The National NAIDOC Week Awards celebrate the outstanding contributions and excellence of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across ten award categories, including art, culture, education and training, sport, environment and leadership.
Selection Criteria
In deciding winners for each Award category, the judges will consider the following selection criteria:
- past and current achievements;
- demonstrated excellence in the nominated category;
- the individual’s and/or group’s status as an inspirational role model for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the broader Australian community; and/or
- the individual’s and/or group’s future goals and their likely impact.
Please note Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups, businesses and organisations are able to be nominated for the Creative, Caring for Country and Culture, Education and Innovation Award Categories.
Eligibility
All people nominated for a National NAIDOC Week Award must be Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, as defined by the following:
- be of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent;
- identify as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander; and/or
- be accepted as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander by an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community.
Nominations will not be accepted if the nominated person has previously won that category in the past 10 years. However they are still eligible to nominate for other award categories.
How to Nominate
Nominations for the 2024 National NAIDOC Week Awards closed on Monday 11 March 2024.
The award winners will be announced at the National NAIDOC Awards Ceremony in July 2024.
Award Categories
National NAIDOC Person Award
The National NAIDOC Person Award recognises the demonstrated excellence of an individual who has helped make a difference to individual Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities or more broadly, including nationally. This award recognises the individual’s past and current achievements, and their status as an inspirational role model for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the broader Australian community.
Previous winners include Dean Duncan, social justice champion and teacher, and June Oscar, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commissioner.
National NAIDOC Lifetime Achievement Award
The National NAIDOC Lifetime Achievement Award recognises an individual for their lifetime commitment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The award recognises the individual’s achievements, and demonstrated leadership over many years as well as demonstrated community involvement, and commitment at the local, regional and/or national levels.
Patricia Anderson, Dianne Ryder, Stephen Page and Tauto Sansbury are just some of the inspiring winners of the NAIDOC Lifetime Achievement Award.
National NAIDOC Female Elder Award
The National NAIDOC Female Elder Award recognises respected and inspirational Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander role models and leaders. The award seeks to recognise an individual who has shown long term demonstrable commitment and contribution to empowering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, as well as demonstrated involvement in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities at the local, regional, and/or national levels.
Read about inspiring Female Elder Award winners, Thelma Weston and Christobel Swan.
National NAIDOC Male Elder Award
The National NAIDOC Male Elder Award recognises respected and inspirational Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander role models and leaders. The award seeks to recognise an individual who has shown long term demonstrable commitment and contribution to empowering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, as well as demonstrated involvement in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities at the local, regional, and/or national levels.
Find out more about previous Male Elder Award winners, like Greg Little and Ernest Hoolihan.
National NAIDOC Sportsperson Award
The National NAIDOC Sportsperson Award recognises accomplished Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander athletes or sporting leaders who have promoted or developed sport in their community and served as inspirational role models for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the broader Australian community.
Past winners Clarence ‘CJ’ McCarthy-Grogan, the second Aboriginal person to represent Australia in the history of wheelchair basketball, and Shantelle Thompson, 3 time Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu world champion, mother and community leader.
National NAIDOC Youth Award
The National NAIDOC Youth Award recognises exceptional young people who are aged 16 25 years as at 7 July 2024 (the beginning of NAIDOC Week 2024). The award seeks to recognise young people who are inspirational role models for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the broader Australian community, as well taking into consideration the individual’s future goals and likely impact.
Read more about 2021 winner Samara Fernandez-Brown, social justice activist campaigning for justice for the shooting and death of her cousin, Kumanjayi Walker, or 2019 winner Mi-kaisha Masella social entrepreneur, advocate and musician.
National NAIDOC Creative Talent Award
The National NAIDOC Creative Talent Award recognises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander creatives, including writers, poets, illustrators and artists of traditional, contemporary and experimental visual arts, crafts and design. The award is also open to outstanding individuals/groups in the performing arts sector including music, theatre and dance. Actors and individuals working in film, television and documentaries, or in our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander media, including those working with online and emerging technologies can also be considered in this category.
The National NAIDOC Creative Talent Award seeks to recognise the individual’s success and/or achievements in their chosen sector or discipline, as well as individuals/groups who have built greater awareness and celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories, lifestyles and cultures.
Previous winners of this award include director, writer, producer and filmmaker Rachel Perkins and visual artist Lowell Hunter.
National NAIDOC Caring for Country and Culture Award
The Caring for Country and Culture Award recognises the contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and communities who care for, protect, and nurture Country and culture. Nominate those who are revitalising or teaching language, dance or traditions, conserving our lands and waters and protecting our environment for future generations, or who are sharing and preserving culture. This award also seeks to recognise those who have demonstrated excellence in relation to caring for Country or culture, conservation of Country or culture, as well as demonstrated benefits to the community.
Past winners including the Borroloola Community, that have been trying to stop new gas projects they say encroach on their Country and threaten the environment and culture. Also the previous award winner, Littlewell Working Group who have preserved land, stores and cultural knowledge through the creation of the Littlewell Reserve, now have their own heritage site.
National NAIDOC Education Award
The National NAIDOC Education Award recognises exceptional individuals and groups in the education sector (including early childhood, primary, secondary, tertiary, vocational, and any other education groups) who have made a difference to the lives of students and communities. This award seeks to recognise individuals who have made a demonstrable contribution to empowering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
National NAIDOC Innovation Award
The Innovation Award is open to individuals, groups, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses and organisations who have worked innovatively in and across our communities. This award seeks to recognise those who have developed new and innovative ideas, applied forward thinking and/or applied Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge in different ways. This award also seeks to recognise those who have demonstrated efforts to create and champion change for our people and our communities, as well as demonstrated commitment, adaptability and innovative thinking and attitudes that enrich our communities and beyond.