Seventeen people from the Northern Territory have been named as nominees for the 2027 Australian of the Year Awards. Nominees were recognised in four categories: Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Local Hero. Their work covers youth mentorship, education, First Nations culture, volunteering, community advocacy and healthcare. National Australia Day Council CEO Carrie Leeson said the nominees share a commitment to caring for others. The Northern Territory award recipients will be announced on November 9 in Darwin, with the ceremony livestreamed online.
Disability advocate Dwayne Fernandes, from Winston Hills, is among four nominees in the Australian of the Year category for New South Wales in 2027. Seventeen people from across the state were named as nominees across four award categories. Fernandes, 41, is recognised for championing inclusion and accessibility, including co-founding Minds at Play, online social groups that build communication skills. The 2027 New South Wales recipients will be announced on Wednesday, November 4 in Sydney. They will then become finalists for the national awards, announced in Canberra on January 25 next year.
Sixteen people from Western Australia have been named as nominees for the 2027 Australian of the Year Awards. Among them are Professor Michael Wear, an Indigenous marine environmentalist from Shark Bay, and Adam Desmond, an Indigenous community leader from Bellevue. Professor Wear leads large-scale marine restoration in Shark Bay, including a seagrass project with Murdoch University. Mr Desmond founded Binar, an Indigenous basketball association that now supports more than 2,500 children. The Western Australian recipients will be announced in Perth on October 30, 2026.
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Sixteen people from Western Australia have been named as nominees for the 2027 Australian of the Year Awards. Among them are Professor Michael Wear, an Indigenous marine environmentalist from Shark Bay, and Adam Desmond, an Indigenous community leader from Bellevue. Professor Wear leads large-scale marine restoration in Shark Bay, including a seagrass project with Murdoch University. Mr Desmond founded Binar, an Indigenous basketball association that now supports more than 2,500 children. The Western Australian recipients will be announced in Perth on October 30, 2026.
Eskimo Joe frontman Kav Temperley and Dr Emily Zhen are finalists for Western Australia's nominee for 2027 Australian of the Year. They join Professor Michael Wear, a Shark Bay marine environmentalist, and Esther Oh, a telehealth innovator. Oh founded Agili8, which connects remote areas with medical experts using smart glasses and smartphones. Twelve other West Australians were named as nominees in the senior, young and local hero categories. WA winners will be announced on Friday, October 30, before the national awards in Canberra on January 25.
