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Honouring Outstanding Australians at the Australian of the Year Awards 2025
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For 65 years, the Australian of the Year Awards have celebrated Australians contributing to positive change in Australia. They recognise those who have gone above and beyond and demonstrated our great Australian spirit, and celebrate the achievements and contributions of Australians making a positive difference to the lives of others.
The Australian of the Year Awards program is stewarded by The National Australia Day Council (NADC). The core mission of the NADC is to actively promote our national day to all Australians to inspire national pride.
“We always want to ensure we give our recipients an amazing experience in Canberra and feel special. Whether they take out the national title or not, they are all with us to be celebrated for demonstrating inspiration, service and excellence.”
Mark Fraser AO CVO, CEO, National Australia Day Council
The awards process starts with state and territory Awards across four categories, and recipients progress through to national selections. The Australian of the Year category is the most iconic. The other categories are: Young Australian of the Year, which recognises those aged 16 to 30; Senior Australian of the Year, which recognises those aged over 60; and Australian Local Hero, which acknowledges extraordinary contributions in the local community.
On January 25, Australia Day Eve, the Australian of the Year Awards are broadcast nationally on ABC and iView. Last year, over 530,000 Australians tuned in to watch. Since 2025 marked the 65th anniversary of the awards, past Australians of the Year were invited to make the occasion feel even more special.
The NADC team contacted Flagworld with the idea to create a memorable display outside the iconic Old Parliament House featuring the faces of the state and territory Australians of the Year. CEO Mark Fraser AO CVO said “We’ve used Flagworld for the last five years and they’ve always been a trusted supplier. They’re quick, reliable and provide really great customer service throughout the process.”
“The flags were designed to showcase our award recipients in a public space in the lead up to the national announcement of the Australian of the Year Awards, and give prominence to the achievements of some ordinary Australians doing extraordinary things. These recipients get such a buzz when they see their portraits flying high!”
Mark Fraser AO CVO, CEO, National Australia Day Council
Organising such a major event involves a lot of hard work and planning from the team at the NADC. “We welcome over 100 recipients and guests from around the country to Canberra for an amazing program of events, including morning tea at the Prime Minister’s Lodge and the big announcement broadcast live on the ABC. There is a lot of logistical planning involved! Everything from arranging flights and accommodation to sorting buses and guest dietaries. Also, the announcement is live – we work closely with ABC to make that happen as flawlessly as possible, but there are a lot of moving parts.”
Mark puts the success of the awards down to good communication and having a small, but passionate team. “We love what we do and believe in delivering a great, seamless experience for these amazing Australians.”
Do you know someone who is changing lives and Australian society for the better? Nominate them at: www.australianoftheyear.org.au/nominate
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