Australian Human Rights Awards 2023

Friday, 8 December 2023

5.15pm to 9.30pm

University of Technology Sydney Great Hall

UTS Building 1, 1/15 Broadway, Ultimo, Sydney, NSW

Event details

Join up to 600 guests from across the country to acknowledge, congratulate and share the important work of individuals and organisations who are making valuable contributions to advancing human rights in Australia.

This year’s event coincides with global celebrations marking the 75th anniversary of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, providing a great opportunity for people across the human rights, humanitarian, legal, government and community sectors as well as supporters of human rights advocacy to gather together for a memorable celebration of human rights heroes.

Guests will be treated to a pre-ceremony reception from 5:30pm in the Great Hall's foyer and balcony with delicious canapes as well as quality wines, beers and soft drinks. 

The ceremony will commence at 6:30pm and will feature the 2023 Human Rights Day Oration as well and the presentation of the 2023 Human Rights Awards.

Then join us for a post-ceremony celebration from 8.30 to 9.30pm.

Entertainment

• Kee’ahn, a First Nations musician from North Queensland and a proud Yalanji, Jirrbal and Badu Islander artist, will perform two of her most popular songs during the ceremony. Winner of the Archie Roach Award at the National Indigenous Music Awards, Kee’ahn creates soulful music with lush melodies and healing lyrics. Kee’ahn honours their Wik name, which means to dance, to sing, to play.

• Kate Monroe is one of Australia’s preeminent house DJs, ruling dance floors both here and overseas. She is known for her unique style and energy behind the decks, regularly performs at major events and programs the music for the official annual Sydney NYE party. Kate will perform 2 fabulous sets during the pre- and post-ceremony receptions.

• Nas Campanella will return to MC the Awards. As the ABC’s disability affairs reporter, Nas helps to elevate the voices of people with disability across radio, TV and online platforms. She has also undertaken projects with ABC International Development and initiatives for people living with disability across the Pacific.

• Guests will have the opportunity to mingle before and after the ceremony, enjoying delicious canapes as well as quality wines, beers and soft drinks from award-winning and sustainable social enterprise caterer Aerial.

Accessibility

The Great Hall is an accessible venue. Both the live event and online broadcast will have live captioning and Auslan interpretation. Please advise of any specific access requirements during the booking process.

COVID safety

COVID remains a concern for all of us, so if you've tested positive for COVID or you're feeling unwell, please feel free to participate online rather than in person. Masks and hand sanitiser will be available at the venue.

Commonwealth Attorney-General the Hon Mark Dreyfus KC MP will deliver this year’s Oration. 

The Attorney-General will focus on the 75^th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the significance of the Declaration in both an Australian and international context.

The Australian Government is also currently conducting an inquiry into updating Australia’s human rights framework, so the views of the Attorney-General on this subject will be of significant interest, especially for workers in the community, government, legal and education sectors.

Each year the Commission presents the Human Rights Day Oration to mark Human Rights Day, the day the Declaration was adopted by the United Nations (10 December 1948).

The Oration is delivered by a leading Australian working in the field of human rights and social justice or whose work protects and promotes human rights in Australia.

Previous Orators include First Nations academic and activist Larissa Behrendt AO, Deputy Chief Justice of the Family Court of Australia and former federal Attorney-General Justice Robert McClelland, Royal Commissioner and NSW Supreme Court judge Justice Peter McClellan, UNSW law professor Dr Christine Forster and disability advocate Rosemary Kayess.

Tickets are available now - click here to secure yours today!

Standard

$60 (inc. GST)

Community

$40 (inc. GST) | students, seniors, concession-card holders and not-for-profit workers

Ally

$100 (inc. GST) | Buy 1 ticket and help subsidise 1 ticket for a community guest

Ally 5 Pack

$500 (inc. GST) | Buy 5 tickets and help subsidise 5 tickets for community guests + your name/company logo receives recognition at the event in programs and on screen.

Ally 10 Pack

$1000 (inc. GST) | Buy 10 tickets and help subsidise 10 tickets for community guests + your name/company logo receives premium recognition at the event in programs and on screen.

For those who can’t attend the event in Sydney, we’ll be broadcasting a FREE live stream of the Awards via Zoom, with live captioning and Auslan interpretation.

You can register for the live stream now.

