Melbourne, Australia, 25 July 2012 | Tennis Australia

Young Aussie talent Ashleigh Barty has been nominated in the Female Sportsperson of the Year category at the 2012 Deadlys.

The Deadlys are Australia-wide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander awards in the fields of music, sport, arts and community, recognising the contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to both their community and to Australian society.

The Female Sportsperson of the Year award was last year won by basketballer Rohanee Cox.

This year, Barty is up against fellow nominees Kyah Simon (soccer), Meghan Rutledge (motocross), Stacey Porter (softball) and Bo de la Cruz (rugby).

The 16-year-old has enjoyed a stellar 2012 season. Highlights have included shaving more than 400 places from her ranking after beginning the year at No.682, as well as winning Pro Tour titles in Sydney and Mildura.

Her biggest win came in June at the $50,000 ITF event in Nottingham, a tournament victory which vaulted her inside the world’s top 300 for the first time.

She made her Grand Slam debut at the French Open in May as a wildcard, and also played in the main draw at Wimbledon, securing a wildcard on the strength of her Nottingham victory. She currently stands at world No.248.

You can vote for Barty in the 2012 Deadlys by clicking here. Voting closes at 5pm AEST on Friday 9 September.