Home of the Australian of the Year Awards

THE AWARDS

Watch the 2026 Australian of the Year Katherine Bennell-Pegg accept her award

Honouring our most exceptional Australians

Since its inception in 1960, the Australian of the Year Awards have provided a focal point for Australia Day celebrations and a forum for the recognition of outstanding achievement.

Explore the Honour Roll

Australian of the Year Katherine Bennell-Pegg Astronaut Read More Senior Australian of the Year Professor Henry Brodaty AO Dementia treatment pioneer Read More Young Australian of the Year Nedd Brockmann Ultramarathon runner for homelessness Read More Local Hero Frank Mitchell Indigenous construction leader Read More

2026 Nominees

ACT NSW NT QLD SA TAS VIC WA

Australian of the Year

NT Dr Felix Ho ASM OAM

NT Adam Drake

NT Tanya Egerton

NT Jonah Ryan

Senior Australian of the Year

NT Jenny Duggan OAM

NT Rosemary Copeland

NT Malcolm Hales

Young Australian of the Year

NT Jaiden Dickenson

NT Lila Tonkin

NT Conor Bowden

NT Constable Jermaine Ostrofski

Local Hero

NT Ron Green BM ESM

NT Nicole Hayes

NT Norman Frank Jupurrurla

NT Ramnik Walia

Australian of the Year

TAS Dr Jorian Kippax

TAS Mitch McPherson

TAS Dr Rosie Nash

TAS Tyler Richardson

Senior Australian of the Year

TAS Julie Dunbabin

TAS Margaret Chilcott

TAS Brendan Sullivan

TAS Adriana Taylor

Young Australian of the Year

TAS Alyssia Kennedy

TAS Sahar Naqshband

TAS Reede Adams-Beckett

TAS Laura Johnson OAM

Local Hero

TAS Emily Briffa

TAS Janelle McMillan OAM

TAS Rodney Spinks

TAS Pete Walsh

Australian of the Year

VIC Carrie Bickmore OAM

VIC Professor Arnold Dix

VIC Leila Sweeney-McDougall

VIC Hugh van Cuylenburg

Senior Australian of the Year

VIC Bryan Lipmann AM

VIC Uncle Leonard Clarke

VIC Jane Edmanson OAM

VIC Thi Be Ha OAM

Young Australian of the Year

VIC Abraham Kuol

VIC Tim Harte

VIC Dr Shannon Kilmartin-Lynch

VIC Lucy Skelton

Local Hero

VIC Linda Widdup

VIC Fiona Glumac and Anna Glumac

VIC Carly McKinnis and Tammie Meehan

VIC Susan Moore

Australian of the Year

SA Katherine Bennell-Pegg

SA Paul Broadbridge

SA Professor Marion Eckert

SA Dr Mohammad Afzal Mahmood

Senior Australian of the Year

SA Malcolm Benoy

SA James Currie

SA Rosa Matto

SA Dr David Paton AM

Young Australian of the Year

SA Chloe Wyatt-Jasper

SA Hayley Frazer

SA Amelia Griffin

SA Amira Shahin

Local Hero

SA Ayesha Safdar

SA Linda Fisk and Anna Kemp

SA Callum MacPherson

SA Ella Stratton

Australian of the Year

ACT Professor Rose McGready

ACT Lauren Cannell

ACT Sarah McGoram OAM

ACT Karen Schlage

Senior Australian of the Year

ACT Heather Reid AM

ACT Calvin Bruton OAM

ACT Marion Lê AM

ACT Dr Adele Stevens

Young Australian of the Year

ACT Sita Sargeant

ACT Liam Adams

ACT Howard Maclean

ACT Anjali Sharma

Local Hero

ACT Ben Alexander

ACT Bradley Butt

ACT Michael Phelan

ACT Raffy Sgroi

Australian of the Year

NSW Dr Alison Thompson OAM

NSW Professor Nadia Badawi AM

NSW Dr Jennifer Matthews

NSW Nicholas Stewart

Senior Australian of the Year

NSW Professor Henry Brodaty AO

NSW Bob Holder

NSW Sue Mann

NSW Peter Watson

Young Australian of the Year

NSW Nedd Brockmann

NSW Jack Brown

NSW Ruby Riethmuller

NSW Dr Rand Younes

Local Hero

NSW Theresa Mitchell

NSW Andrew Clark and Lyndell Clark

NSW Kate Cleary

NSW Aneika Kapeen

Australian of the Year

QLD Dr Rolf Gomes

QLD Nicole Dyson

QLD Mark Forbes and Gayle Forbes

QLD Distinguished Professor Ben Mathews

Senior Australian of the Year

QLD Cheryl Harris OAM

QLD Gerald Garard

QLD Habib Mahomed Jamal

QLD Karyn Walsh AM

Young Australian of the Year

QLD Jarib Branfield-Bradshaw

QLD Katura Halleday

QLD Kurt Jones

QLD Thomas Pirie

Local Hero

QLD Ian Gay

QLD Vanessa Seekee OAM and Arthur Liberty Seekee

QLD Ross Blanch

QLD Helen Youngberry

Australian of the Year

WA Dr Daniela Vecchio

WA Dr Gareth Baynam

WA Kennedy Lay

WA Dr Tracy Westerman AM

Senior Australian of the Year

WA Professor Kingsley Dixon AO

WA Esme Bowen

WA Martin Meader

WA Griff Morris

Young Australian of the Year

WA Dr Haseeb Riaz and Gareth Shanthikumar

WA Alexis McDonald

WA Brooke McIntosh

WA Rodrigues Niyongere

Local Hero

WA Frank Mitchell

WA Bronwyn Bate

WA Holden Sheppard

WA Dr Lara Shur

Partners

Senior Australian of the Year Partner

Young Australian of the Year Partner

Australia's Local Hero Partner

Broadcast Partner

Media Partner

Partners

Cultural Partner

EAST Hotel

Exhibition Partner

Legal Partner