Honouring Blak Excellence and Cultural Pride
This year’s NAIDOC Week 2025 marks a powerful milestone: 50 years of celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, achievements and culture. Held from 6 to 13 July, the national theme, “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy”, focuses on the enduring spirit of First Nations people, celebrating their leadership and commitment to a better future.
In a moving ceremony on Whadjuk Noongar country (Perth), more than a thousand attendees gathered to witness the NAIDOC Week Awards 2025, where ten exceptional individuals were honoured for their contributions to community, culture and justice.
National NAIDOC Awards Spotlight Trailblazers
The awards ceremony recognised remarkable leaders, including Michael Long, Dr Daniel Hunt, and Christine Anu. With over 200 nominations considered, the panel selected just ten recipients whose dedication and achievements exemplify the very best of NAIDOC Week 2025.
Dr Daniel Hunt, a Jaru and Indjibarndi man, received the prestigious NAIDOC Person of the Year award for his transformative work in Aboriginal health. “Legacy is the thing I turn to most … because it is those who have come before us, those trailblazers, who really have paved the way,” he said.
Dr Daniel Hunt honoured his mother and the trailblazers who came before him as he accepted his award. [Credit: ABC News/Lauren Smith]
Michael Long, a proud Anmatjere and Marranunggu man, accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award to a standing ovation. From breaking racial barriers in the AFL to founding The Long Walk, his leadership has inspired generations. “It’s an award I will treasure,” he told the crowd.
Mr. Michael Long [Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAP]
Aunty Rosalie Kickett, the Female Elder Award recipient, moved the room with her speech dedicated to her daughter Tiffany, who tragically died due to gender-based violence. “I never walked this path for recognition, I did it for my community,” she said, acknowledging Acacia Prison inmates who nominated her. “Silence is dangerous, and truth is how we heal.”
The full list of 2025 NAIDOC Week Award winners includes:
- Lifetime Achievement Award: Michael Long
- NAIDOC Person of the Year: Dr Daniel Hunt
- Female Elder Award: Aunty Rosalie Kickett
- Male Elder Award: Uncle Harry Phillip Hall
- Sportsperson Award: Danielle Ponter
- Youth Award: Anika Gosling
- Creative Talent Award: Christine Anu
- Caring for Country and Culture Award: Wadjemup Project Steering Group
- Education Award: Professor Eddie Cubillo
- Innovation Award: Blak Brews
The awards will move to Mparntwe (Alice Springs) in 2026, reflecting a deepening national commitment to honouring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander excellence across all communities.
Empowering the Next Generation
This year’s NAIDOC Week theme resonates with young Indigenous voices and future leaders. Speaking during a Red Dust webinar, Programs Director Jonathan Lindsay-Tjapaltjarri Hermawan said, “The beauty of NAIDOC is that it sets aside time where we can celebrate the strengths of First Nations cultures and voices.” He called for year-round recognition of Indigenous knowledge and community leadership.
Hermawan urged Australians to shift the deficit narrative surrounding First Nations people. “If you only look at the deficit, you’ll never see the strengths,” he said. “Highlight the incredible achievements of our mob. That’s what our kids can look at and say, ‘I can achieve because uncle or dad has done it’.”
Programs Director Jonathan Lindsay-Tjapaltjarri Hermawan. [Source: Facebook]
Cultural Identity Builds Strength
For former athlete Kirby, identity lies at the heart of empowerment. Now working in the corporate sector, she explained: “The strength for me is breaking those shackles to become the best of the worlds we live in, not at the expense of our culture. We can exist in our true selves and who we are.”
Programs like those led by Red Dust promote health, education and cultural identity. “It’s about getting back to who we are,” said Hermawan, “realising your sense of identity and who you are is critical.”
A Call to Action for Allies
Language teacher Kira emphasised education as key to reconciliation. “Learning the truth about our history and talking to our people… Our history is an uncomfortable truth, but only we can change it by having conversations and knowing the real facts.”
The National NAIDOC Committee also took a significant step this year toward self-determination, embodying the legacy theme by strengthening Indigenous-led governance of NAIDOC Week events.
Minister for Indigenous Australians Senator Malarndirri McCarthy said: “There is no better way to recognise the strength, vision and enduring legacy of past generations than by celebrating the achievements of exceptional individuals at the NAIDOC Awards.”
Senator Malarndirri McCarthy [Source: Facebook]
Looking to the Future
As NAIDOC Week 2025 celebrates half a century, Co-chair Professor Lynette Riley captured the enduring power of the movement: “Fifty years we are still here, stronger, louder, united and unapologetically proud.”
Co-chair Steven Satour added: “This year’s theme lives in every story we’ve celebrated tonight.”
With the announcement of Alice Springs as the host for the 2026 awards, NAIDOC Week continues to uplift voices from all corners of the country, reinforcing a vision where First Nations knowledge and leadership shape the nation’s future.
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Learn, Listen, Celebrate
To learn more about NAIDOC Week 2025, the winners and how you can get involved, visit www.naidoc.org.au.
As we move through this commemorative week, the message is clear: celebrating Indigenous culture, empowering youth, and embracing legacy must be at the heart of Australia’s identity.
