The theme for this year's NAIDOC Week, which marks 50 years of the event, 'The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy', was announced on Friday.

With its roots in protest and advocacy for First Nations Australians dating back to the early 20th century, and resulting Day of Mourning recognised the weekend ahead of January 26 each year, the National Aboriginal Day Observance Committee held the first day of remembrance on the second Sunday of July, 1957.

Week-long commemorations were adopted in 1975, with the name change to include (Torres Strait) Islanders following.

National NAIDOC Committee co-chair Aunty Professor Lynette Riley said "over the decades, NAIDOC Week has grown into a powerful national celebration that continues to honour and elevate Indigenous voices, culture and resilience 50 years on".

"Guided by the wisdom of our Elders and the groundwork laid by our forebears, each NAIDOC Week reinforces our vision for an Australia where Indigenous voices are not only heard but lead the way," she said.

"As we celebrate this milestone, we look toward the next 50 years of NAIDOC Week celebrations, with excitement and confidence, while ensuring that NAIDOC remains a movement grounded in community-led vision and integrity."

Applications for local grants, from $1,250-$25,000 over three levels, have opened to help host NAIDOC week activities and events.

"National NAIDOC Week continues to be Australia's largest celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and this year we celebrate a milestone 50 years of honoring and elevating Indigenous voices, culture and resilience, through a week of activities," Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy said.

Minister McCarthy added this year's theme "highlights the enduring strength of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people" and encouraged First Nations communities and organisations to apply for grants.

The National NAIDOC Week Committee circled 2025 as a year they take an 'important step toward independence, embracing self-determination as a model for the next generation', the organisation states on its website.

'With every story shared, every act of resilience remembered, and every cultural practice celebrated, we honour a legacy that reaches far into the past and extends into the future. As we celebrate this milestone, we look toward the next 50 years with excitement and confidence, while everyday ensuring that NAIDOC remains a movement grounded in community-led vision and integrity,' the Committee said.

Fellow Committee co-chair Steven Satour said 50 years of NAIDOC 2025 is more than a milestone "but a movement that endures, grows, and evolves - driven by the unwavering strength of our communities, the shared vision of our people, and the enduring legacy we pass on to those who will shape our future".