NEW SOUTH WALES

7NEWS Young Achiever Awards - NSW/ACT

2026 Winners

2026 7NEWS Young Achiever Awards - all Winners on stage

2026 Overall Young Achiever of the Year

Winner Jarrett Anthoney (Left) with Presenter Katherine McKernan, NSW Advocate for Children and Young People, Office for Youth NSW (Right)

Jarrett Anthoney is the founder of Dainere's Rainbow, transforming profound personal loss into powerful national advocacy for children with brain cancer and their families. In honour of his sister Dainere, he has dedicated the past 12 years to building a trusted and respected organisation that provides support through fundraising, awareness initiatives, family resources and policy advocacy. Under his leadership, Dainere's Rainbow has raised more than $800,000 for Australian childhood brain cancer research, contributed to securing Canberra's first specialised Paediatric Palliative Care Nurse, and amplified the unique challenges faced by siblings throughout a child's cancer journey. Through education, sharing lived experience and compassionate family support, Jarrett continues to drive meaningful change and help ensure that no child or family walks this path alone.

Aboriginal Education Council Aboriginal Education Award

Winner Zenae Powell (Left) With Presenter Beverly Baker, Executive Officer, Aboriginal Education Council (Right)
Zenae Powell a proud Wiradjuri woman residing on Dharug Ngurra (Western Sydney) is a rising communications and advocacy leader using storytelling to educate, empower and connect communities. Studying Public Relations and Indigenous Studies, she has grown from intern to a communications role at Indigenous Business Australia, developing culturally informed content and stakeholder engagement over more than four years. Zenae also mentors Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students through CareerTrackers panels, contributes to the Teach Us Consent Youth Advisory Group, serves on the Galamabany Advisory Committee, GO Foundation scholar, participated in a Roundtable at NSW Parliament House with the Committee of Social Issues and helps shape engagement through Sydney Climate Action Week. A 2025 Rising Star Award recipient, she also brings Wiradjuri language and cultural learning to new audiences through her creative work with Tiddalicious.

Signature Learning and Development Courageous Leadership Award

Winner Madiha Orva Khan (Centre) with Presenter Brian Cook, Managing Partner, Signature Learning & Development (Left)

Madiha Orva Khan from Liverpool is a courageous young leader creating spaces where politics, identity, and wellbeing feel accessible to her generation. As a visible Muslim woman in hijab, she has challenged limiting narratives through youth advocacy, student leadership, and public speaking, achieving success in global diplomacy competitions, including as a Grand Finalist in the UN Youth Evatt Competition, and serving as a Prefect at Hurlstone Agricultural High School. Inspired by her work on the Fairfield Youth Council, she is deeply committed to empowering young people. Madiha founded The Deep End to support youth through systemic reform, mental health initiatives, and the creation of meaningful opportunities. She believes every young person deserves access to opportunity and recognition based on merit, bringing this vision to life through The Ripple Project, the Found My Voice Podcast, and other student-led initiatives. Through her leadership, she empowers young people to show up fully, confidently, and authentically.

Awards Australia Foundation Connecting Communities Award

Winner Ashleen Khela (Right) with Presenter Grace Crogan, Sales Consultant & Customer Service Specialist, Ashley & Martin and 2023 Regional Service Award Winner (Left)

Ashleen Khela is one of Australia’s youngest published female authors, using storytelling to connect communities and raise funds for Australian charities and underprivileged children of developing nations. Inspired by real life confrontations, she began writing at seven and published her debut book, ‘17 Stories’, at 11, later following with ‘Journey Through Her Jersey’ and ‘Miles of Memories’. Ashleen funded her first publication herself by recycling bottles and cans and selling plants, then donated all proceeds to causes including Cancer Council, Starlight, UNICEF and UN Women Australia. Her books are now held in over 400 libraries across Australia and overseas.

Office for Youth Create Change Award

Winner Nic Cade (Right) with Presenter Katherine McKernan, NSW Advocate for Children and Young People, Office for Youth NSW (Left)

Nic Cade of Toronto is the founder of NourishEd, a grassroots homelessness and food relief initiative he launched in 2024 after years of local volunteering and a lifetime of personal adversity. Built without government funding, NourishEd now supports more than 170 people each week and has reached over 5,500 people overall across Lake Macquarie. In the past year Nic has led the delivery of more than 5,000 meals, expanded the volunteer team to over 30 people, and progressed a move to a site three times larger. Through food relief, hygiene support, hampers and community connection, he is restoring dignity and practical hope.

