FROM Ita Buttrose to Jessica Mauboy, the list of inspiring Australians in the running for the 2013 Australian of the Year Awards is certainly a diverse one.

State and Territory award recipients in the four award categories – Australian of the Year, Senior Australian of the Year, Young Australian of the Year and Australia’s Local Hero – are now finalists for the national awards to be announced in Canberra on 25 January 2013.

Program Director for the National Australia Day Council Tam Johnston says the finalists for the national awards were all “extraordinary people following their passions and making the world a better place for it.”

“These remarkable Australians have made an impact on many levels – some working tirelessly in the local communities, others at an international level – but they are all Australians we can be very proud of,” she says.

Those now in consideration for the national awards are:

AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR 2013 – FINALISTS
Australian Capital Territory – Dr Tom Calma AO
New South Wales – Ita Buttrose AO OBE
Northern Territory – Mark Grose and Michael Hohnen
Queensland – Professor Adèle Green AC
South Australia – Sonya Ryan
Tasmania – Andrew Hughes
Victoria – Harold Mitchell AC
Western Australia – Kerry Stokes AC

SENIOR AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR 2013 – FINALISTS

Australian Capital Territory – Dr Jim Peacock AC

New South Wales – Ron Allum

Northern Territory – Dr Sadhana Mahajani

Queensland – Laurie Lawrence
South Australia – Emeritus Professor Ian Maddocks AM
Tasmania – Anna Crotty

Victoria – Emeritus Professor T John Martin AO
Western Australia – Lorraine and Barry Young

YOUNG AUSTRALIAN OF THE YEAR 2013 – FINALISTS
Australian Capital Territory – Julie McKay
New South Wales – Corey Payne
Northern Territory – Jessica Mauboy
Queensland – Sally Pearson
South Australia – Vanessa Picker
Tasmania – Holly Barnewall
Victoria – Hayley Bolding
Western Australia – Akram Azimi

AUSTRALIA’S LOCAL HERO 2013 – FINALISTS
Australian Capital Territory – Francis Owusu
New South Wales – Shane Phillips
Northern Territory – Peter Fletcher
Queensland – Sergeant Dimitrios Bellos
South Australia – Anna Kemp
Tasmania – Gwen Egg
Victoria – Pam Adams
Western Australia – Caroline de Mori