Australian Humanist of the Year Awards

 Beginning in 1983, the Humanist movement in Australia annually selected an Australian Humanist of the Year (AHoY). This award was given to a person who made an outstanding contribution to public life, consistent with humanist principles and values. The annual AHoY Award assisted in raising the profile of humanism in Australia by increasing public awareness of humanist values and activities.

 Australian Humanist of the Year recipients 2000-2021.

Young Australian Humanist of the Year (YAHoY)

 In 2016, the humanist movement in Australia bestowed a Young Australian Humanist of the Year (YAHoY) award for the first time. To be nominated for the Award, the person must have displayed a reasoned and compassionate approach to human affairs, have actively promoted humanist values and be under 30 years of age. 

 The inaugural recipient of the YAHoY award in 2016 was Jason Ball. This honour was in recognition of his activism in atheist and freethought student groups and for his tireless efforts in tackling homophobia in sport. 

Outstanding Humanist Achiever (OHA)

From the year 2000, the Outstanding Humanist Achiever (OHA) award was created to honour humanist activists who made a substantial contribution to furthering humanism. In contrast to the Australian Humanist of the Year (AHoY) Award, recipients are not necessarily well-known public figures.   Find out more about Outstanding Humanist Achiever recipients.