Each year, the Australian of the Year Awards honour an exceptional group of highly respected Australians who ignite discussion and change on issues of national importance.
Senior Australian of the Year
Rewarding Australians aged 65 and over who continue to achieve and contribute.
Young Australian of the Year
Profiling exceptional young Australians aged 16 to 30.
Australia’s Local Hero
Acknowledging extraordinary contributions made by Australians in their local community.
How are the winners chosen?
The awards operate in several stages. They start at the community level, with nominations being invited from the public. State and territory selection panels choose finalists in each of the four award categories, announced from October to November each year.
The final stage is when the board of the National Australia Day Council chooses the national recipients, announced on the eve of Australia Day each year.