Brolga Awards
The Brolga Northern Territory Tourism Awards (Brolga Awards) are the official tourism awards program for the Northern Territory. The Brolga Awards recognise and celebrate excellence in tourism and hospitality businesses.
For the majority of categories the awards has three elements:
1. Submission, which accounts for the majority of your total score, worth 60 points. Remember, the judges are scoring based on the information provided in your submission, be mindful not to assume knowledge.
2. Consumer rating (calculated on your GRI) worth 20 points. Encourage your customers to review your business across your review platforms (i.e. Tripadvisor, Google). Increase your Global Review Index (GRI - provided by ReviewPro) before 30 June 2025. A minimum of 25 reviews must have been received across the social platforms which ReviewPro analyses for the qualifying period (1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025) in order to receive a GRI. Businesses that do not have a GRI will receive a score of 0 for consumer rating.
3. Digital review worth 20 points. This review looks at your website, social media channels, search engine optimisation, external listing sources, online accessibility score via Google Lighthouse (min 70%), promotion of the broader region and online review response rate.
Please refer to your category’s score summary to confirm these elements and the points applicable for your submission.
What’s different this year?
There have been some important changes to the submission process in 2025 implemented by the Australian Tourism Industry Council (ATIC) for all states and territories, designed to make your submission process more streamlined and efficient.
Key changes to the business categories include:
• Simplified and refined questions in a guided format
With an increased focus on business sustainability, the questions have been refined and the format updated to guide you through the submission process.
Historically, the free form nature of the submission process has encouraged entrants to include information and detail beyond the requirements of the questions. The questions are now in a guided format for entrants to clearly understand what is being asked and to provide the relevant information only.
• Reduced word count
Submissions are a minimum of 4,000 words and maximum of 7,500 words for national categories 1-25. This is a significant reduction from the previous maximum 10,000 words, with the change to questions comfortably accommodating this word count reduction, so entrants can efficiently convey to judges why they deserve recognition for their business excellence.
The Excellence in Accessible Tourism (category 26) has a maximum of 3,000 words, previously 4,000.
• Images
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so take advantage of the increase from 25 to 30 images in your submission to make a compelling case with your submission.
Webinar 30 April 2025
Join the Brolga Awards team for a webinar to be held on 30 April 2025 at 9am which will unpack the changes and explore the new guided format.
Topics included in the webinar are:
- changes to the 2025 awards
- utilising the question guided format
- use of images
- entrants support.
Why enter the Brolgas Awards?
There are many reasons to enter the 2025 Brolga Awards:
• elevates your visibility as a quality and reputable business
• receive recognition and use as marketing advantage
• unlocks insights including benchmarks, business improvement and product development
• provides opportunities for networking and new partnerships
• fosters pride and recognition in your business and the NT tourism industry.
Nominations for the 2025 Brolga Awards are open to tourism and hospitality businesses, industry suppliers and outstanding individuals in the Northern Territory. Winning a Brolga Award is the industry’s highest accolade, and the recipients represent the excellent products and services in the Northern Territory.
Winners of the Brolga Awards business categories (categories 1-26) will represent the Northern Territory at the 2025 Australian Tourism Awards to be held in Fremantle in March 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a cost to enter the Brolga Awards?
No. The Northern Territory does not charge a fee to enter.
Who nominates my business to enter for the awards?
Each business must nominate themselves and develop a submission that answers the questions in each category. Nominate via the Awards portal atic.qualitytourismaustralia.com
Can my business re-enter in consecutive years?
Yes. All past entrants are encouraged to re-enter. Incorporating the judges’ feedback from previous entries is an opportunity to enhance your submission.
What does it mean for my submission if my business is not accredited through the Quality Tourism Framework?
If you’d like to find out more about accreditation contact Quality Tourism Framework NT – Tourism Top End on 08 890 6006 or email [email protected]. If your business is not accredited the Business Standards pre-assessment will need to be completed via the awards portal.
Can I use a copywriter to complete my submission?
Yes. You have the option to either write your submission yourself or engage a copywriter to assist you. It is important to note that regardless of who completes the submission, it must contain specific, detailed, evidence-based information about your business and product. If you choose to engage a copywriter, make sure they are provided with all the necessary information to accurately represent your business.
What is the qualifying period?
For the 2025 Brolga Awards, only include activities implemented during the qualifying period, from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025, except in Q1.1 (Overview of Business), where you can discuss your business more broadly.
How are the Brolga Awards judged?
Judging of all submissions and the digital review are conducted by a panel of independent judges, overseen by a Chair of Judges and Auditor. All judges declare a conflict of interest in any business they have a personal/financial relationship with.
Do judges experience my product / service / event?
No. The judges are reviewing what you put in your submission, they are not judging your actual product or service. Site / verification visits are not held for the Brolga Awards.
How many judges assess the submissions?
At least three independent judges review your submission.
Will I know if I have won in advance to the awards gala event?
The winners are kept confidential until they are presented at the awards gala event.
I didn’t enter the Brolga Awards, can I still attend the gala event?
Yes. The room is filled with industry peers; a great way to make connections with people who can help grow your business. It is also a great opportunity to celebrate the industry and reward your team with a fun night of networking with industry colleagues.
Further resources and assistance
For any questions or for more information contact the Brolga Awards team on:
Email [email protected]
Phone 08 8951 8518
Brolga Awards Facebook.