Controversial News Ltd columnist Andrew Bolt has been awarded the 2011 Ernie award for sexist comments.

Bolt was given the gold award for a newspaper opinion piece he wrote in April suggesting male soldiers would be turned from warriors into escorts if women were allowed to serve on the front line.

Meredith Burgmann, a founder of the annual awards, said Bolt scored the loudest jeers for the 19th Annual Ernie Awards for Sexist Behaviour held at NSW Parliament House on Monday night.

"The judges were the 300 women who booed louder for him than anyone else - it really got up their noses," Ms Burgmann said.

"It's equality in an occupation... if you're not allowed to apply for a certain job, that's discrimination."

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott narrowly beat former Labor leader Mark Latham to claim the Ernie prize in politics, for failing to disassociate himself from "Ditch the witch" signs used to denigrate Prime Minister Julia Gillard at anti-carbon tax rallies in March.

But with polls showing Mr Abbott clearly on track to becoming Australia's next prime minister, Ms Burgmann did not think Mr Abbott would set back women's rights despite him being the past recipient of Ernie awards.

"Tony Abbott has very old-fashioned views of women's place in the world," she said.

"He continually says things that show he thinks that a woman's role is to keep her virginity and marry a nice guy."

Perth obstetrician Dr Barry Walters won the Fred award for suggesting older mothers were selfish.

"He didn't say older fathers are selfish," Ms Burgmann said.

"Often, it's not a woman's choice to have children older; they're trying for a long time... sometimes it's the bloke who doesn't commit."

NSW Family and Community Services Minister Pru Goward, a former federal sex discrimination commissioner, won an Elaine award for criticising the Australian Services Union's equal pay case before Fair Work Australia.

"To call it a 'so-called wage gap' is worse than denying climate change," Ms Burgmann said.

Former AFL star Peter "Spida" Everitt won in the Warney award for last year suggesting women who went home with a man at 3am were not going back for a cup of Milo.

Just to prove News Ltd columnists can be admired, Daily Telegraph federal politics reporter Simon Benson was given the Good Ernie for a column he wrote in April, in which he criticised racehorse trainer Gai Waterhouse's comments about Ms Gillard needing a makeover as she visited tsunami victims in Japan.

AAP