“These awards are for those among our people who fight for every life, who fight for change, who fight for equality, who fight for our identities, who fight within the greatest rights struggle this nation has ever known,”
Tauto Sansbury Judging Panel
The National Indigenous Human Rights Awards are in their 3rd year, recognising social justice stalwarts in the greatest human rights struggle in this nation, that of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rights struggle.
Who will be the recipient of this year’s Dr Yunupingu Human Rights Award?
Who will win the Eddie Mabo Social Justice Award?
Who will win the Anthony Mundine Award for Courage?
Up for the Dr Yunupingu Award are Elcho Island’s human rights champion, Dr Djininy Gondarra, Broome based LGBQTI campaigner and founder of Black Rainbow, and Leonora based cultural campaigner Kado Muir.
Up for the Eddie Mabo Award are Redfern based youth worker, Keenan Mundine, Perth based Stolen Generations tyro James Morrison, Maningrida based suicide prevention hero Noeletta McKenzie and Perth based Ngalla Maya prison to education to work champion Mervyn Eades.
Up for the Anthony Mundine Award are Beagle Bay suicide prevention stalwart Mary O’Reeri and Palm Island anti-racism campaigner Lex Wotton.
The event’s MC is NITV News presenter, Natalie Ahmat.
Doltone House Jones Bay Wharf, Pyrmont
26-32 Pirrama Rd, Pyrmont
Thursday 9th of June 2016, 6:30pm for 7:00 Start
The judging panel comprised incumbent NAIDOC Lifetime Award recipient, Narungga Elder, Tauto Sansbury, Kamilaraoy language speaker and academic Dr Marcus Woolombi Waters and relentless human rights campaigner tyro and suicide prevention researcher, Gerry Georgatos.
BACKGROUND
The National Indigenous Human Rights Awards is an annual Australian awards ceremony that recognises the contribution of Indigenous Australians to human rights and social justice.[1] It is the first national Australian award ceremony dedicated solely to Indigenous human rights achievements.[2]
Award categories
There are three categories of awards:
- The Dr Yunupingu Award for Human Rights
- The Eddie Mabo Award for Social Justice
- Anthony Mundine Award for Courage
2014 awards
The inaugural National Indigenous Human Rights Awards were held on 24 June at Parliament House, Sydney. Indigenous leaders from all over Australia travelled to Sydney for the event.[3] The ceremony was emceed by Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Linda Burney, with a keynote speech by Yalmay Yunupingu.[4] The presenters of the awards were Yalmay Yunupingu, the partner of the late Dr Yunupingu, founder and lead singer of Yothu Yindi, and Gail Mabo, daughter of the late Eddie Mabo, and world champion boxer Anthony Mundine.[5] The awards were founded by NSW Labor Parliamentarian, Shaoquett Moselmane.
The inaugural recipient of the Dr Yunupingu Award for Human Rights was Rosalie Kunoth-Monks.
The inaugural recipient of the Eddie Mabo Award for Social Justice was family of the late Eddie Murray.
The inaugural recipient of the Anthony Mundine Award for Courage was Barbara McGrady.
2015 awards
Jenny Munro holding her award at the National Indigenous Human Rights Awards
The 2015 awards were emceed by SBS journalist and Arrernte woman Karla Grant. The keynote speech was delivered by Narungga Elder Tauto Sansbury.[6]
The recipient of the Dr Yunupingu Award for Human Rights was Tauto Sansbury.
The recipient of the Eddie Mabo Award for Social Justice was Jenny Munro.
The recipient of the Anthony Mundine Award for Courage was Adam Goodes.