For more information about the Australian Human Rights Awards, please contact us:

1300 369 711

aushumanrightsawards@humanrights.gov.au

Human Rights Medal 

• Awarded to an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the promotion, protection, and advancement of human rights in Australia.
• Presented by the Australian Human Rights Commission and the Paul Ramsay Foundation

Law Award

• Awarded to recognise the contribution of a person or organisation within the field of law to the advancement and protection of human rights in Australia.
• Presented by the Australian Human Rights Commission and LexisNexis Australia

Media & Creative Industries Award

• Awarded to recognise the contribution of a person or organisation to the advancement and protection of human rights in Australia within the fields of: journalism; film, TV and radio; literature; music; performing arts; visual arts; fashion; and advertising.
• Presented by the Australian Human Rights Commission and Creative Australia

Community Organisation Award

• Awarded to recognise the contribution of an individual or organisation with a proven track record in promoting and advancing human rights in the Australian community.
• Presented by the Australian Human Rights Commission and the Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils of Australia

Young People’s Award

• Awarded to an individual who is under the age of 25 years (on 31 July 2022) and has made an outstanding contribution to advancing human rights in Australia. 
• Presented by the Australian Human Rights Commission and the Delegation of the European Union to Australia

To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a new emblem has been commissioned for the Australian Human Rights Awards.

The emblem is an artwork titled Djilba which has been created by First Nations artist Kambarni.

Reflecting the United Nations logo for human rights – which combines the shapes of a hand (representing humanity) and a bird ( representing peace) – the new emblem reinterprets this logo with a uniquely Australian and First Nations sensibility.

Kambarni is a prolific artist, designer, and illustrator, who reflects the natural world with intricate and graphic interpretations of Australian histories:

“This artwork considers the interplay between people and their environment, acknowledging that we are all part of something greater than ourselves - nature and humans are cyclic and connected - and what we put out into this world, we get back.”

Djilba means ‘first spring’ for the Noongar people of the Perth region in Western Australia.

The Human Rights Awards were first established by the Commission (then known as the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission) in 1987, to recognise the contributions of individuals across the nation who made it their life’s mission to champion human rights, social justice, and equality for all.

More than three decades later, the Human Rights Awards recognise the work of human rights advocates across Australia, showcasing the work of hundreds of people across a variety of sectors and endeavours. 

This year, the Commission has adapted award categories to better align with Australia’s ever-changing human rights landscape. What originated as an evening to recognise human rights in film, television programs and literature works now spans across a broader field. The esteemed Human Rights Medal remains the only category from the inaugural Awards that is still awarded.

The first Human Rights Medal winner was Indigenous activist Rose Colless OAM, who was acknowledged for her tireless work in drug and alcohol rehabilitation initiatives for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. In the following years, the Human Rights Medal was awarded to other esteemed individuals including Fred Hollows, Peter Greste, Dorothy Hoddinott AO, Ian Thorpe, Jonathan Thurston, The Hon Peter McClellan AM QC and Chrissie Foster AM, Rosemary Kayess, and most recently, Professor Larissa Behrendt AO.

View all 2022 finalists and previous winners

As a nationally significant event, the Awards brings together a range of organisations which support the production and delivery of the event.

We acknowledge the generosity and support of all our partners and thank them for their respective contributions.

Presented by

Australian Human Rights Commission

Principal Partner

Paul Ramsay Foundation

The Paul Ramsay Foundation is proud to be the Principal Partner for the 2023 Australian Human Rights Awards. Paul Ramsay Foundation CEO Professor Kristy Muir says the Foundation is delighted to celebrate the human rights achievements: “The Awards highlight both the value and impact of human rights as well as some of the outstanding Australians who are working hard every day to improve equity in society and champion justice for all.” 

Major Partners

LexisNexis Australia

Delegation of the European Union to Australia

The European Union is committed to supporting democracy and human rights in its external relations. This is in accordance with its founding principles of liberty, democracy and respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law. The EU seeks to mainstream human rights concerns into all policies and programmes, with different human rights policy instruments for specific actions—including financing specific projects through its financing instruments. The EU continually includes human rights in political dialogues with third countries and regional organisations. It also holds dialogues and consultations specifically dedicated to human rights with some 40 countries.

Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils of Australia

Creative Australia

Event Partners

Centre For Social Justice & Inclusion, University of Technology Sydney

Australian Government | Attorney-General's Department

Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission

The Disability Trust

Wotton + Kearney

Community Partners

Australian Council of Human Rights Agencies

Human Rights Law Centre

Community Legal Centres Australia

Amnesty International

UNHCR (the United Nations Refugee Agency)

Nominating is easy! You can do it right here using the online form on our website. If you need help with other kinds of formats, please get in touch.

• Nominations are FREE.
• You can nominate yourself or the organisation you work for or a person or organisation you admire.
• People and organisations can be nominated in multiple categories.
• Nominators whose nominees are chosen as finalists will receive one (1) complimentary ticket to the Awards ceremony in Sydney. Should there be multiple nominators for a chosen finalist, only the first person to submit a nomination for that finalist will receive the complimentary ticket.

Provide a breadth of information.
Tell us exactly why your nominee should get an award. What has the nominee accomplished? How has their work made an impact? What’s the broader context of achievements a or contributions? What prompted you to submit your nomination? Provide as much information about their achievements and/or service as possible.

Keep it clear and concise
For your nomination to shine, it needn't be long. Aim for quality not quantity. And focus the work that’s specifically related to the reason you’re nominating the person or organisation.

Provide supporting material
Supporting material such as photographs, newspaper clippings, and links to blogs/websites are great. But be sure these are relevant to your nomination.

In choosing the recipients for the Awards, consideration is given to the nominee’s achievements in the year prior to receiving the award, as well as their ongoing contribution to the advancement of human rights.

An individual, organisation or community group need only be nominated once to be considered. The number of nominations received per nominee carries no weight in the judging process.

To be eligible for nomination, entrants must have made an outstanding contribution to the promotion and protection of human rights IN AUSTRALIA in at least one of the following areas, and been active in this area between 1 September 2022 and 31 August 2023:

• Taking action to overcome discrimination or infringements of human rights within Australia;
• Encouraging greater harmony between people of different race, sex, sexuality, age or ethnic origin within Australia;
• Enhancing the rights of Indigenous Australians;
• Promoting equal opportunity for people with a disability in Australia; or
• Increasing awareness of issues of injustice or inequality in Australia. 

Eligibility criteria

• Nominees must be an Australian citizen OR have resident status and be living in Australia OR be an organisation or association that is registered in Australia.
• Self-nominations are accepted
• Unsuccessful nominations may be re-nominated in subsequent years 

Category criteria

• People and organisations can be nominated in multiple categories. 
• Nominations for people aged 25 years or under (as of 31 August 2022) will be considered for the Young People's Award
• Eligibility is dependent on the award category and may be open to businesses, groups, organisations and/or individuals.

Judging criteria

Selection panels will consider the following when assessing and comparing nominations against the above criteria:

• Does the nominee contribute to the advancement of human rights issues in Australia?
• Does the entry provide specific examples of their contribution?
• Has the nominee been a leader in this area of work in their community?
• Has the nominee raised community awareness of the issue?
• Has the nominee been able to provide a network of support for the issue?
• What was the outcome of the nominee’s contribution?
• How effective was the outcome?
• Did the nominee overcome any obstacles to achieve their outcome?

Nominees cannot be:

• an employee of the Australian Human Rights Commission
• an employee of a direct supplier of commercial products or services to the Australian Human Rights Commission
• a member of the 2023 Australian Human Rights Awards judging panels
• a partner organisation or an employee of a partner organisation of the 2023 Australian Human Rights Awards

Nominations for all awards must be received by 5pm Monday 4 September 2023, unless otherwise extended.

All submitted nominations and supporting material remain the property of the Australian Human Rights Commission and will not be returned.

The judging panel will select up to four (4) finalists and one (1) winner for each category.

The judges' decision is final and no further correspondence will be entered into.

The person who nominates a finalist will receive one (1) complimentary ticket to the 2023 Australian Human Rights Awards. Only one (1) ticket per nomination.

Should there be multiple nominators for one finalist, the first nomination for that finalist will receive the one (1) complimentary ticket to the 2023 Australian Human Rights Awards event.

Nominees must agree to any reasonable local, state or national marketing and media publicity associated with the 2023 Australian Human Rights Awards.

All finalists will be announced by Monday 16 October 2023.

Finalists are required, where possible, to attend the awards presentation ceremony and will each be given two (2) complimentary tickets to the 2023 Australian Human Rights Awards event.

The winner of each category will be announced at the 2023 Australian Human Rights Awards event in Sydney in December 2023.