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 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.
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.
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.
Sportsperson of the Year – Jade North
Female Elder of the Year – MaryAnn Bin-Sallik
Male Elder of the Year – Robert Francis Isaacs
Person of the Year – Goreng Goreng man Professor Chris Sarra
Artist of the Year – Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu
Youth of the Year – Elijah Douglas
Lifetime achievement award – Stephen Page
Caring for Country – Manymak Energy Efficiency Project (NT)
Scholar of the Year – Layneisha Sgro
Apprentice of the Year – Montana Ah-Won
Youth of the Year – Chris Tamwoy
Apprentice of the Year – Ashley Farrall
Artist of the Year – Daren Dunn
Poster competition winner – Elaine Chambers
Caring for Country – Warddeken Caring for Country Project
Female Elder of the Year – Veronica Perrule Dobson
Male Elder of the Year – Graham Taylor
Lifetime Achievement Award – Tauto Sansbury
Person of the Year – Rosalie Kunoth Monks
Scholar of the Year – Michelle Deshong
Sportsperson of the Year – Ryan Morich
Youth of the Year – Chern'ee Sutton
Youth of the Year – Amelia Telford
Apprentice of the Year – Patricia Doolan
Artist of the Year – Shellie Morris
Poster competition winner – Harry Alfred Pitt
Caring for Country – The Uunguu Healthy Country Project
Lifetime Achievement Award – Linda Burney
Person of the Year – Gracelyn Smallwood
Female Elder of the Year – Patricia O'Connor
Male Elder of the Year – Richard Archibald
Scholar of the Year – Donisha Duff
Sportsperson of the Year – Jesse Williams
Youth of the Year – Kate Malpass
Apprentice of the Year – Danny Bromot
Artist of the Year – Tony Briggs
Poster competition winner – Gail Naden
Caring for Country – Jimmy Edgar
Lifetime Achievement Award – Galarrwuy Yunupingu
Person of the Year – Darryl Kickett
Female Elder of the Year – Rose Richards
Male Elder of the Year – John Hayden
Scholar of the Year – Dr Mark McMillan
Sportsperson of the Year – Jonathan Thurston
Youth of the Year – Benson Saulo
Apprentice of the Year – Michael Clinch
Artist of the Year – Stephen Page
Poster competition winner – Juundaal Strang-Yettica
Caring for Country – Bunya Bunya Country Aboriginal Corporation
Lifetime Achievement Award – Bunna Lawrie
Person of the Year – David Wirrpanda
Female Elder of the Year – Margaret Lawton
Female Elder of the Year – Maureen Kelly
Male Elder of the Year – Hezekiel Jingoonya
Scholar of the Year – Sarah Bourke
Sportsperson of the Year – Vanessa Wilson
Sportsperson of the Year – Joshua Robinson
Youth of the Year – Kiel Williams-Weigel
Apprentice of the Year – Joshua Toomey
Artist of the Year – Robyn Djunginy
Poster competition winner – Matthew Humphries
Lifetime Achievement Award – Ned Cheedy
Caring for Country – Warru Recovery Team
Person of the Year – Terri Janke
Female Elder of the Year – Carolyn Briggs
Male Elder of the Year – Eldridge Mosby
Scholar of the Year – Professor Lester-Irabinna Rigney
Sportsperson of the Year – Preston Campbell
Youth of the Year – Jessica Smith
Apprentice of the Year – Lucas Kickett
Artist of the Year – Lewis Langton
Poster competition winner – Sheree Blackley
Caring for Country – Crazy Ant Management Program
Lifetime Achievement Award – Vince Coulthard
Person of the Year – Dennis Eggington
Female Elder of the Year – Ali Golding
Male Elder of the Year – Ali Drummond
Male Elder of the Year – Lester Bostock
Scholar of the Year – Megan Davis
Sportsperson of the Year – Rohanee Cox
Youth of the Year – Gemma Benn
Apprentice of the Year – Danny Sebasio
Artist of the Year – Wayne Quilliam
Poster competition winner – Luke Mallie
