The nominations are in for those high achievers who are working to make the nation a better place.

Key points

• Queensland’s national nominees for the 2025 Australian of the Year Awards have been unveiled.
• The Australian of the Year Award winners will be announced on the eve of Australia Day in Canberra next year.
• The Queensland award winners will be announced on the evening of Monday 18 November 2024 in Brisbane.

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Queensland’s national nominees for the 2025 Australian of the Year Awards have been unveiled.

The winners will go in the running for the Australian of the Year Award, the young and senior Australians of the year, and the Local Hero Award.

Queensland’s national nominees for the 2025 Australian of the Year Awards have been unveiled.

They will be announced on the eve of Australia Day in Canberra next year.

“The Queensland nominees for 2025 inspire us through their achievements and contributions,” said National Australia Day Council CEO Mark Fraser.

“They remind us of the importance of resilience, of taking a leadership role and thinking out of the box, along with the power of simply extending care.”

“Angel of Australia”

Among the Qld nominations for Australian of the Year is Brisbane-born soprano Mirusia Louwerse, 39.

The internationally acclaimed singer is an ambassador for the Australian Children’s Music Foundation. The charity works to provide better musical education to all Australians.

She is also an ambassador for Silver Memories, a music and visual broadcasting service for older Australians, particularly those suffering from dementia.

Ms Louwerse is a major star in Europe, where she is known as the “Angel of Australia” and where for a decade she was the leading lady in André Rieu’s popular concerts.

Haven for youth

After losing his brother to suicide, Dr Leon Stensholm set up a haven on the Sunshine Coast, and is now also nominated for Australian of the Year.

Last year, the mental health advocate opened Lookout 07 – a safe and accessible place for young people that fosters connection and supports “physical, mental and social wellbeing”.

Every day, Dr Stensholm is at the centre mentoring youth “and providing an empathetic ear to anyone who needs it”.

More nominees

Other nominees for the top gong are Roby Curtis who founded the Emmanuel City Mission (ECM). The drop-in centre serves 1,000 hot meals, provides 100 loads of cleaned laundry each week and more.

And data analyst Geoffrey Smith, who co-founded Australian Spatial Analytics (ASA) also received a nomination.

The Australian of the Year Award winners will be announced on the eve of Australia Day in Canberra next year.

The ASA is a “not-for-profit social enterprise” that provides professional data services and geospatial and digital engineering careers for young neurodivergent adults. (The unemployment rate for adults with autism is around ten times higher than that of the general population.)

Senior achievers

Nominees for Senior Australian of the Year include Jill Costello who co-founded ManUp! Australia. The support group educates people about prostate cancer. It was founded in 2010 after Jill’s husband, Brian, was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Brian died in 2018.

Another senior in the running for the award is Indigenous Australian Uncle Glen Miller. Mr Miller founded the Butchulla Men’s Business Aboriginal Association, which helps young Indigenous men reclaim their cultural identity and heritage.

Young guns

On the Young Australian front, Paralympian Alexa Leary has scored a nomination nod for her work with her MoveForLex Foundation.

The 23-year-old has raised $271,000 for the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital.

The hospital was crucial in saving Alexa’s life after a horrific cycling accident left her needing to learn to walk and talk again.

In the Paris Paralympics, Ms Leary won two gold and one silver medal in the pool.

And James Patterson is nominated in the Young Australian category for his work with breakingFree, an educational school program that “teaches young people practical habits and strategies to look after their mental health”.

James reaches over 20,000 young people each year with his programs.

Local champs

In the running for the Local Hero Award are Sue & Jasmine Tasker, the mum and daughter team behind the Angels Community Group.

The not-for-profit provides hot meals and showers, and acts as a hub for assistance with employment and counselling.

The “Angels” began as a training organisation that evolved into an op-shop as well as a food pantry providing low-cost groceries.

The Queensland award winners will be announced on the evening of Monday 18 November 2024 in Brisbane.

“The recent cost-of-living crisis has seen the Angels expand to provide many additional services, from hairdressing to school lunches, and vocational training through their mini-mart and café,” read a statement.

Another Local Hero nominee is 92-year-old Elizabeth Gough who has been volunteering for Lifeline Australia in Queensland for an astounding forty years.

Known as “Auntie Elizabeth”, she is a “highly respected and valued mentor” for other crisis supporters.

“Elizabeth’s wisdom, kindness and steadfast dedication to supporting people during troubled times have quietly made a real difference in countless lives,” a statement read.

137 heroes

The Queensland award winners will be announced on the evening of Monday 18 November 2024 in Brisbane.

The ceremony can be viewed online here.

“The nominees for Queensland are among 137 people being recognised across all states and territories,” said National Australia Day Council’s Mr Fraser.

“The Queensland nominees for 2025 inspire us through their achievements and contributions.”

For more information visit here.