Professor Georgina Long and Professor Richard Scolyer have been named the 2024 Australians of the Year.
On Thursday night, the pair scored the highly-coveted title at the annual awards ceremony in Canberra’s National Arboretum.
Professor Long and Professor Scolyer, hailing from New South Wales, nabbed titles for their stellar work in melanoma treatment.
During their acceptance speech, the pair encouraged Australians to call out unsafe and unhealthy behaviour, such as tanning and smoking. They also slammed advertisers and online influencers who promote these behaviours.
“Yet tomorrow, thousands of Aussies will be soaking up the sun working on their tans – or, as we see it, brewing their melanomas,” Professor Long said.
“So we call on advertisers and social media influencers – stop glamorising tanning, or using it to sell or advertise or entertain.”
The speech was extremely eye-opening, and I truly enjoyed the Professors’ hard stance on sun safety. Especially with the extreme heatwaves that have been brought upon us.
I’m hopeful to see how they will continue to contribute to melanoma research. Fingers crossed more Aussies will pay more attention to the very important slip, slop, slap, seek and slide slogan.
Thursday night didn’t only mark the 2024 Australian of the Year, a bunch of other amazing Aussies also copped a title in other categories including Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Australia’s Local Hero.
Here’s who won at this year’s Australian of the Year Awards
Who won 2024 Australian of the Year?
This year we got two Australians of the Year. NSW’s Professor Georgina Long and Professor Richard Scolyer.
The pair have been recognised for their work in Melanoma treatment, using an “immunotherapy approach” — “which activates a patient’s own immune system”, making it a curable disease.
If you’re interested in following their work and their journey as this year’s Australians of the Year, you can follow Scolyer and Long on X.
Who won the 2024 Senior Australian of the Year?
Yalmay Yunupiŋu was named 2024’s Senior Australian of the Year for her stellar contributions as a teacher and linguist.
From Arnhem Land, Yunupiŋu translated Dr Seuss’s books at the community library into her local Yolŋu Matha language and utilised a bilingual teaching method in the classroom so young children can stay strong in their Yolŋu language and culture.
During her speech, Yunupiŋu reflected on her journey as a teacher and the importance of teaching in “both worlds”.
Yunupiŋu also took time out of her speech to call attention to the health needs and equal rights of Aboriginal Australians.
“Two million of our people are diagnosed with chronic preventable diseases such as kidney failure, heart disease, cancer, and many more illnesses. Our people are sick and dying, young and old,” she explained.
“Unfortunately, Western medicine is not working on its own. We need to marry both worlds of healing. My message is to you all – Yolngu bush medicine and healing is vital for Yolngu.
“We need to give our priorities to helpful ways of healing, to bring balance for better outcomes in education and health. We can’t do this on our own. We need your help. To work together.”
Who won the 2024 Young Australian of the Year?
Aussie Olympian Emma McKeon has been named 2024 Young Australian of the Year.
The huge achievement was awarded to the swimmer for her fearlessness and ambition in her career as one of Australia’s Olympians.
“I grew up being inspired by incredible athletes, which put a fire in my belly to go after my dreams and do something great with the power of determination and hard work,” McKeon said.
“Going from that young girl to today, it is still crazy to me that I’ve done what I have in sport, and I want young kids to know that I was once in the same position that they are now — hoping and dreaming of one day doing something big.”
You can continue to follow Emma McKeon’s journey as both an Olympian and Young Australian of the Year through here.
Who won 2024 Australia’s Local Hero Award?
David Elliott — co-founder of the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum of Natural History — has been named Australia’s Local Hero for 2024.
The huge achievement was awarded to the Queenslander for his passion for Australian history and work surrounding the revival of Australia’s palaeontology field.
During their speech, Elliott reflected on the Australian regional communities and the need for its revival.
“The Australian outback has been in decline for decades. Towns are dying as people move away, looking for a better life in the cities. Keeping a small community of outback Australia alive is imperative,” Elliott said during his tearful acceptance speech.
You can follow all of David Elliott’s extraordinary museum through its official website, right here.
Last year, body image campaigner Taryn Brumfitt was awarded the highly-coveted title of Australian of the Year for her work surrounding body positivity and self-acceptance.
Congrats to Professor Georgina Long and Professor Richard Scolyer couldn’t have thought of a better pair to take on Australians of the Year.
