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2020 NAIDOC Week poster competition winner Tyrown Waigana was recently presented with a framed version of his poster design by Minister for Indigenous Australians, the Hon Ken Wyatt MP in small ceremony in Perth. The framed version of the poster is traditionally presented to the winner of the NAIDOC Week poster competition during the National NAIDOC Awards. This presentation did not go ahead in 2020 due to the event's cancellation.

The annual NAIDOC Awards recognise the outstanding contributions that Indigenous Australians make to improve the lives of Indigenous people in their communities and beyond, or to promote Indigenous issues in the wider community, or the excellence they’ve shown in their chosen field.

First Nations media veteran Michelle Tuahine has been appointed to the National NAIDOC Committee (NNC). Ms Tuahine is a proud descendant of the Gangulu people of Central Queensland and Ngāti Kahungunu iwi of New Zealand’s North Island. A veteran of Indigenous media, Ms Tuahine brings to the committee strong journalistic skills, having worked in the 1990s with ABC Television and in the mid-2000s with NITV, SBS and the National Indigenous Radio Service.

The National NAIDOC Committee (NNC) has elected Yawuru woman Shannan Dodson as its new Co-Chair. Ms Dodson succeeds Patricia Thompson who has stepped down from the Co-Chair role because of family commitments. Born in Katherine in the Northern Territory and currently living in Sydney, Ms Dodson has worked in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander affairs for over 16 years and a strategic communications and engagement specialist.

Nominations for the 2021 National NAIDOC Awards have been extended until 5pm AEDT, Monday 29 March 2021. The National NAIDOC awards recognise the outstanding contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This year’s ceremony will include the 2020 and 2021 awards due to the cancellation of the 2020 awards last year. People are encouraged to nominate individuals and groups who go above and beyond to improve the lives of First Nations people in their communities, promote Indigenous issues in the wider community or show excellence in their chosen field.

The National NAIDOC Committee invites entries from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists for the National NAIDOC Poster Competition reflecting and capturing the 2021 theme: Heal Country!

The NAIDOC 2021 theme – Heal Country! – calls for all of us to continue to seek greater protections for our lands, our waters, our sacred sites and our cultural heritage from exploitation, desecration, and destruction.

Proud Noongar and Saibai Islander man, Tyrown Waigana is the winner of the prestigious National NAIDOC poster competition for 2020. His artwork, ‘Shape of Land’, illustrates this year’s NAIDOC Week theme, ‘Always Was, Always Will Be’ as it shows the Rainbow Serpent coming out of the Dreamtime to create this country.

In an Australian television first, openshop has partnered with National NAIDOC during NAIDOC Week 2020 to promote and celebrate Indigenous businesses. Channel 75’s openshop will host a special NAIDOC Week show at 1.30pm AEDT on Friday 13 November that will feature a range of diverse products from a collection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses and entrepreneurs.

NAIDOC has partnered with Facebook Australia to launch new tools and initiatives to celebrate Indigenous people, stories, and businesses for NAIDOC Week 2020. Starting 8th November across Facebook and Instagram, Australians will be empowered to connect with this year’s ‘Always Was, Always Will Be’ theme and with Indigenous-designed tools, creators, and businesses. In welcoming the partnership, National NAIDOC Co Chair, John Paul Janke said it was an exciting opportunity to expand the reach and footprint of NAIDOC Week like never before.

National NAIDOC has proudly partnered with Netflix to help highlight Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content across the streaming service during NAIDOC Week 2020. Across NAIDOC Week, Netflix will 'share the mic' by pointing to Indigenous stories on Netflix, NITV/SBS, and ABC iView. These include a wide variety of award-winning TV shows, movies, documentaries, and exciting new and live content including NITV’s Big Mob Brekky and SBS/NITV’s Stand Up and Be Counted NAIDOC Concert Special.

Statement from the National NAIDOC Committee Regardless of when it is celebrated NAIDOC Week is an event of national importance for all Australians. A week borne from a day of protest, NAIDOC Week each year reminds us of the ongoing aspirations of our communities as they continue the movement towards justice and equality.