2025 DARWIN NAIDOC Awards nominations
The Darwin NAIDOC Awards celebrate the outstanding contributions and excellence of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across ten (10) 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 Caring for Country Award category.
Eligibility
All people nominated for a National NAIDOC 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
To submit a nomination, please complete a NOMINATION FORM.
You can nominate the same person for more than one category on the same form but please ensure you tick all nominated categories.
Nominations for the 2025 Darwin NAIDOC Awards will close on Sunday 18 May 2025, 11:59pm (ACST).
Awards Categories
Lifetime Achievement
Person of the Year
Scholar of the Year
Male Elder of the Year
Female Elder of the Year
Sports Person of the Year
Youth of the Year
Caring for Country
Apprentice of the Year
Artist of the Year
Privacy Statement
The Darwin NAIDOC Committee in partnership with Larrakia Nation Aboriginal Corporation (Larrakia Nation) is collecting your personal information and the personal information of the person you have nominated for the purposes of the 2025 Darwin NAIDOC Awards selection process. For the same purpose, we may provide this information to the Minister for Indigenous Australians, the Darwin NAIDOC Committee, event organisers, and media.
Larrakia Nation also intends to produce publications to promote the 2025 Darwin NAIDOC Award winners. Providing the requested information is voluntary. If you choose not to provide us with your information we will be unable to assess your application for the award. You must ensure that the person you are nominating has agreed to be nominated for an Award, and agrees to the personal information contained in this nomination form being provided to, and used, by Larrakia Nation.
The Darwin NAIDOC Committee and Larrakia Nation will not provide the information collected from you to anyone else outside the organisation, other than specified above, unless you or the person you have nominated have given consent for us to do this, or we are authorised or required to do so by law. The privacy and security of your personal information is important to us, and is protected by law. Larrakia Nation’s Privacy Policy can be obtained from our website. If you have a privacy enquiry or complaint, please contact ceo@larrakia.com.