Final call for Australian of the Year nominations

PEOPLE whose work, leadership or community service deserves wider recognition could be nominated for the 2027 Australian of the Year Awards, with entries closing at the end of the month.

Nominations are being accepted across four categories: Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Australia’s Local Hero.

The awards recognise people who have made a meaningful contribution, inspired others, overcome challenges or created positive change through their work or community involvement.

Potential nominees could include volunteers, health workers, educators, advocates, cultural leaders, businesspeople or others who have helped address a problem, supported those around them or excelled in their chosen field.

Past recipients include Sober in the Country founder Shanna Whan, who was named Australia’s Local Hero in 2022 for her work changing the conversation around alcohol use and providing peer support to people in rural communities.

National Australia Day Council interim chief executive Todd Ashurst said members of the public played an important role in identifying people whose efforts might otherwise go unrecognised.

“We’re counting down the final 10 days to get nominations in for the people you find inspiring and you think should be considered as the next Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Australia’s Local Hero,” Mr Ashurst said.

People do not need to know the nominee personally, and the process does not require extensive paperwork or multiple nominations.

“Nominating is a quick and simple process – you don’t need to know the person, you don’t need to submit a lot of paperwork, you just need to tell us who they are and why you think they are great Australians,” Mr Ashurst said.

One nomination is enough for a person to be considered, with nominees assessed on their achievements and contribution rather than the number of submissions received.

Nominations close at midnight AEST on Friday 31 July, and can be submitted through the Australian of the Year Awards website.