Australian Honours and Awards

View The Queen's Birthday 2022 Honours List

Overview

The Australian Honours and Awards system recognises the outstanding service and contributions of Australians.

Recipients come from right across the country and from all walks of life. While some are well-known, the majority are unsung heroes.

While typically they haven’t sought thanks or recognition, they deserve both. The Honours and Awards system gives the nation a chance to celebrate and acknowledge those who work tirelessly to improve local communities and to make Australia a better place.

Any Australian can nominate someone for an award. Nominations are assessed by the Honours and Awards Secretariat, considered by the Council of the Order of Australia before recommendations are made to the Governor-General.

The Australian Honours and Awards system includes:

Recent Order of Australia lists

Order of Australia announcements are made on Australia Day and The Queen’s Birthday. If you are not sure in which list someone was recognised, or the level of award they received, search the database to find a recipient.

How to nominate someone for an award

Anyone can nominate someone to be recognised through the Order of Australia.

To complete a nomination you will need:

  • Their name, age and contact details
  • To explain why they are deserving of award, including details of their actions of service
  • To provide details of up to four referees to support the nomination.

Australian honours and awards statistics

The Honours and Awards Secretariat periodically publishes a report on the last 5 years of its operations. The most recent report, covering the financial years 2017-2021, is available here.