There's nothing more Australian than recognising legends among us

Dylan, Grace, Ita. The Thai cave divers, Rosie, Cathy. Names now etched into the Australian psyche.

All recipients of the Australian of the Year Award.

And this year, we mark the 65th anniversary of the awards. Think of all those extraordinary Australians from different walks of life and backgrounds recognised for their outstanding contributions to our nation.

But you are the key to making it all possible. The nominations process relies on everyday Australians taking a few moments to shine a light on the achievements of someone who inspires them.

Last year, we had more than 3500 nominations across the four award categories: Australian of the Year; Senior Australian of the Year; Young Australian of the Year; and Australia's Local Hero.

Recognising others and expressing our gratitude are important parts of who we are as a nation.

For many of those nominated, just knowing someone cared enough to notice them and what they're doing says, "we see you and we appreciate everything you do". It makes a world of difference. It's not necessarily about taking out the award, it's about being acknowledged and appreciated.

You might be wondering how the process works. First, we gather up all the nominations from around the country after nominations close on July 31. These have eligibility confirmed before they're sent to each state or territory to review. They come up with a shortlist of the 10 strongest nominations in each of the four categories, so 40 for each state or territory - 320 nationally.

Each state or territory selection panel comprises a broad cross-section of community members and decides on four state and territory nominees per category through a robust process, including several private voting rounds.

Once these final nominees are selected, a gala awards event is held in each capital city to recognise and celebrate their achievements and announce the state and territory recipients.

Towards the end of the year, the board of the National Australia Day Council then undertakes a similar process, drawing from the state and territory recipients to determine who will be the four national recipients.

All shortlisted nominees undergo reference checks both prior to and after selection panels and are informed they've been nominated. They can go forward for consideration or opt out. As you might expect, there are always some who prefer to stay in the shadows, quietly going about their work making their country or community a better place.

And to dismiss an urban myth, the prime minister and other ministers play no part in the process. The prime minister simply opens the envelope and reads out the national recipients' names on the eve of Australia Day.

These are Australia's most prestigious individual national awards and help promote active citizenship, values and achievement. The principal criteria are: inspiration - does the nominee inspire others; contribution - has the nominee made a difference for others; and excellence - is the nominee a leader in their field of endeavour. In essence, it's about recognising people who reflect our contemporary society, who make us proud to be Australian and who bring us together.

Turn your mind to this year's recipients: the Australians of the Year, Professors Georgina Long AO and Richard Scolyer AO and their pioneering work saving lives through melanoma research; our Senior Australian of the Year Yalmay Yunupinju and her work to keep language and culture alive in remote Indigenous communities; our Young Australian of the Year Emma McKeon AM, Australia's greatest ever Olympic medal winner and UNICEF ambassador; and Australia's Local Hero David Elliott OAM, outback pioneer and dinosaur paleontologist.

Our nation is stronger because of the everyday Australians among us who go that extra mile. And it's so easy to show them their efforts have not gone unnoticed.

I feel so fortunate to be able to share in the stories of wonderful Australians from diverse backgrounds. We have so much in common, have so much to be proud of and so much to celebrate.

At a time when there are multiple pressures and challenges being faced by all Australians, these awards help us focus on those things that unite and uplift us.

And it all starts with your nomination for 2025. If someone inspires you, please consider shining a spotlight on them at australianoftheyear.org.au.