Revered Yolngu Elder and leader of the Gumatji clan, Dr Galarrwuy Yunupingu, has been awarded the esteemed Companion of the Order of Australia.
The , who died in April 2023, is one of 732 Australians on the 2025 list.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Australia Day honours, recognising recipients across three categories: awards in the Order of Australia (General and Military divisions), meritorious awards and recognition for distinguished and conspicuous service in the Australian Defence Force.
Yunupingu was posthumously awarded a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) along with five other Australians.
Yunupingu with some Gumatj boys at the 2019 Garma festival. Source: Supplied / Peter Eve/Yothu Yindi Foundation
Here are some other key recipients.
Companion of the Order of Australia (AC)
Also awarded the prestigious Companion of the Order of Australia is Cobble Cobble woman, human rights lawyer and co-chair of the , Professor Megan Davis.
Davis has been recognised for her contributions to law and social justice and to the national and international advocacy of the rights of Indigenous peoples.
"To put it very simply, the Uluru Statement from the Heart is almost like a sales pitch to the Australian people as to why we need constitutional reform," University of Queensland professor Megan Davis previously told SBS News. Source: AAP / Darren England
She is being acknowledged for her contribution to humanitarian and human rights law, international relations, social justice advocacy and tertiary legal education and research.
Also recognised with Companion of the Order of Australia Awards are epidemiologist Allen Cheuk-Seng Cheng, High Court of Australia Justice James Joshua Edelman and arts administrator and philanthropist Lyn Williams.
Officer of the Order of Australia (AO)
Among 23 people honoured as an Officer of the Order of Australia is Professor Robynne Quiggin, noted for distinguished services to the Indigenous community and to law and human rights.
"To know someone decided to nominate me, and that that nomination was successful is really humbling, and it's a great honour," she told NITV.
Engineer and inventor Professor Veena Sahajwalla has also been named an Officer of the Order of Australia, commended for her work in recycling science and sustainability research.
Professor Veena Sahajwalla, known for research into high-temperature transformation of waste in the production of green materials, was also NSW's Australian of the Year in 2022. Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas
Member of the Order of Australia (AM)
The former federal defence minister was recognised for his service to the people and parliament of Australia, to the Catholic Church, and to the community.
Among the 108 people awarded Member of the Order of Australia is also blind surfing champion Matthew Formston, honoured for his significant service to people with a disability and to para-sports.
LISTEN TO
Aussie surfer Matt Formston says being blind a 'benefit' when riding giant Nazaré waves
SBS Portuguese
27/01/202319:58
Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM)
A number of Olympian athletes have also been recognised with Medals of the Order of Australia, including canoeist Noemie Fox.
She's joined by Shayna Jack, Conor Leahy and others recognised for their services to sport as gold medallists at the Paris Olympics.
Diversity of Recipients
In previous years, that the Australia Day honours list has failed to adequately represent Australia's cultural and linguistic diversity.
In response, the governor-general's office said it was committed to increasing awareness of the awards among culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities.
This year, Governor-General Sam Mostyn issued a statement saying Australia's multicultural history is reflected in the "depth and diversity of the extraordinary people" recognised in the 2025 awards.
Data relating to the number of CALD recipients was not provided with the list.
While last year women made up the majority of recipients, the percentage of female recipients in 2025 dropped to 47 per cent, compared with 50.5 per cent the previous year.
As well as the main honours, 25 people were honoured in the Military Division of the Order of Australia, and 196 Meritorious awards and 54 Distinguished and Conspicuous awards were announced for 2025.
The honours list also included 24 recipients recognised for their contribution in support of Australia's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
