contribution as a volunteer in any service organisation