THE winners of Tamworth's top awards say being able to make a difference in people's lives is the real honour and privilege.
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Aboriginal support worker Christine Walters was named Tamworth's citizen of the year, while gun-cricketer Lara Graham took out the youth award.
Bailey Wolrige won the Mitchell Brady encouragement award.
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The Sunday morning ceremony also saw more than 20 new Australians receive citizenship.
However, the announcement of Tamworth's top citizens brought a focus on First Australians.
Citizen of the year Christine Walters was recognised for her work with Services Our Way, an organisation which supports Aboriginal families.
"The strength and resilience is in these families, they are just a little bit tattered and torn," she said.
"Families, sometimes just need someone to hold their hand and help them walk a few miles."
Ms Walters moved to Tamworth 30 years ago from central Queensland and said she felt at home when she arrived.
She acknowledged the other six finalists "supporting our community" every day and the "strong young people coming along". She also paid respect to her workplace.
"It has given me the ability, as a worker, to make amazing changes in people's lives," she said.
"To me, that is a huge honour."
Lara Graham accepted her award before jetting off to Alice Springs for the National Indigenous Cricket Championships.
Graham was last year's Mitchell Brady encouragement award winner and she was keen to push her cricket career and volunteering efforts further in 2020.
The Oxley High student spent countless hours volunteering with Clean Up Australia, the Local Aboriginal Land Council and Relay for Life on top of school and sport last year.
"The feeling you get helping kids, doing anything ... it is a good feeling," she said.
"There is so many opportunities now for ladies in cricket.
"It is really evolving and I would like to be a part of that and see how far I get."