"We received over 100 nominations," said Vicky Darling, chief executive of Volunteering and Contact ACT.

"This is a record-breaking year for us, and it goes to show how essential volunteering is to our wonderful city."

The ceremony was held during National Volunteer Week with the theme, "Making a world of difference".

"Canberra has the highest rate of volunteering in the country," Ms Darling said.

"The 2019 nominees were outstanding and represent what it means to be a Canberran."

2019 Volunteer of the Year went to Nikki Bensch, nominated for her volunteer work as the ACT team leader for Share the Dignity.

Ms Bensch works to eliminate period poverty by ensuring vulnerable women and girls - the homeless, those fleeing domestic violence, or otherwise suffering financial hardship - have access to sanitary items.

"Nikki's work with Share the Dignity highlights a critical issue for some women and girls that goes under the radar.

"Through her volunteering Nikki has been able to demonstrate how a young person with a busy career can still make an incredible difference through volunteering," Ms Darling said.

There were two winners of the Canberra's Choice Award this year, as voted by the public.

The awards were presented to: Benjamin Freeman, who supports and educates a wide variety of people in numerous sporting and educational endeavours, including with the ANU Consulting Society, the Australian Ice Swimming Association, and as an operational member of the SES, and more; and the ACT Policing Volunteers in Policing Program (pictured).

The Volunteers in Policing Team currently has 53 volunteers who perform 22 different roles in support of ACT Policing.

These volunteers are the first point of contact with the public and provide Justice of the Peace support. Other roles include role playing for police recruits and as juries in mock courts for training.

The work undertaken by these volunteers frees up police resources and provides a unique experience for people who are interested in volunteering in the justice system.

The Volunteer Team of the Year Award was presented to the Southern Tablelands Ecosystem Park Volunteers.

Over 10 years, the National Arboretum volunteers have developed a regional botanic garden of eucalypts and 200 species of shrubs, herbs and grasses for the enjoyment of the community and visitors.

Other awards included:

Mr Bray has been volunteering for Hartley Lifecare for more than 50 years. Each month, at the markets, Mr Bray welcomes stallholders, directs traffic, and helps out on the fundraising barbecue. He is a lovable larrikin who has been a great mentor to the wider team, especially to the younger volunteers. Mr Bray is described as a giving, caring and humble volunteer.

Ms Coffey has dedicated the last decade of her life to the sport of netball. Through various pathways she has been a coach, player mentor, umpire, and talent scout. Ms Coffey uses netball as a vehicle to empower the young women she interacts with to understand their value and grow their confidence and worth. Through her mentorship, Ms Coffey teaches young women to love and respect their bodies as athletes and strive to achieve success both on and off the court.

Hannah Andrevski set up Roundabout Canberra last year to provide women and families experiencing hardship with essential equipment to ensure the safety of their babies. Ms Andrevski runs five volunteer sessions per week where attendees check donated items for cleanliness and safety before lovingly packaging them up to be donated to families in need. Outside these sessions, Ms Andrevski coordinates fundraising, social media, and general management for the organisation.

What's Your Reality is a partnership between Calwell High School, the YWCA Clubhouse and the ACT Parks and Conservation Service. Students from Calwell High volunteered their time to be 'topic experts' in producing nature based virtual reality content for people with a disability. Students worked with YWCA and Parks to plan, film and produce the content, which showcases experiences and locations that may be inaccessible for people with a disability. The virtual reality experience was showcased to 40 young people with muscular dystrophy in December last year. Once 'inside' the VR each participant fell silent as they were lost in the adventure. Staff and carers watched as a room full of wheelchairs was brought to life through VR.

Compeer is an international, award-winning program that links adults living with a mental illness with a friendship volunteer. The program is based on the premise that 'friendship is a powerful medicine'. In its ten-year history the Vinnies Compeer Program has supported 270 participants through friendship with over 275 volunteers.

Ms McGovern-Hooley from RSM undertook a year-long community research project for Marymead, focused on capturing the experiences of people with autism and their carers on their ability to access services. This ground-breaking research was the first comprehensive research of its kind, identifying the unmet needs of people with autism. Further, the impact of the project extends beyond the project's lifespan as it provides an example methodology that can be leveraged by future research projects that are aimed at community capacity building.

The awards were presented at the National Arboretum in a gala event.