2023 Australian of the Year Awards Nominations – Fact Sheet
Background
The Australian of the Year Awards seek to acknowledge and recognise Australians who are going above and beyond for their communities and Australia. They are individuals from all walks of life who, through their generosity and dedication, are making differences in the lives of others and to Australian society.
The four Australian of the Year award categories are:
- Australian of the Year
- Senior Australian of the Year
- Young Australian of the Year
- Australia’s Local Hero
The Department of Home Affairs has been the proud sponsor of Australia’s Local Hero Award as part of the Australian of the Year Awards, since it was introduced as a category in 2003. 2023 will mark the 20th anniversary of the award category and the Department’s sponsorship.
Nominations
Nominations for the 2023 Australian of the Year Awards are now open at www.australianoftheyear.org.au/nominate.
The Department of Home Affairs and the National Australia Day Council encourage representatives from diverse backgrounds to be nominated to ensure the Australian of the Year Awards reflect our multicultural society. To encourage greater diversity, the 2023 nomination campaign advertisements are available in six different languages:
In 2022, the winners included:
- Dylan Alcott, AO – Australian of the Year – Athlete, Paralympian, philanthropist, media commentator and advocate
- Valmai Dempsey – Senior Australian of the Year – Volunteer at St John Ambulance
- Dr Daniel Nour – Young Australian of the Year – Founder of Street Side Medics
- Shanna Whan – Australia’s Local Hero – Founder and CEO of Sober in the Country
The diagram below provides an overview of the nomination and Australian of the Year Awards process
Key dates
- 31 July 2022 – Australian of the Year nominations close
- 31 October to 15 November 2022 – State and territory winners across all four Australian of the Year categories are announced at events in each state and territory
- 25 January 2023 – National winners across all four categories are announced at an Australian of the Year Awards event in Canberra
Further details
Further information on the Australian of the Year Awards, including information on past recipients, is available at www.australianoftheyear.org.au.
