Creative visionary, respected leaders win at National NAIDOC Week Awards
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this article contains the name and image of an Indigenous person who has died.
An Indigenous trailblazer who helped guide some of Australia's most iconic creative festivals has been recognised among the winners at tonight's National NAIDOC Week Awards.
The annual ceremony is described by organisers as an opportunity to highlight Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander excellence across Australia, and serve as a reminder of "this nation's 65,000-year-old history".
Aunty Rhoda Roberts AO was posthumously honoured on Arrernte Country, where she won the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award at the Mparntwe (Alice Springs) ceremony.
It comes after the Widjabul Wieybal woman lost her battle with a rare type of ovarian cancer earlier this year, prompting heartfelt tributes from political leaders and creative powerhouses alike.
The judges said the award acknowledged Roberts for "elevating First Nations voices through storytelling, performance, creative direction and cultural leadership".
Referring to her work guiding festivals like Garma and Parrtjima, they described Roberts as "a visionary cultural leader whose influence transformed Australia's artistic landscape".
National NAIDOC committee co-chair, Aunty Lynette Riley, said "Rhoda Roberts AO was a force — fearless, brilliant and deeply committed to community and culture".
"Her legacy will continue to inspire generations to come," Professor Riley said.
Parrtjima curator Rhoda Roberts was posthumously honoured at this year's ceremony. (ABC News: Saskia Mabin)
Steven Satour, the committee's other co-chair, said Roberts "embodied" this year's NAIDOC theme, 50 Years of Deadly.
"She showed our people that our stories belong everywhere — on stages, screens, in institutions and in the national conversation,"
he said.
"This recognition honours a lifetime of cultural leadership and the extraordinary legacy she leaves behind."
Roberts was among seven individuals and three groups to receive accolades at Saturday's event.
Another major winner was 2026 Person of the Year recipient, Aunty Pat Turner AO.
In 1972, Pat Turner became the first female community welfare officer for the Department of Aboriginal Affairs in Alice Springs. (Supplied: National Library of Australia)
"Pat Turner AO is one of Australia's most respected Aboriginal leaders, with more than 50 years dedicated to advancing the rights, wellbeing and self-determination of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples," event organisers said.
"Her distinguished career spans senior public service roles, national policy reform, advocacy and community leadership at the highest levels.
"As she enters retirement, Pat Turner AO leaves a legacy of transformational leadership, lifelong service and enduring impact."
In the 1990s, Ms Turner made history as the first Aboriginal person and the first woman to serve as chief executive of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC).
More recently, she helped negotiate and implement the National Agreement on Closing the Gap before stepping down from her latest leadership roles in March 2026.
In addition to her formal roles, Pat Turner has also mentored generations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders. (ABC News: Dayvis Heyne)
This year's National NAIDOC Week Awards also recognised the efforts of Indigenous elders Christine Corby AM and Stephen Hagan.
Organisers described Mrs Corby as "a proud Gamilaraay woman and a highly respected leader in Aboriginal health who has driven transformative change in north-west New South Wales for nearly four decades".
They said in her role leading Walgett Aboriginal Medical Service, she helped it grow from a small shopfront into "a vital community-controlled health service employing around 100 staff and delivering thousands of consultations each year".
Christine Corby has been instrumental in the local health space, but is also involved in a number of other community initiatives. (ABC News: Kenji Sato)
Meanwhile Dr Hagan, a proud Kullilli Kooma man from far south-west Queensland and dedicated family man, was recognised for his advocacy work.
A key driver in rebranding Coon Cheese, and removing derogatory words from the Scrabble board game, the senior public servant and academic also brought racial discrimination cases against the then-Sky News program Outsiders, Channel 9's Today Show, the Daily Mail and Krispy Kreme.
Caitlyn Costello, Tyson Neal-Edwards, Kaylene Whiskey, Southern Aboriginal Corporation Ltd, The Murri School and Young Indigenous Women's STEM Academy also won accolades at the Mparntwe ceremony.
Stephen Hagan has driven change to offensive public place names nationally and authored seven books. (ABC News: Zilla Gordon)
Here's the full list of 2026 winners:
- Lifetime Achievement: Aunty Rhoda Roberts AO
- Person of the Year: Aunty Pat Turner AO
- Female Elder of the Year: Mrs Christine Corby AM
- Male Elder of the Year: Dr Stephen Hagan
- Sportsperson of the Year: Ms Caitlyn Costello
- Youth of the Year: Mr Tyson Neal-Edwards
- Creative Talent Award: Ms Kaylene Whiskey
- Caring for Country and Culture Award: Southern Aboriginal Corporation Ltd
- Education Award: The Aboriginal & Islander Independent Community School (The Murri School)
- Innovation Award: Young Indigenous Women's STEM Academy
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