On Sunday 25 January, Nedd Brockmann was named the Young Australian of the Year at the 2026 Australian of the Year Award ceremony in Canberra.
The Office for Youth provides opportunities for young people to share ideas and be included in government decisions and policies and is the proud official partner of the Young Australian of the Year Award.
Nedd Brockmann is an ultramarathon runner for the homeless, who at 23-years-old set a goal to run across Australia to raise awareness about the complexities of homelessness.
In 2022, Nedd raised $2.6 million to highlight the complexities of homelessness, running from Perth’s Cottesloe Beach to Sydney’s Bondi Beach in just 46 days. Two years later, Nedd started Nedd’s Uncomfortable challenge, raising $8 million for those experiencing homelessness.
Nedd told the Today show,
“I’m very grateful for the Young Australian of the Year award, hopefully it gives me the leverage to make more people aware of homelessness and that it’s not anyone’s fault, no one chooses to be there, and that we have the ability to change the way it’s viewed".
The Young Australian of the Year Award is Australia’s peak award recognising the tremendous and important contributions that young people make to Australian society. The National Australia Day Council supports the awards, celebrating the achievements and contributions of inspirational Australians for over 60 years.
Minister for Youth, Senator the Hon Dr Jess Walsh said,
“It’s inspiring to see Nedd taking real action to make impactful change, along with the other wonderful young nominees.”
A full list of winners and finalists can be found on the Australian of the Year website.
Read the Minister’s media release.
To learn more about how the Office for Youth supports young people find government information and services, visit Office for Youth.