Organisers of the annual Cosmopolitan Women of the Year awards have distanced the publication from nominee Sonia Kruger after she spoke out against Muslim immigration.
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"There is a correlation between the number of Muslims in a country and the number of terrorist attacks," she said on Today earlier this year.
Cosmopolitan editor Claire Askew confirmed Kruger's comments were made after the nominees were selected.
"We went to press before she made those comments. She, 100 per cent, does not reflect the opinions of us or our readers but the comments were made afterwards," Askew told The Sun-Herald.
"It was a bit of challenge that category," she added. "But it reflects who the networks are putting forward on their big shows. It's reflective of who the channels are putting forward as their TV presenters within the Cosmo demographic."
Askew admits there was a "big debate in the office" surrounding Kruger's inclusion.
The co-host of Today Extra on Nine is in the running for the TV Presenter of the Year award and goes up against other blonde-haired and blue-eyed personalities Carrie Bickmore, Samantha Armytage, Sylvia Jeffreys and sports reporter Erin Molan.
"The fact is she's one of the big TV presenters in Australia. We didn't take her out because we thought she's one of the big TV presenters and now it's up to the readers to vote and whether she should be the winner or not," she said.
"In the end I left it up to our readers to decide that and I trust them to choose the best woman who they think deserves the award."
Despite the all-white TV presenter category, Askew is pleased with the overall nominees list, which, for the first time, will include a humanitarian award.
"It's helped us have one of the most diverse nominees list so far in the awards history, we also have the first transgender women nominated in Margot Fink. Something we're really proud to achieve with the awards is that we're reflecting the diverse culture of Australia," she said.
Julia Gillard will once again endorse and attend the awards, to be held in November over a long lunch at Centennial Parklands Dining.
"Today's Cosmo reader is a woman who grew up knowing she was equal to men. A woman who expects, in fact demands, to have options and choices in her life," Gillard said at last year's event.
"It's your generation that is going to break down the final set of barriers for women in our society. But it won't happen by accident. It will only happen if we think carefully, campaign cleverly and come together to raise our voices for change."
Before the awards, the magazine is set to kick off a special domestic violence campaign focused on emotional abuse.
"Domestic violence is the leading cause of death for women under 45," Askew added.
She wanted to focus on the area of verbal abuse – something women aged between 18 to 34 are most likely to suffer.
"Don't turn a blind eye to emotional abuse", published in the new issue of the magazine, is fronted by Molan and carries interviews with victims of emotional abuse and highlights how to identify it.
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