The NSW Youth Work Awards are an annual celebration of the exceptional work of youth services and youth workers in NSW.

In 2017, the NSW Youth Work Awards were held at a gala ceremony on Thursday 26 October. 

The awards are an opportunity for the NSW Youth Work Sector to recognise those who provide an outstanding contribution to the health, safety and wellbeing of young people in NSW. Youth Action presents awards in 9 categories, to honour those individuals and services who go above and beyond to help create a society where all young people can feel supported, valued and engaged. 

The 2017 NSW Youth Work Award nominees, highly commended (in italics), and recipients (in bold) were:

• Innovation in using Data to Tell Stories (Sponsored by fams) 
  • Maranguka Justice Reinvestment Project 

  • Inner West Youth Homelessness Service 

• Outstanding Service or Project Working with Young People from a CALD Background (Sponsored by DiverseWerks)
  • MCCI Links to Learning 
  • Multicultural Youth Affairs Network NSW 
  • Healing Through Evan Yako's Drumming 
  • The Marrickville Souths Fitness and Breakfast Club 
  • MENtors - City of Canterbury Bankstown
  • Project 9 

• Outstanding Service or Project Working with Indigenous Young People (Sponsored by AbSec)
  • Maari Ma's Youth Health Service 
  • Mountains Youth Services Team - Aboriginal Mentorship Program 
  • Canterbury Bankstown Council 
  • Miyay Birray Youth Service 
  • National Aboriginal Sporting Chance Program 
  • Pacific Youth Leadership Program 
  • Youth Justice Program 

• Outstanding Partnership (Sponsored by FaCS)
  • MENtors – Canterbury-Bankstown Council 
  • Camden Youth At-Risk Program 
  • COMPACT Alliance 
  • The Glue Factory 
  • Lake Macquarie Junior Top Blokes Mentoring Program 
  • Miyay Birray Youth Service 
  • Project NOW Youth Congress 
  • Sharks Have Heart and Workshop 526 Pty Ltd 
  • Survival Skills 
  • Youth Housing Options Program 

• NSW Youth Work Volunteer of the Year (Sponsored by the Centre for Volunteering)
  • Melody Gardiner
  • Tom Downie 
  • Carly Lloyd 
  • May Lyn Ly 
  • Tahlia Hyde 

• Outstanding Youth Participation
  • Cessnock Community and Youth Development Project 
  • Blacktown Youth Advisory Committee 
  • Camden Council - Camden Shorts 
  • Cronulla Sharks 
  • headspace Bondi Junction - Youth Reference Groups 
  • headspace Penrith/Mount Druitt/Parramatta/Castle Hill 
  • Multicultural Youth Affairs Network (MYAN NSW) 
  • Pacific Youth Leadership Program 
  • SYS Youth Participation Unit - KIS, Compact & Other Participation 

• NSW Youth Service of the Year (Sponsored by ACAP)
  • Regional Youth Support Services Inc 
  • YCLSS (Youth Community Living Support Service) Western Sydney 
  • Canterbury-Bankstown Youth Service 
  • Mission Australia Broken Hill Youth Services 
  • Miyay Birray Youth Service 
  • Mountains Youth Services Team 
  • SENTRAL Youth Services 
  • St George Youth Services 
  • Youth Solutions 

• NSW Youth Worker of the Year (Sponsored by Victoria University)
  • Amirah Amin 
  • Natika Whyman 
  • Alison Becroft 
  • Amy Sarandopoulos 
  • Angela McMillan 
  • Angus Megarrity 
  • Danielle Woolage 
  • Dennis Laris 
  • Fatina Elabd 
  • Fernando Drogo 
  • Glen Crump 
  • Greg Watson 
  • Hayden Moore 
  • Jack Antcliff 
  • Jodie Banasik 
  • Joel Fitzhenry 
  • Kate Munro 
  • Keira Knowles 
  • Lana Masterson  
  • Leonard Perelini 
  • Melissa Semeri 
  • Michelle Milligan 
  • Nathan Bliss 
  • Peter Hope 
  • Philipa McGrouther 
  • Regan Weber 
  • Rochelle Nixon 
  • Will Homer 

• Lifetime Achievement Award
  • Dennis Laris 
  • Charlie Coorey  
  • Glen Crump 
  • Maggie Kuypers 

The 2017 awards were proudly sponsored by: