First Nations woman Maggie Blanden rejects ‘not inclusive’ Young Australian of the Year nomination
Palawa woman Maggie Blanden chose not to accept her Young Australian of the Year nomination. (@moogiewoogieee/Instagram)
Palawa woman Maggie Blanden has rejected her Young Australian of the Year nomination, stating that the event is “not inclusive” for First Nations people.
Each state and territory in Australia has put forward their nominations for the annual Australian of the Year award ceremony. However, the ceremony centres around the controversial date of 26 January, also known as Australia Day.
The public holiday is a conflicting day for First Nations Australians, which is a date some refer to as “Invasion Day”. It is a day that marks the start of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people being stripped of their land, culture, language, freedoms, and family.
It’s a date that Blanden, a lawyer and advocate, recognises that for the Palawa community and wider Aboriginal community, “is a day of mourning”. Blanden turned down her nomination for Young Tasmanian of the Year 2025, in light of the lack of sensitivity to celebrate during a period of mourning for her community.
“I will not celebrate on January 26th,” Blanden told Triple J’s Hack podcast. “Even if it’s for a prestigious award which I would be very honoured to be recognised for the work that I do for and with community.
“It’s just not the right time. It’s not the right way to do it. I will not celebrate a nation which persecutes our people like they do,” she said.
“The Australia Day Awards, I believe, are not inclusive…For some it’s a day of celebration, it’s a survival day, but for us here in Lutruwita (Tasmania), it’s a day of mourning,” Blanden explained.
Blanden offered that she would be ready to celebrate “when we have a treaty in Lutruwita, [and] when we have land returned in Lutruwita”. She explained to the outlet that her thoughts are “coming from a place of compassion” so that future generations can “learn from this”.
Chief executive of the National Australia Day Council Mark Fraser said, “Thousands of nominations are received from members of the community each year for people who inspire them”.
“Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples are nominated for awards by their communities in each state and territory and many have gone on to be national finalists and recipients over the 65 years of the awards,” he said.
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