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Australian of the Year Awards

Each year we recognise remarkable Victorians who inspire us through their achievements.

Nominate via the Australian of the Year Awards website by 31 July 2025.

Do you know a Victorian who is making a difference in the community?

For more than 65 years, the Australian of the Year Awards have celebrated the achievements and contributions of extraordinary Australians to our communities and society.

Anyone can nominate a member of the public year-round for the Awards.

You can nominate an inspirational Australian in one of four categories:

  • Australian of the Year
  • Senior Australian of the Year
  • Young Australian of the Year
  • Australia’s Local Hero

Nomination timeline

  • Nomination period

    31 July 2025

    Nominations close on 31 July 2025.

    Only nominations submitted before 31 July 2025 will be considered for the 2026 Australian of the Year Awards.

    Nominate via the Australian of the Year Awards website

  • State and territory recipients announced

    November 2025

    Each state and territory will select one recipient from each of the Award categories.

  • National recipients announced

    25 January 2026

    The Prime Minister will announce national recipients for each Award category in Canberra.

Meet the 2025 Victorian award recipients

Victorian Australian of the Year: Neale Daniher AO

Neale is a former Australian rules footballer and co-founder of FightMND. In 2025, Neale was awarded the Australian of the Year for Victoria and the national Australian of the Year.

Neale was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND) in 2013. He co-founded FightMND, a charity that has raised and invested over $115 million into medical research to find a cure for those living with MND.

Victorian Senior Australian of the Year: Dr Peter Brukner OAM

Peter is a sports medicine leader and health campaigner. He founded the largest sports medicine centre in Australia: Olympic Park Sports Medicine Centre in Melbourne, and the La Trobe Sport and Exercise Medicine Research Centre.

Peter also established the not-for-profit SugarbyHalf, producing lessons for school children to reduce their added sugar intake.

Victorian Young Australian of the Year: Aishwarya Kansakar

Aishwarya is an AI and automation entrepreneur. She grew up during a civil war in Nepal and survived an arson attack at school.

Aishwarya taught herself computing and is the head of Syncrowin, building a world-first AI-powered automation system. She is passionate about making STEM more inclusive, especially for women.

Victorian Local Hero of the Year: Jasmine Hirst

Jasmine is a football advocate for girls and women and has been influential in increasing football participation rates across Australia.

In 2011, she launched the Darebin Falcons Women’s Sports Club junior girls’ soccer program with just one team. Since then, she has given more than 550 females the opportunity to play soccer.

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