Lifetime Achievement Award – Lowitja O'Donoghue
Person of the Year – Larissa Behrendt
Male Elder of the Year – Reg Knox
Male Elder of the Year – Frank Lampard
Female Elder of the Year – Elsie Heiss
Female Elder of the Year – Doris Eaton
Scholar of the Year – Dr Chelsea Bond
Sportsperson of the Year – Andrew McLeod
Youth of the Year – Krista Moir
Youth of the Year – Angeline Blackburn
Apprentice of the Year – Amy McQuire
Artist of the Year – Les Elvin
Poster competition winner – Duwun (Tony) Lee and Laniyuk (Ian) Lee
Lifetime Achievement Award – Archie Roach
Lifetime Achievement Award – Joseph Elu
Lifetime Achievement Award – Chicka Dixon
Person of the Year – Colleen Hayward
Male Elder of the Year – Bob Muir
Female Elder of the Year – Carol Petterson
Scholar of the Year – Dr Karen Martin
Sportsperson of the Year – Stacey Porter
Youth of the Year – Simone Liddy
Apprentice of the Year – Hamid Bin Saad
Artist of the Year – Leah Purcell
Poster competition winner – Tyeli Hannah
Lifetime Achievement Award – John (Jak) Ah Kit
Person of the Year – Mark Bin Bakar
Female Elder of the Year – Dr Ruby Langford Ginibi
Male Elder of the Year – Boyd Scully
Male Elder of the Year – Jim Hagan (Snr)
Scholar of the Year – Dr Yin Carl Paradies
Sportsperson of the Year – Robert Crowther
Youth of the Year – Jo-Anne D'Cress
Artist of the Year – Warren H. Williams
Poster competition winner – Charmaine Green
Lifetime Achievement Award – Elizabeth Morgan Hoffman
Person of the Year – Stephen Hagan (Jnr)
Female Elder of the Year – Judy Tatow
Male Elder of the Year – Vince Ross
Scholar of the Year – Dr Chris Sara
Sportsperson of the Year – Patrick Mills
Youth of the Year – Joleen Ryan
Artist of the Year – Kerrianne Cox
Poster competition winner – Benjamin Hodges
Lifetime Achievement Award – Arthur Murray
Person of the Year – Cheryl Buchanan
Person of the Year – Rodney Dillon
Female Elder of the Year – Mary Jane Ware
Male Elder of the Year – Albert Holt
Scholar of the Year – Simon Forrest
Sportsperson of the Year – Pam Pedersen
Youth of the Year – Michael Hayden
Artist of the Year – Jirra Lulla Harvey
Poster competition winner – Jirra Lulla Harvey
Person of the Year – Aden Ridgeway
Elder of the Year – Merlene Mead
Male Elder of the Year – Steve Mam
Scholar of the Year – Kaye Price
Sportsperson of the Year – Adam Goodes
Youth of the Year – Stacey Kelly-Greenup
Artist of the Year – Belynda Waugh
Poster competition winner – Belynda Waugh
Person of the Year – Deborah Mailman
Female Elder of the Year – Violet French
Male Elder of the Year – William Kennedy
Scholar of the Year – Frederick Penny
Sportsperson of the Year – Bo Delacruz
Youth of the Year – Bruce 'Borro' Johnson
Apprentice/Trainee of the Year – Michelle Tyhuis
Poster competition winner – Juundaal Strang-Yettica
Person of the Year – Steve Gordon
Male Elder of the Year – Lyal Munro Snr and Peter Coppin (Joint Winners)
Female Elder of the Year – Ida West
Scholar of the Year – Tracey Westerman
Sportsperson of the Year – David Peachy
Special Achievement Award – Dr Shane Fernando
Youth of the Year – Vanessa Elliot
Apprentice/Trainee of the Year – Todd Phillips
Poster competition winner – Marika Baumgart
Person of the Year – Kutcha Edwards
Female Elder of the Year – Alice 'Mummy' Clark
Male Elder of the Year – Cec Fisher
Scholar of the Year – Dr Cheryl Kickett-Tucker
Sportsperson of the Year – Warren Lawton
Youth of the Year – Marie Dennis
Apprentice/Trainee of the Year – Alison Gear
Artist of the Year – Jimmy Wavehill
Poster competition winner – Cecily Wellington
Person of the Year – Anthony Mundine
Female Elder of the Year – Yvonne Agius
Male Elder of the Year – James Rice
Scholar of the Year – Marlina Whop
Sportsperson of the Year – Troy Murphy
