The Leo Kelly OAM Arts and Culture Award

This award celebrates outstanding achievement by local government organisations in strategic planning and delivery for arts and culture.

About the award

The Leo Kelly OAM Arts and Culture Award recognises councils that have excelled in strategic policy, planning, delivery and evaluation in arts and culture.

Eligible projects or initiatives will be judged on whether they demonstrate:

  • Innovation and Improvements to cultural planning, policy, delivery and or evaluation
  • Achievement of intended goals with Measurable cultural outcomes
  • Leadership to other councils and a strong legacy of the project.

Award Categories

The project or initiative must have been:

  • Undertaken during the previous calendar year
  • Managed by a NSW council or group of councils that is/are a current member of LGNSW

Applicants must have received the approval of the General Manager to enter. 

There are two award categories, for work substantially completed in 2023:

Arts and Cultural Project  Arts and Cultural Strategy/Plan 
Recognises innovative delivery and competent outcomes assessment for arts and cultural projects.

Councils enter and are judged within their divisions:
  • Division A – population less than 30,000
  • Division B – population 30,000 – 100,000
  • Division C – population more than 100,000
  • Division D – JOs, ROCs and County Councils and other Associate members.
 Recognises integrated cultural planning and policy and creative stakeholder engagement in the arts and cultural sector.

Councils enter and are judged within their divisions:
  • Division A – population less than 30,000
  • Division B – population 30,000 – 100,000
  • Division C – population more than 100,000
  • Division D – JOs, ROCs and County Councils and other Associate members.

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Who was Leo Kelly?

Councillor Leo Kelly OAM was a passionate and dedicated LGNSW Board member who served from 1983 until his passing in January 2017.

His service included 15 years as vice-president (metropolitan) on the Local Government Association of NSW Board, and he was also a long-serving Blacktown City councillor.

As a champion for the arts, Councillor Kelly was instrumental in creating Blacktown Arts Centre, as well as supporting the Blacktown City Art Prize and awarding scholarships for local artists.