Record nominations announced as finalists revealed for the 2026 Excellence in Early Childhood Education Awards

Australia's early childhood education and care sector is celebrating a significant milestone, with organisers of the 2026 Excellence in Early Childhood Education (EECE) Awards announcing record participation levels and unveiling this year's finalists.

According to the Awards Committee, nominations increased by 47 per cent compared to last year, while the number of services submitting entries rose by 40 per cent, the strongest response since the awards program began.

The increase reflects growing professional pride across the sector and highlights a strong commitment to recognising excellence in early childhood education and care.

Finalists represent services and professionals from metropolitan, regional, rural and remote communities, spanning long day care, preschool, kindergarten, outside school hours care and specialist early learning programs.

Recognition across every aspect of quality

The EECE Awards recognise excellence across a broad range of categories, including educational programs, environmental sustainability, family partnerships, community engagement, inclusion, children's wellbeing, nutrition, cultural programs, leadership, workforce development and service quality.

The breadth of categories reflects the increasingly diverse and complex nature of contemporary early childhood education and care, while providing opportunities to celebrate achievements at both individual and service levels.

Award organisers said this year's record participation demonstrates the value services place on recognising innovation, leadership and professional excellence.

Metropolitan and regional services shine

Finalists were announced across metropolitan, regional, rural and remote service excellence categories, showcasing the depth of quality practice occurring in communities across New South Wales.

Among the metropolitan finalists are services including The Cubbyhouse Preparatory School, Montessori Academy Oran Park, Rise & Shine Kindergarten Summer Hill, Allambie Bush Kindy, Amigoss Spanish Bilingual Childcare and Neutral Bay Kindergarten.

Regional and rural finalists include services from communities such as Boorowa, Orange, Coffs Harbour, Newcastle, Gilgandra, Peak Hill, Trundle and Ulladulla, highlighting the strength of early childhood education and care beyond metropolitan centres.

The diversity of finalists reflects the significant contribution services of all sizes make to children's learning, development and wellbeing.

Celebrating innovation and leadership

Several specialist categories recognise areas of growing importance across the sector.

The Excellence in Educational Program and Practice category highlights services demonstrating strong pedagogy, intentional teaching and high-quality learning environments.

Environmental sustainability continues to feature strongly, with services recognised for their commitment to nature-based learning, environmental stewardship and sustainability initiatives.

Other categories celebrate excellence in family partnerships, community involvement, inclusivity practices, multicultural programs, children's health and wellbeing, and the promotion of Australian history and culture.

Recognising the people behind quality

In addition to service-based awards, the EECE Awards recognise the individuals who drive quality outcomes for children and families every day.

Categories including Educator Excellence, Young Educator Excellence, Educational Leader Excellence, Team Excellence, Employer Excellence and Wellbeing Excellence shine a spotlight on the people who contribute to strong workplace cultures and positive learning environments.

Training Excellence Awards also acknowledge the next generation of early childhood professionals and the services supporting workforce development across the sector.

A reflection of sector pride

The record number of nominations arrives at a time when the sector continues to navigate workforce shortages, regulatory change and increasing expectations around quality.

Against this backdrop, the awards provide an opportunity to celebrate success, acknowledge professional achievement and share examples of outstanding practice.

Recognition programs such as the EECE Awards play an important role in highlighting the expertise, dedication and innovation that exists throughout Australia's early childhood education and care community.

With finalists now announced, attention will turn to the awards ceremony later this year, where educators, leaders, services and organisations will come together to celebrate excellence across the profession.

The full list of 2026 finalists is available on the Excellence in Early Childhood Education Awards website.