Youth of the Year – Samantha Cook and Jeremy Geia (Joint Winners)
Apprentice/Trainee of the Year – Gary Bonney
Artist of the Year – Wenten Rubuntja
Poster Competition Winner – Warick Keen
Person of the Year – Bob Randall
Male Elder of the Year – Geoff Shaw
Female Elder of the Year – Zona Martin
Scholar of the Year – Tracey Brand
Sportsperson of the Year – Nicky Winmar
Youth of the Year – Nicole Casser and Delson Stokes Jnr (Joint Winners)
Apprentice/Trainee of the Year – June Djaigween
Artist of the Year – Raymond Blanco
Poster Competition Winner – Ray Thomas
Person of the Year – Patrick Dodson and Mick Dodson (Joint Winners)
Male Elder of the Year – George Mye
Female Elder of the Year – Queenie McKenzie
Scholar of the Year – Raymond (Jack) Gibson
Sportsperson of the Year – Ali Drummond
Youth of the Year – Kyle Morrison
Apprentice/Trainee of the Year – Kasey Wehrman
Artist of the Year – Ron Corbett
Poster Competition Winner – Eleanor Binge
Person of the Year – Ray Robinson
Male Elder of the Year – Eric Walker
Female Elder of the Year – Una Walker
Scholar of the Year – John Williams Mozeley
Sportsperson of the Year – Kasey Wehrman
Miss NAIDOC – Vicky Hextall
Youth of the Year – Yvonne Marika
Apprentice/Trainee of the Year – Jade Johnson
Artist of the Year – Jonathon Brown
Poster Competition Winner –
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander of the Year – Tauto Sansbury
Elder of the Year – Freda Winmar
Scholar of the Year – Jill Abdulla
Aboriginal Sportsperson of the Year – Derek Kickett
Miss National NAIDOC – Nevanka McKeon
Youth of the Year – Timothy Lilley
Apprentice of the Year – Robert Hudson
Poster competition winner – Ian Wallan Hill
Aboriginal of the Year – Reg Blow
Artist of the Year – Richard Mullet
Scholar of the Year – Graham Atkinson
Sportsperson of the Year – Rohan Best
Youth of the Year – Vanessa Fitzgerald
Apprentice/Trainee of the Year – Darren Braydon
Artist of the Year – Rex Murray
Poster Competition Winner – Dale Huddleston and Scott Towney
Person of the Year – Ernie Dingo
Scholar of the Year – Rosie Smith
Sportsperson of the Year – Kyle Vander Kuyp
Aboriginal of the Year – Charles Perkins
Scholar of the Year – Glenda Kickett
Youth of the Year – Shane Simpson
Apprentice of the Year – David Pidek
Artist of the Year – Danny Eastwood and John Harding (joint winners)
Poster Competition Winner – Heather Shearer
Aboriginal of the Year – Mrs Geraldine Briggs
Scholar of the Year – Natalie Barney
Sportsperson of the Year – Robert Peden
Aboriginal of the Year – David Wowaljarlai
Junior Award – Les Ritchie-Corlett
Poster Competition Winner – Ron Hurley
Aboriginal of the Year – Shirley Smith (Mum Shirl)
Aboriginal of the year – Jimmy Little
Youth of the Year – Cain Muir
Apprentice of the Year – Shaun Thompson
Artist of the Year – Ramingining Artists Community
Poster Competition Winner –
Aboriginal of the Year – Alice Kelly
Scholar of the Year – Ron James
Sportsperson of the Year – Tony Currie
Youth of the Year – Ron Ingram
Apprentice of the Year – Alanna Speedy
Artist of the Year – Jack Wunuwun
Poster Competition Winner – Lawrie Nilsen
Aboriginal of the Year – Sister Joan Winch
Aboriginal Scholar of the Year – Norma Joshua
Aboriginal Sportsperson of the Year – Catherine Hillard
Apprentice of the Year – Thomas Wear
Artist of the Year – James Agius
Poster Competition Winner –
Aboriginal of the Year – Cathy Mills
Scholar of the Year – Ms Eve Fesl
Sportswoman of the Year – Phynea Clarke
Sportsman of the Year – Warren Lawton
Apprentice of the Year – Lester Rigney
Artist of the Year – Justine Saunders
Poster Competition Winner –
Aboriginal of the Year – Kath Walker
Scholar of the Year – Rhonda Dadleh
Sportsperson of the Year – Kyle Vander Kuyp