NAIDOC Awards


The NAIDOC Awards are annual Australian awards conferred on Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals during the national celebration of the history, culture and achievements of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples known as NAIDOC Week.

The committee

The awards are named after the committee that was originally responsible for organising the national activities to mark NAIDOC Week, the National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee. Each year, a different city hosts the National NAIDOC Awards Ceremony. The host city, National NAIDOC Poster Competition and the NAIDOC Awards recipients are selected by the National NAIDOC Committee. The awards are presented at the annual NAIDOC Awards Ceremony and Ball.

Categories

The names of the categories have varied over time. In 1985 Awards for Aboriginal of the Year, and for Aboriginal young people aged 12 to 25 were introduced. The current categories include Lifetime Achievement Award, Person of the Year, Female Elder of the Year, Male Elder of the Year, Caring for Country Award, Youth of the Year, Artist of the Year, Scholar of the Year, Apprentice of the Year and Sportsperson of the Year.

Poster

The first NAIDOC poster was created in 1972 to promote 'Aborigines Day' in support of better rights for Aboriginal people. The protest nature of the poster continued until 1977 with titles like 'Self Determination' and 'Chains or Chance' publicising political change and a day of remembrance. The 1978 poster reflected a decision by the recently established National NAIDOC Committee to move from a day of demonstration to a week long celebration in July.

Winners 2011–2020

2019 winners

2010 Winners

2000 Winners

1990 Winners