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Mental Health

A Decade of Recognition: 2025 Australian Mental Health Prize Winners Announced

Issued by Lanham Media on behalf of the Australian Mental Health Prize - UNSW Sydney.

Australian Mental Health Prize - UNSW Sydney
Australian Mental Health Prize - UNSW Sydney

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Australian Mental Health Prize, a decade of recognising Australians whose leadership, research, and lived experience have transformed how we understand and respond to mental

health.

Since its establishment in 2016 by UNSW Sydney, the Prize has honoured advocates, clinicians, researchers, peer workers and community leaders who have changed lives and shaped national conversation. 

This milestone year celebrates both trailblazers and a new generation of change-makers.

The winners are Professor Pat Dudgeon, Australia’s first Aboriginal psychologist whose leadership has redefined Indigenous mental health, and Professor Brian Burdekin AO, a global human-rights pioneer who reframed mental illness as a human-rights issue.

We celebrate a new generation of changemakers with winners Hugo Toovey and Keith Donnelly, whose lived experience and grassroots innovation are inspiring new approaches to care and connection. Presenting the 2025 awards, the Hon. Emma McBride MP, Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, said the milestone was a chance to celebrate both the legacy of the Prize and the leadership of this year’s winners:

“The Australian Mental Health Prize shines a light on the people who dedicate their lives to improving mental health in Australia.

“From world-first research and cultural leadership to grassroots community initiatives, the winners of this year’s awards are helping to create a fairer, more compassionate system that gives people the support they need, when and where they need it.”

This year, four outstanding Australians were recognised for their impact in the areas of cultural leadership, lived experience, professional innovation and community support.

 

Category

2025 Winner

Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander

 

Professor Pat Dudgeon (Perth, WA): Born and raised in Darwin and descended from the Bardi people of the Kimberley, Professor Pat Dudgeon is Australia’s first Aboriginal psychologist and a national leader in Indigenous mental health and suicide prevention. As Director of the Centre of Best Practice in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention at the University of Western Australia, she has been instrumental in embedding cultural, strengths-based and lived experience perspectives into policy and services. She led the landmark Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention Evaluation Project (ATSISPEP), whose 2016 report Solutions That Work reframed national understanding of suicide prevention by centring Indigenous-led and culturally grounded responses. A founding chair of the Australian Indigenous Psychologists Association, her work continues to shape research, policy and frontline practice across Australia.

 

Professional

 

Professor Brian Burdekin AO (Potts Point, NSW): Professor Brian Burdekin AO has been a driving force in human-rights-based mental-health reform in Australia and globally. As Australia’s first Federal Human Rights Commissioner, he led the landmark National Inquiry into Human Rights and Mental Illness (1990-93), which exposed systemic abuse and neglect and transformed national policy. He went on to advise the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and has helped establish national human-rights commissions in more than 70 countries. His lifelong advocacy has reframed mental illness as a human-rights issue, leading to major legislative and service reforms in Australia and influencing international conventions and practice.

 

Lived Experience

 

Hugo Toovey (Adelaide, SA – currently residing in Sydney): Army Captain Hugo Toovey endured testicular and bowel cancer in his twenties, alongside depression and PTSD. Now 33, he has undergone more than a dozen major surgeries and continues to live with the long-term impacts of chronic illness. Drawing on his experience, he founded 25StayAlive, a charity encouraging young adults to take their physical and mental health seriously at a stage of life when it’s often overlooked. Through national media, keynote speaking, and partnerships with organisations such as Movember and Gotcha4Life, Hugo has become a leading advocate for young Australians, championing early intervention, meaningful connection and a practical approach to finding purpose and resilience through adversity.

 

Community Hero

 

Keith Donnelly (Picnic Point, NSW): Mental health clinical nurse manager Keith Donnelly is the founder of Keith’s Closet, a volunteer-led initiative that restores dignity and self-worth to people experiencing mental illness. Established in 2019 at the Prince of Wales Hospital, the program transforms unused hospital spaces into welcoming wardrobes stocked with donated clothing, shoes, toiletries and much more. Since then, it has expanded to hospitals across New South Wales, including St Vincent’s, Shellharbour, Lismore, and Forensic hospital, and supported more than 6,000 people through both hospital, community outreach. Keith’s work shows how compassion and creativity can drive meaningful change in mental-health care.

 

Adjunct Professor Sophie Scott OAM, Chair of the Australian Mental Health Prize Advisory Group, said: “Over ten years, the Prize has showcased Australians who are shaping the future of mental health, from policy and cultural reform to lived experience and grassroots care. This year’s recipients continue that legacy, showing us new ways to understand and respond to mental health and offering Australians hope and practical support when it is needed most.”

 UNSW Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Attila Brungs said he was immensely grateful to the winners whose unwavering advocacy inspires real change.

 “Over the last decade, this prize has honoured the outstanding contributions of individuals who are transforming the Australian mental health sector,” he said. “This year’s winners continue this legacy. With their compassion and creativity, they’ve shaped policy, research and practice, building a stronger and more inclusive society for all. Their impact is truly deserving of this recognition.” 

For more details about the Australian Mental Health Prize, visit www.australianmentalhealthprize.org.au.

 

Issued by Lanham Media on behalf of the Australian Mental Health Prize – UNSW Sydney.

Media Contacts:

More detailed information about each of the winners, including background, suggested discussion topics, quotes, and photographs, is available here. Further photos and footage of the winners from the ceremony will be available after the event on November 19.

Background:

The Australian Mental Health Prize was established in 2016 by UNSW Sydney to recognise Australians who have made outstanding contributions to promoting mental health or preventing/treating mental illness.

Mental illnesses are common and highly disabling. In any given year, one in five adult Australians and one in seven children aged 4 to 17 will experience some form of mental illness. One in three Australians will experience a mental illness in their lifetime. Mental illness significantly impacts a person's ability to work, earn a living, and maintain close relationships.

Recent statistics highlight the scale and impact of mental health challenges in Australia:

  • Youth Mental Health: A quarter of Australians aged 16-24 are experiencing a mental illness at any given time. Many people first experience symptoms during adolescence.
  • Suicide Rates: More than 3,000 Australians die by suicide each year, with men being at greatest risk but least likely to seek help.
  • Prevalence of Depression and Anxiety: Around one million Australian adults experience depression, and over two million suffer from anxiety each year. Depression ranks as the third highest burden of all diseases in Australia.
  • Impact on Vulnerable Communities: Indigenous Australians experience significantly higher rates of psychological distress compared to the general population and have lower access to mental health services. LGBTIQA+ individuals also face very high rates of depression and psychological distress and are the most at-risk group in Australia for suicide.
  • Impact on Women: Women are more likely to experience depression and anxiety during pregnancy and in the year following childbirth.
  • Chronic Mental Health Conditions: According to the 2021 Australian Census, mental health issues have now surpassed all other chronic illnesses, with over 2.2 million Australians reporting a diagnosed mental illness.
  • Economic Impact: The cost of mental illness and suicide to Australia is estimated to be around $220 billion annually, as reported by the Productivity Commission.

     Why establish the Australian Mental Health Prize?

    Australia has led the way internationally in many aspects of mental health such as community awareness, public advocacy and innovative services. This includes the digital health tools pioneered by the Black Dog Institute for mental health support, using smartphone technology for early intervention, and headspace, the national network of youth mental health services. Our open public discourse involving politicians and high-profile individuals occurs in few other countries.

    The Australian Mental Health Prize:
  • Acknowledges and recognises the important and ground-breaking work that many Australians are doing for mental health
  • Raises public awareness on the importance of mental health and
  • Provides an incentive to improve services and outcomes for people with mental illness.

     What are the criteria for the Australian Mental Health Prize?

    The Prize is awarded annually to Australians who have made outstanding contributions to the promotion of mental health or the prevention or treatment of mental illness – in areas such as advocacy, research or service provision. 

     Who is involved with the Prize?

    The Prize has been established by a group of eminent Australians in partnership with UNSW. Chaired by Sophie Scott, the Prize Advisory Group comprises: Melinda Upton, Associate Professor Mat Coleman, Dr Kym Jenkin AM, UNSW Scientia Professor Henry Brodaty AO, UNSW Professor Kimberlie Dean, UNSW Scientia Professor Philip Mitchell AM, UNSW Professor Valsamma Eapen and UNSW Professor Maree Toombs.

     

     
 

 

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Australian Mental Health Prize - UNSW Sydney
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