Aunty Muriel Bamblett named Person of the Year at N...

Aunty Muriel Bamblett has been awarded Person of the Year at the National NAIDOC Awards, held on the lands of the Kaurna people in Tarntanya/Adelaide on Saturday.

After 25 years as CEO of the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency (VACCA), Aunty Muriel, a proud Yorta Yorta, Dja Dja Wurrung, Taungurung, Boon Wurrung Elder, was recognised for her longtime advocacy of Aboriginal children and families.

As VACCA CEO, she has spent decades fighting for the rights of Aboriginal children to be raised in their own culture and the importance and value of family, extended family, kinship networks, culture and community in raising Aboriginal children.

Her leadership and vision has seen VACCA grow significantly since her appointment in 1999, the organisation now employing more than 10000 people and delivering over 80 programs in the state.

Person of the Year recipient, Aunty Muriel Bamblett. (Image: National NAIDOC)

Aunty Muriel was one of three Elders recognised through Saturday's awards, with Aunty Millie Ingram and Kim Collard recognised with Female and Male Elder of the Year Awards respectively.

A Wiradjuri Elder from Cowra in New South Wales, Auntie Millie is known for her fierce political advocacy, joining the Department of Aboriginal Affairs while calling for change for Aboriginal peoples in areas including education and land rights.

Aunty Millie founded Australia's first Aboriginal Community Controlled early childhood centre, Murawina, and later the Wyanga Aboriginal Aged Care program.

At age 84, she continues to serve her communities, supporting Elders, youth organisations and women in business.

Female Elder of the Year Award recipient, Aunty Millie Ingram. (Image: National NAIDOC)

This year's Male Elder of the Year, Kim Collard, a Balladong/Wadjuk Elder of the Noongar Nation.

Mr Collard has had a profound impact on Indigenous communities across Western Australia and the state's wider society alike.

After working as a boilermaker and police officer, he successfully established two of Australia's largest Indigenous-owned businesses, Kulbardi and Kooya Australia Fleet Services.

In addition to his business successes, Mr Collard founded The Bibbulmun Fund in 2014, an Indigenous-led philanthropic initiative designed to facilitate positive change by and for Aboriginal people.

Over the last decade, Bibbulmun has raised more than $1.4 million, supporting numerous charitable organisations including in education, leadership, entrepreneurship, work readiness programs, youth diversionary programs, elder's camps, disaster relief, and programs encouraging Aboriginal self-determination.

Male Elder of the Year Award recipient, Kim Collard. (Image: National NAIDOC)

The Sportsperson of the Year was awarded to rising Noongar boxer, Alex Winwood.

Winwood participated in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo and 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham as well as multiple world championships before turning professional in late 2022.

He is currently ranked 2nd in the world by the World Boxing Council, 5th by the International Boxing Federation, and 8th by the World Boxing Organisation, and is poised to become the fastest Australian man to achieve the title of World Champion.

In addition to his boxing feats, Winwood has become a role model for his community, often working with local schools to inspire students to pursue their interests.

Sportsperson of the Year Award recipient, Alex Winwood. (Image: National NAIDOC)

Dante Rodrigues, a professional fighter who boasts titles in various martial arts disciplines was awarded the NAIDOC Youth Award.

The first aboriginal kickboxer to represent Australia at an Olympic level, Rodrigues has represented Australia Internationally on multiple occasions.

The proud Territorian also advocates for mental health awareness by running health and wellbeing programs for the youth in Northern Territory through "One Percent Better Communities," a business he co-founded with his cousin.

Youth of the Year Award recipient, Dante Rodrigues. (Image: National NAIDOC)

Actor, performer and singer, Naarah received the Creative Talent Award Category award.

A Gija woman from the Kimberly, Naarah uses social media including Instagram and TikTok to spark important conversations about First Nations identity, culture, and representation.

She is passionate about changing the entertainment industry and increasing representation in the creative industries, particularly for First Nations peoples.

After successfully applying for the Roberta Sykes Scholarship and Disney Theatrical Scholarship, she is now studying a Master of Musical Theatre at the esteemed Royal Academy of Music in London as the first Aboriginal person at the institution.

Creative Talent Award recipient, Naarah. (Image: National NAIDOC)

Torres Strait Islands man and cultural leader and advisor, Alick Tipoti, received the Caring for Country and Culture Award, recognising his passion for preserving his native language and reviving cultural traditions through his art and dance.

His decades of work is credited for influencing a generation of young emerging Torres Strait artists, as he has significantly revived the art of mask making in the Torres Strait.

The NAIDOC Innovation Award was awarded to Tui Nolan, a proud Gudjal man who has dedicated the last nine years of his career to advancing machine learning models.

So far his innovative work in machine-learning has been applied to forecasting housing market trends, predictive economic modelling, improving robotics and satellite data and enhancing data quality and accuracy.

Innovation Award recipient, Tui Nolan. (Image: National NAIDOC)

The Education Award was awarded to the Northern Territory's Warlpiri Education and Training Trust for their decades of support for a a range of partnerships and programs that align with Warlpiri education priorities in Yuendumu, Willowra, Nyirrpi and Lajamanu.