NSW CELEBRATES THE ACADEMY AWARDS OF BUSINESS
Our best businesses have taken centre stage to celebrate achievement, ambition and success.
The 2026 Business NSW State Business Awards, presented by NRMA Small Business Insurance, is the night of nights for NSW's peak business group – bringing together 216 finalists across 22 categories.
Business of the Year was awarded to Chamberlain Australia, a manufacturer of garage door opening technology.
Among the category winners were:
• Morgan Engineering – Excellence in Workplace Health and Wellbeing (sponsored by EML)
• Green Timber Technology – Excellence in Innovation (sponsored by BVOai), and
• Small Batch Brewery and Hop Farms – Excellence in Micro Business (sponsored by NRMA Small Business Insurance).
Business NSW CEO Daniel Hunter said this year's winners reflected the depth of talent and ambition across NSW.
"Some are making products used in homes and workplaces around the world. Others are rethinking how we build, putting wellbeing at the heart of their organisation, or showing just how much impact a small business can have.
"What connects these businesses isn't their size or industry. It's their drive to keep improving, their willingness to back new ideas and their determination to turn those ideas into results.”
Mr Hunter said the awards, in their 14th year, highlighted industries that are often overlooked
in conversations about innovation.
"Innovation doesn't just happen in a tech lab. It happens on factory floors, in engineering workshops, at timber mills and in regional breweries.
"These winners show that great ideas can come from anywhere."
The full list of winners is:
Business of the Year, Chamberlain Australia, Central Coast
Excellence in Micro Business, Small Batch Brewery and Hop Farm, Western NSW
Excellence in Small Business, Port Medical Aesthetics Clinic, Mid North Coast
Excellence in Medium Business, The Alternate Root, New England North West
Excellence in Large Business, Skillset Limited, Western NSW
Employer of Choice 20 Employees and Under, First Scaff, Riverina Murray
Employer of Choice 21 Employees and Over, Hysata, Illawarra
Outstanding Business Leader 20 Employees and Under, Michael Kurosawa Infinity Property Agents, Sydney
Outstanding Business Leader 21 Employees and Over, Rob Weeden Shangri-La Sydney, Sydney
Outstanding Young Business Leader, Naomi Bennett Evolve Psychology Services, Central Coast
Outstanding New Business, Strata Tech Solutions, Hunter
Excellence in International Business, Chamberlain Australia, Central Coast
Excellence in Workplace Health and Wellbeing, Morgan Engineering, Hunter
Excellence in Sustainability, Green Gravity, Illawarra
Outstanding Visitor & 24-Hour Economy Collaboration, nowra.org.au, Illawarra
Dean Gorddard Award for Outstanding Contribution by an Individual to the NSW Tourism
Industry, Karina Barry Bells at Killcare Boutique Hotel, Restaurant & Spa, Central Coast
Outstanding Employee, Claudia Tolhurst Hunter Melanoma Foundation, Hunter
Outstanding Community Organisation, Linked Community Services, Mid North Coast
Outstanding Visitor Experience, The Casino Truck Show, Northern Rivers
Excellence in Sustainable Tourism, Sydney By Kayak, Sydney
Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion, Embrace Disability Group, South East NSW
Outstanding Local Chamber, Jindabyne Chamber of Commerce, South East NSW
Excellence in Innovation, Green Timber Technology, Western NSW
About Business NSW
Formerly the NSW Business Chamber, Business NSW is the peak policy and advocacy body which has been representing businesses in NSW since 1826. We represent almost 50,000 businesses.