A heart surgeon saving lives in Africa, the national advocate against sex discrimination, a humanitarian aid worker who has followed conflicts from Sudan to Afghanistan, and an official war artist have been named as finalists for the 2016 NSW Australian of the Year Award. Cardiac surgeon Ian Nicholson is in the running for the award alongside Elisabeth Broderick, the former Australian Sex Discrimination Commissioner and Commissioner responsible for Age Discrimination, Patricia Garcia, who has worked with refugees and victims in a number of war-torn regions, and Ben Quilty, who has travelled to Afghanistan as an official artist for the Australian War Memorial. The winners of each category will be announced on   November 16 and the national awards will be announced in   January in Canberra.