The finalists in the inaugural Australian Godolphin Stud Staff and Stable Awards will be recognised in Sydney with the overall winner to be announced on Tuesday.

The Godolphin initiative, which began in Europe in 2005, is designed to honour the contribution of the rarely-seen people behind the scenes in the industry.

The winner of the Thoroughbred Excellence Award will be selected from five of the six category winners, excluding the Care and Welfare recipient.

The six winners have already received $10,000 with the overall winner to receive another $5000 and $4000 for his or her stud or stable.

There were 176 nominations from across Australia with the judging panel announcing the category winners over the past two weeks.

Johan Petzer, chair of the judging panel said the nominees were of a high standard and represented a wide section of the industry.

Those vying for the top award are:

Leadership winner: Richard Nettleton, farm manager for David Hayes Racing (Vic).

Horsemanship winner: Ben Cadden, trackwork rider at Chris Waller Racing (NSW).

Dedication to Breeding: Bernadette Hamill, Stud Manager, Yarradale Stud (WA).

Dedication to Racing: Mark Newnham, assistant trainer at Gai Waterhouse Racing (NSW).

Administration: Don Healy from Griffiths Racing (Vic).

Thoroughbred Care and Welfare: Amy Taylor, Owner/manager and trainer at Affinity Park Thoroughbreds (Qld).