You're invited to join us here on Tuesday evening to watch live as the recipients of Queensland's 2021 Australian of the Year Awards are announced.
The awards presentation, in the presence of Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, is scheduled to begin at 6.30pm AEDT and run for about an hour.
The virtual ceremony will be hosted by ABC Radio Brisbane breakfast presenters Craig Zonca and Loretta Ryan and streamed live on this website. Publisher ACM, official media partner of the 2021 Australian of the Year Awards, will host the livestream on the websites listed below.
The 18 Queenslanders in the running to be named the state's Local Hero, Young Australian of the Year, Senior Australian or Australian of the Year for 2021 include a rural woman fighting for men's mental health, a nurse, a community fundraiser, two brothers helping endangered orangutans, a doctor and lawyer fighting to help people with disabilities, an advocate for people of the Torres Strait and a mother educating young people on road safety after her son's devastating accident.
Brothers Daniel and William Clarke are nominated in the category of 2021 QLD Young Australian of the Year for their work in an area far from their Redland City home.
The brothers have raised almost a million dollars since 2008 to help save the critically endangered orangutan populations in Borneo and Sumatra.
Their work, which has included speaking to more than 60,000 Australian students about the plight of the orangutans, has drawn some high profile attention; from the likes of former US President Barack Obama and Dame Dr Jane Goodall.
QLD Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the state's nominees were role models, regional champions and leaders in their chosen fields.
"Their commitment to their ideals and abiding sense of service should be a source of pride and inspiration to all," she said.
The award recipients in each category will join other state and territory winners as finalists in the annual national Australian of the Year Awards announcement on January 25, 2021.
The Queensland nominees are ...
Australian of the Year - sponsored by Australia Post
Ronnie Benbow - Founder, CEO and Director of The Carers Foundation (Brisbane)
Dr Rolf Gomes - Founder of Heart of Australia outback health service (Brisbane)
Melissa McGuinness - Founder of YOU CHOOSE Youth Road Safety (Gold Coast)
Dr Dinesh Palipana OAM - Advocate for doctors with disabilities (Gold Coast)
Senior Australian of the Year - sponsored by the Department of Health
Carmel Crouch - Disabilities advocate and founder of STEPS (Sunshine Coast)
Aunty McRose Elu - Advocate for Torres Strait communities and climate change (Brisbane)
Jeanette Johnstone - Creator of Teacher In A Box (Brisbane)
Betty Taylor - Domestic violence prevention campaigner (Redland City)
Young Australian of the Year
Daniel and William Clarke - Conservationists for the endangered orangutan (Redland City)
Annabel McKay - Nurse and educator (Brisbane)
Dr Alexander Tedman - Pioneer of telehealth dermatology service (Sunshine Coast)
D'Arcy Witherspoon - Founder of Down to Earth (Ipswich)
Queensland Local Hero - sponsored by the Department of Home Affairs
Leanne and Stuart Brosnan - Community and conservation champions (Bundaberg)
Natasha Johnston - Founder and Director of Drought Angels (Chinchilla)
Angela Mansey - Community advocate (Sunshine Coast)
Mary O'Brien - Mental health advocate (Darling Downs)
You can read more about each of the nominees and their efforts and achievements here.
Tuesday's live-stream of the awards ceremony will be visible on the following local news websites across Queensland;