Konica Minolta Career Achievement Award

Winner Gem Kret Nealand (Right) with Presenter Andrew Ward, Sales Manager Commercial and Indirect, Konica Minolta (Left)

Gem Kret Nealand is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and stage manager who launched his music enterprise during over a year of homelessness and rapidly scaled it after. Navigating a total of 14 moves before gaining stable housing, he maintained his hustle from the streets straight into his current home studio. This relentless drive ultimately secured three Australian tours, an international debut in London, and an upcoming rock opera while managing festival logistics and being an in-demand session musician. With his lived experience, Gem has supported nine different charities through performing and advocating, including raising over $50,000 for Youth Off The Streets from a single speech.

Symal Innovation Award

Winner Shankar Dutt (Right) with Presenter Renee Ryan, Group Marketing and Communications Manager, Symal Group (Left)

Shankar Dutt of Denman Prospect is a Research Fellow at the Australian National University developing AI-integrated solid-state nanopore biosensors for early disease detection and environmental monitoring. He co-established and now manages the world’s only laboratory capable of manufacturing these sensors using a particle accelerator, advancing a platform that could enable low-cost blood tests for conditions such as Alzheimer’s decades before symptoms appear. Shankar has published 25 peer-reviewed papers, secured over $1M in competitive funding, lodged three patent applications, and supervised 25 students. His work is pushing biosensing toward faster, more accessible and clinically meaningful diagnosis.

Nura Gili Indigenous Leadership Award

Left Photo: Representing the Winner Eliza Darney, Partner Jack (Centre) with Presenter Codie Neal (Left), Deputy Director, Nura Gili Centre for Indigenous Programs and Tanya Griffiths (Right)

Right Photo: Winner Eliza Darney

Eliza Darney of Newcastle is a proud Wiradjuri woman and final-year medical student at the University of Newcastle whose leadership spans Indigenous health, education and community engagement. Selected for the 2025 NSW Parliament Young Aboriginal Leaders Program, Eliza advocates for culturally safe, strengths-based healthcare and better outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Through mentoring roles with Miroma Bunbilla and the Wollotuka Institute’s ISSP, she supports Indigenous students into and through university. Previously working together with younger high school students, engaging in health programs across Arnhem Land, Eliza is hoping to make great leaps working with healthcare systems to create an inclusive and reconciled future.

OSMEN Furniture Creative Design Award

Winner Leticia Forbes (Left) with Presenter Kingsley Lam - Li, Director, OSMEN (Right)

Leticia Forbes of Cooranbong is a proud Wiradjuri Artist and the Founder and Creative Director of Yirra Miya, a 100% First Nations-owned agency that expertly blends cultural storytelling with contemporary design. In just over 3 years, Yirra Miya has delivered $1.4 million in creative services and worked with over 120 clients, including Indigenous Business Australia, NSW CAPO, SBS, and NSW Government. Leticia leads a team of six diverse women as well as offering mentoring and workshops for small Blak businesses and supporting emerging First Nations creatives. Awarded NSW Indigenous Chamber of Commerce Woman of the Year 2025, she is helping reshape design through cultural integrity and impact.

Awards Australia Outstanding Student Award

Winner Sophia Shaikh (Left) with Presenter Professor Brian Stout, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Learning and Teaching, Western Sydney University (Right)

Sophia Shaikh of Sylvania Waters is a Chancellor’s Award Scholar whose achievements place her among the most exceptional school leavers in New South Wales. At just 16, she completed the International Baccalaureate with a perfect score of 45/45 - the youngest person in the world to do so - and achieved a 99.95 ATAR, earning the highest result in her MLC School cohort and the Dr Charles J Prescott Medal.Beyond academics, Sophia has demonstrated outstanding leadership and service. She served as Vice President and Treasurer of the Business Club, organised charitable initiatives, and is a Youth Ambassador for Indus Health Australia and Youth Wing President of Diabetes Centre Australia, advocating for improved healthcare access worldwide. She has also shown entrepreneurship by opening her own graphic design business and tutoring students across Australia.Sophia’s excellence is matched by her commitment to leadership, community impact, and creating meaningful opportunities for others.

Ministry of Health Achievement in Health Award

Winner Jarrett Anthoney (Left) with Presenter Anthony Renehan, Chief Commercial Officer, Vitavo (Right)