Uralla’s business community will come together for the 2026 Uralla Business Excellence Awards, with organisers reporting half of all nominations this year have come from first-time entrants.
The awards, run by the Uralla Shire Business Chamber, are held every second year to celebrate the people behind local businesses. The last event was held in 2024.
“Business Uralla celebrates the contributions of our Business community to the strength and resilience of our region every 2nd year,” said Ms Platford.
“We are focusing on the people behind the businesses who make Uralla a great destination, because Uralla is such a dynamic and vibrant region which stems directly from the creative and inspiring individuals who have the personal drive, passion and commitment to follow their dream.”
This year marks the first time Business Uralla has aligned its awards program with the Business NSW Awards, meaning entrants only need to submit their nomination once for it to flow through to the New England North West Regional Awards and the Business NSW State Awards.
“This is our first year undertaking this process to provide a more streamlined approach to participate in the Business NSW Awards program,” said Ms Platford.
“The process has taken a lot of the pressure off our local Chamber and also provided more independent judging for nominations so that there can be no undue advantage.”
Of the total nominations received across eight categories, half are from businesses entering for the first time, while a quarter of all nominations sit in the Outstanding New Business category alone.
“This is very reflective of the dynamic and renewed energy of our CBD and business community,” said Ms Platford. “It is indicative of business confidence for our region, and of the vibrancy and ongoing positivity of local proprietors to back themselves and live their dream.”
Ms Platford said the timing was significant, with the Uralla Shire Council currently undertaking strategic planning around community growth ahead of state-significant developments in the area.
The Chamber has selected seven categories from the 21 offered through the Business NSW Awards program, alongside one local legacy award. The aligned categories include Outstanding New Business, Outstanding Community Group, Outstanding Employee, Excellence in Sustainability, and Excellence in Micro, Small and Medium Business. The Outstanding Trainee or Apprentice award remains as a local legacy category.
“Our legacy Award being ‘Outstanding Trainee or Apprentice’ reflects the importance of these formal training pathways in providing meaningful opportunities for our young people and for allowing the continuity of essential services and trades to operate within our region,” said Ms Platford.
Ms Platford said returning to aligned categories had simplified the process for entrants after previous years combined several categories in ways that made comparisons difficult.
“It was like comparing apples with oranges,” said Ms Platford.
“By returning to the aligned categories and simplifying our processes, we have provided a more level platform for our businesses to compare their performance across the statewide benchmarks and use that information as part of their ongoing planning and growth strategies.”
Beyond the trophies, Ms Platford said the awards played a wider role in strengthening the local business community and its profile across the region.
“Events such as the Uralla Business Excellence Awards are an invaluable opportunity for small but widespread communities to come together in one room at one time, to meet other like-minded entrepreneurs, to network, and to find opportunities and plant the seeds for further collaborative partnerships,” said Ms Platford. “But mostly it’s about letting your hair down and enjoying a great evening with new friends, fine dining and fantastic entertainment, and celebrating what is great about our community.”
Category winners will go on to represent Uralla as finalists in the Regional Awards, giving local businesses exposure across the New England North West.
“A nice, shiny trophy on the counter is definitely a great talking point for customers, and word-of-mouth spreads like wildfire with incredible promotional potential,” said Ms Platford.
The Uralla Business Excellence Awards Presentation Dinner will be held on Friday, 7 August from 6 pm at the Alternate Root Cafe. Tickets are currently available to nominees, sponsors and Chamber members, before going on general sale to the public on Monday, 13 July. Tickets cost $100 per person.
The dress code is defined as Uralla Chic.
Guests can expect a fine dining experience with a complimentary drink and canapรฉs on arrival, followed by guest speaker and regional business advocate Tim Coates, dinner, and the awards presentation. Live music from Chilli Jam will follow.
“The 2026 Uralla Business Excellence Awards is the gala night of nights in Uralla,” said Ms Platford. “This is your chance to get glammed up and walk the proverbial red carpet with all the sparkle of a true Awards show. But in Uralla, we never take anything too seriously!”
Reflecting on past events, Ms Platford said the reaction of winners remained the highlight of the night for her.
“With so much energy, excitement and anticipation in the room, I find it personally rewarding to see the humility of the winners in accepting these Awards,” said Ms Platford.
“No-one ever does what they do for a trophy; they do it because of the personal satisfaction they get by making a difference to the people who matter to them, their colleagues or customers. It is so rewarding to see their commitment being recognised by their peers.”
Tickets to the Uralla Business Excellence Awards Presentation Dinner are available at https://www.trybooking.com/DNTLC
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