The Global Australian Award finalists include Australians living and working overseas; Australians who have built their career overseas in the past; and international alumni of Australian universities. The Global Australian Awards showcase the achievements of these inspiring global Australians who are innovating in their field and shaping the world. Read more about our past awards here.

You may nominate yourself and/or others. Eligible nominees must:

• Be an Australian citizen or Australian permanent resident; OR alumni of an Australian university who are non-Australian citizens or residents
• Be living overseas currently, or be living overseas up until the year of nomination (except for the Global Talent category)
• Be working and/or active within your industry (i.e. not in initial studies or fully retired)
• Not be a current Advance Ambassador, or a current member of Advance staff / Advance Board of Directors / Advance Asia Advisory Committee.

CRITERIA FOR SOME CATEGORIES IN MORE DETAIL

For the Alumni category, nominees must:

• Be alumni of an Australian university program and a non-Australian citizen or resident
• Live outside of Australia at least half of the year

For the Global Talent category, nominees must:

• Have been born outside Australia
• Be a permanent resident or citizen of Australia
• Moved to Australia no earlier than ten years prior to the nomination, and be living and working in Australia at the time of nomination
• Since 1 January 2020 have made a significant contribution to Australia in their field of expertise by:
  • developing a breakthrough innovation or scientific discovery in Australia that will tangibly benefit Australians at large, or make a globally significant contribution in the applicant’s field of endeavour, and/or
  • establishing a business registered in Australia, that either has created quality jobs in Australia and/or is tax positive for Australia

GENERAL RULES FOR ALL APPLICATIONS

• A nominee may be considered for more than one category
• Unsuccessful nominees may re-nominate in subsequent years
• Award winners cannot receive a second award in the same award category. They can be considered for recognition in a separate category in following years
• Groups of people or couples will normally not be eligible, though in exceptional cases the selection panel reserves the right to consider such nominations
• The selection panel reserves the right to determine the relevance of nominations and to move nominees across categories
• All category winners will be considered for the Global Australian of the Year Award
• No weight is given to multiple submissions for the same nominee
• Awards will not be granted posthumously

Yes, individuals may nominate themselves and others.

No. A self-nomination, a nomination by a third party, and multiple nominations are all weighted equally. Each nomination is considered independently based on the achievements outlined. If multiple nominations for the same individual are received, they will be consolidated into a single nomination (within the word limits) for the judging panel to review, risking losing important information. A succinct and strong nomination is best submitted by the nominee, or someone passionate and knowledgable about the nominee’s achievements.

For all awards except the “Alumni” and “Global Talent” categories, preference is given to individuals currently living overseas, or who have returned to Australia within a year of nomination. Individuals who work in Australia for an international employer and travel extensively will be considered. Alumni category nominees must be based outside Australia. Australian Global Talent category nominees must be based in Australia.

Yes. However, your time overseas needs to be transformative to your career. On average, awards recipients have spent at least 5 years overseas, which has shaped their career and success.

Yes. The judging panel will consider nominees who pursued high school study, short courses and post-graduate training in Australia. They will assess the extent to which the Australian education experience shaped the individual’s career trajectory and the impact the individual has made in their home country / region.

Yes! In fact, many Award winners come from nominations submitted in prior years. The Awards are highly competitive, and each year many talented individuals with impressive achievements do not progress to the final round. We encourage past nominees to re-nominate and update us on their latest accomplishments. Advance may also contact you for permission to re-nominate you for a future year. 

Anyone. If you know of an outstanding Aussie who has built their career globally, don’t miss the opportunity to nominate them now.

The judges for the Global Australian Awards are eminent Australians. Chaired by Advance Founder and Chairman Emeritus, Ken Allen AO, the judges are chosen for their expertise, integrity, and standing in Australia and around the world. You can learn all about them here

Candidates are judged on their demonstrated leadership, vision, impact, and innovation in their field. Award nominees are evaluated against the following criteria:

1. Demonstrated excellence in their field globally
2. Demonstrated innovation, leadership, and entrepreneurship 
3. Extent to which impact has been achieved by conceiving and performing work in new and creative ways
4. Demonstrated significant impact or contribution in their relevant fields
5. Demonstrated capacity to inspire the next generation global Australian leaders

Judges also give consideration to the nominee’s: 

• Extent and nature of global experience 
• Contribution to Australian and global communities
• Voluntary work beyond paid employment
• Capacity for their work to contribute to a more socially and economically inclusive Australia
• Commitment to promote Advance and the Awards in the years following their award
• Commitment to contribute to the mentoring of next generation Australian leaders
• Ongoing contribution in their field

Groups of people or couples will normally not be eligible, though in exceptional cases the selection panel reserves the right to consider such nominations. 

GameChangers are recognised in the following broad industry/sector categories:

• Alumni – recognises the exceptional achievements of international graduates of Australian universities, who have used their qualification to forge new pathways in their chosen area of work
• Corporate Leadership – recognises Australians living and working overseas who have displayed an outstanding ability to innovate and excel in a global corporate setting, and in their region beyond their workplace achievements.
• Creative Excellence – celebrates remarkable creative Australians whose work is having a significant and global impact in their discipline of the Arts.
• Emerging Leadership – recognises Australians living and working overseas, who are managing to have a significant impact while still early in their career journey.
• Global Talent – recognises exceptional talent in individuals who have migrated to Australia in the last 10 years, become Australian citizens, and are having a significant and positive impact in their sector.
• Indo-Pacific Impact – recognises remarkable individuals who, having graduated from Australian universities, are making an outstanding contribution in the world’s most populous region.
• Science, Research & Health – shines a light on Australians who have a purposeful and resolute focus on advancing knowledge in their chosen field of work.
• Social Impact – recognises outstanding Australians working internationally, who have dedicated their lives to tackling significant and pressing global issues.
• Tech & Entrepreneurship – recognises remarkable innovators who are working at the cutting edge of new technology and ideas.

In addition to the above categories, the Judging Panel will recognise in the Global Impact category, individuals whose perseverance and passion for their work has enabled them to achieve impact on a global scale. Similar to a lifetime achievement award, nominees for this category may be household names in Australia or, as determined by the judges, deserving of increased recognition among Australians.

The Global Australian Award winners are global Australians and alumni of Australian universities who exhibit remarkable talent, exceptional vision and ambition, our Game Changers. You can learn more about them here

Winners and finalists for all Advance award categories receive promotion, publicity and recognition in a globally broadcast event. They also join the exclusive cohort of “GameChangers”. Award winners receive a physical trophy, and are considered for the overall “Global Australian of the Year” award. There is no financial prize associated with each award.

Yes, at the start of 2022 the Advance Awards had a name change. They are now known as Global Australian Awards, presented by Advance.org