No additional nomination required. This award is determined by the judges and presented to one of the winners from the following categories:

• Student of the Year
• Professional Bookkeeper of the Year – Sole Operator
• Professional Bookkeeper of the Year – Practice Owner
• Employed Bookkeeper of the Year
• Emerging Bookkeeper of the Year
• Network Facilitator of the year
• Small Practice of the Year
• Large Practice of the Year

Attributes displayed by the winner of this award will include:

• Demonstrated exceptional leadership in both personal and professional development.
• Demonstrated commitment to business development and growth.
• Exceptional commitment to service delivery and client excellence.

This award is given to a student who is undertaking or has completed studies in the field of Bookkeeping. The Student of the Year will be someone whom everyone can be inspired by. The entry should tell your story and explain your journey, demonstrating the following attributes:

• A commitment to their own professional development beyond base course content.
• Exceptional promise to work as a professional bookkeeper.
• Has achieved a high level of competency in their current qualification studies.

* Must be nominated by either the training organisation they are studying with, an employer or other professional bookkeeper.

This award aims to recognise those registered training providers that have demonstrated excellence in delivering high quality education to bookkeepers. It also acknowledges a provider’s commitment to supporting the advancement of the bookkeeping industry through industry engagement and consultation, to deliver educational outcomes in the best interests of students, the bookkeeping industry and the business community.

The successful nominee will have achieved these objectives by:

• Demonstrating a high level of commitment to supporting their students during their studies.
• Encouraging student development beyond the formalised course structure by engaging in additional learning opportunities, including encouraging student engagement with industry.
• Pro-actively engaging in industry consultations to ensure course materials and delivery are current and relevant and meet industry expectations.

* Must be nominated by a third party and endorsed by ICB leadership and or ICB members.

* Must be an approved training provider with ICB, a registered training provider with ASQA, and delivering a recognised training qualification for bookkeepers of the Certificate IV Accounting and Bookkeeping.

This award is recognising those bookkeepers who work as a sole operator without the additional support of staff or contractors. The nominees of this award will demonstrate that they uphold the standards and ideals of being a professional bookkeeper, despite a smaller business model, often designed with balancing business and other life commitments by displaying the following attributes:

• Must be working as a solo practitioner, with no employees or contractors engaged within the past 12 months.
• Has excelled in the service they offer to their clients.
• Has added significant value to their client’s businesses.
• Is committed to their professional development to stay in the forefront of industry, technology and legislative updates.
• Has a professionally structured approach to the conduct of their business and delivery of their services.

* Must be nominated by a third party (e.g. client, accountant or other colleague).

This award is recognising those bookkeepers who own multi person professional bookkeeping practices. The nominees of this award will demonstrate that they uphold the standards and ideals of being a professional bookkeeper, by displaying the following attributes:

• Has excelled in the service they offer to their clients, and the management and development of their team.
• Has added significant value to their client’s businesses.
• Is committed to their professional development to stay in the forefront of industry, technology and legislative updates.
• Is committed to developing a professional bookkeeping practice with one or more employees or contractors, and successfully leading a team by establishing quality control systems and processes.
• Contributes to the bookkeeping community, upholding the values and confidence of the bookkeeping profession.

* Must be nominated by a third party (e.g. client, employee, accountant or other colleague).

2024, 2025 & 2026 Awards sponsored by: HM Advisory

This award recognises large practices (five or more) that provide outstanding bookkeeping services while demonstrating significant growth, technological advancement, and a strong commitment to both client satisfaction and professional development. Success for a large practice could be consistently retaining and delighting clients, running unique and effective marketing campaigns, servicing a unique client sector, or making an impact in their community.

• Must be a bookkeeping practice which engages or employs a minimum of 5 contractors or employees (or a combination of) and has done so for at least the previous 12 months prior to the award nomination date.

The practice has:

• Excelled in the service they offer to their clients.
• Has a solid strategy for the continued growth and development of the practice.
• Has demonstrated systems and processes in place for supervision and development of their team.
• Added significant value to their client’s businesses across multiple bookkeeping staff.
• Provided ample opportunity and support to continue the professional development of its team to stay in the forefront of industry, technology, and legislative updates.
• Upheld the standards and ideals of a professional bookkeeper and the bookkeeping profession.

* Must be nominated by a third party, including clients, employees or contractor, not the owner of the practice.

This award seeks to recognise an individual bookkeeper who has started bookkeeping within the last two years. Nominees for this award should display the following attributes:

• Has demonstrated real growth in their understanding of bookkeeping principles and practices.
• Excels in the service they offer to their clients and/or employer.
• Is committed to their professional development to stay in the forefront of industry, technology, and legislative updates.
• Upholds the standards and ideals of a professional bookkeeper and the bookkeeping profession.

* Must be nominated by a third party (e.g. client, employee, accountant or other colleague).

* Must have commenced working as a bookkeeper within the past 24 months prior to the nomination date.

This award is given to a teacher or lecturer who is delivering course content for the Certificate IV Accounting and Bookkeeping, Certificate III Accounts Administration, and/or Diploma of Payroll. This teacher/lecturer is someone who has demonstrated the following attributes:

• They provide exceptional commitment, encouragement and support their student’s learning journey beyond basic course requirements.
• They have made a positive impact on both the student learning experience.
• They are committed to maintaining their own professional development to ensure that their knowledge of bookkeeping and the bookkeeping profession remains current and relevant to their role as an educator.

* Must be nominated by a third party.

This award is granted to the network meeting facilitator of a professionally recognised bookkeeping network group. The Network Facilitator must demonstrate that they uphold the standards and ideals of the bookkeeping profession and show that he/she has achieved significant success and established a community where members and students have felt supported, welcomed and motivated. This could be, by way of example:

• Facilitating or hosting a regular meeting or event aimed to connect bookkeepers together.
• Has been innovative in their approach in engaging members, promoting inclusivity and equal contribution from all participants.
• In being proactive in advancing the status and professional development of Bookkeepers of all levels of experience.
• Has establishing a strong support network for members whilst leading by example.
• Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing the professional development of those within their group.
• Encourages and celebrates the achievements of those within their group.

* Must be nominated by a third party (e.g. a group member).

2024, 2025 & 2026 Awards sponsored by: HM Advisory

This award gives prestigious recognition to small bookkeeping practices (one to four people) that demonstrate exceptional service, innovation, and professionalism in their field.

• Must be a bookkeeping practice which engages or employs a maximum of 4 contractors or employees (or a combination of) and has done so for at least the previous 12 months prior to the award nomination date.

The practice has:

• Excelled in the service they offer to their clients.
• Has a solid strategy for the continued growth and development of the practice.
• Has demonstrated systems and processes in place for supervision and development of their team.
• Added significant value to their client’s businesses across multiple bookkeeping staff.
• Provided ample opportunity and support to continue the professional development of its team to stay in the forefront of industry, technology and legislative updates.
• Upheld the standards and ideals of a professional bookkeeper and the bookkeeping profession.

* Must be nominated by a third party, including clients, employees or contractors, not the owner of the practice.

This award is designed to honour the individual bookkeepers who demonstrate exceptional skill, dedication, and professionalism in their role on staff. The nominee for this award may not necessarily be working in a bookkeeping or accounting based business. They display several attributes including:

• Delivering their role demonstrating a commitment to excellence, professionalism and ethics.
• Demonstrated innovation and problem solving.
• They are committed to their continuous improvement.
• They have made a positive impact to the employer’s business.

* Must be nominated by a third party such as their employer, business accountant, or colleague.

* Must be have been employed in one of the following roles within 3 months from the awards nomination closing date:

• A small business as a bookkeeper, accounts clerk/officer, accounts payable and/or receivable role.
• A bookkeeping business as a bookkeeper.

This award is to recognise those who provide exceptional service to the bookkeeping industry more broadly and/or strongly advocate for advancement of professional bookkeepers, BAS Agents, and the bookkeeping profession.

• Demonstrated significant service and commitment to the bookkeeping profession.
• Has supported, encouraged and advocated for other bookkeepers and/or the bookkeeping profession.
• Upheld the standards and ideals of a professional bookkeeper and the bookkeeping profession.

* Must be nominated by a third party such as an industry body, bookkeeper colleague, or other third parties working in collaboration with industry.

This award is selected from the strategic and/or approved partners of ICB and is voted on by ICB members.

Members will be asked to vote on the following criteria:

• A demonstrated commitment of support programs to assist bookkeepers in managing their clients’ financial affairs efficiently and accurately.
• A product that provides value to bookkeepers in managing their clients’ financial affairs efficiently and accurately.
• A product that demonstrates ease of use and ease of integration into the business framework of a client’s business.
• A partner that has demonstrated a commitment to assisting bookkeepers with the delivery of a professional service.
• A partner that has demonstrated a commitment to the professional development and enhancement of bookkeepers’ skills and the development and growth of a bookkeeper’s own business.
• Shows commitment to bookkeepers support, development and engagement through partner engagement and acknowledgement.

Award recipients to be nominated by ICB members and/or the ICB leadership team, with final vote for the recipient of this award to be made by ICB members.

• Awarding of the ICB Lifetime Membership award as and when applicable.
• Service award recipients ICB Fellows and 10+ years of membership with ICB Australia.