Recognising and celebrating the influence of fathers and father figures
Nominations are now closed for 2023.
The Australian Fathering Awards brought to you by The Fathering Project
The Australian Fathering Awards
We are very proud to celebrate fatherhood by becoming the new home of the Australian Father of the Year Awards. Originally launched in 1957, these awards honour the precious role and journey of fatherhood from birth to beyond.
Here at The Fathering Project, our goal is to transform children’s lives through better fathering, helping dads to be the best dads they can be for themselves, their child and their family. Our research shows how critical good fathering is to the outcomes of a child’s life, so we are overjoyed to be able to work with the Australian Fathers Day Council to shine a light on this vital fathering role.
Award Overview 2023
The Fathering Project is proud to be coordinating The Australian Fathering Awards in partnership with the Australian Fathers Day Council.
These prestigious awards aim to celebrate and acknowledge the vital role that fathers play within families, and in the wider community.
In 2023, there will be four Australian Fathering Award categories
- Australian Father Of The Year
- Australian Community Father Of The Year
- Australian Sporting Father Of The Year
- Australia’s Best Workplace for Fathers
2023 – Award schedule – Key Dates
10 June – Nominations close
14-20 June – Short-listed candidates informed
10 July – Award winners informed
31 Aug – National Announcement of Award recipients
03 Sept – Father’s Day – A day of celebration for all Aussie Dads
The Australian Fathering Awards 2022 Recipients.
Looking ahead at 2023
We are thrilled with the success of the Awards event in September 2022. The award recipients demonstrate the clear impact and value of fathers and father friendly workplaces on children, families and communities.
The Awards received wide media coverage that for the most part focused on and promoted the significance of engaged fathers and father-figures, and the positive impact this has on the future of our children.
We know that 2023 will only be bigger and better, and we can’t wait to uncover everyday men and workplaces doing extraordinary things for families, communities and most importantly – our children.
With YOUR support and sponsorship, we can create a positive intergenerational impact for all Australian children.
A better tomorrow for your children starts with you.
Research shows that supporting fathers do not only become more effective caregivers, but also alleviate the negative impacts of disadvantage and break generational cycles, resulting in happier, healthier and more resilient communities.
Join The Fathering Project by hosting a Paper Planes Fundraiser to spotlight the crucial role of fathers and father-figures in creating a brighter future for all children and families.
An all-inclusive, weather friendly, easy to host event that strengthens the bond between children and fathers/father figures to serve a greater good.
Previous recipients of Australian Father of the Year
Brendan Murphy
Paul Roos
Shane Fitzsimmons
Dr Mark Cross
Dr Karl Kruszelnicki AM
Dr Jamal Rifi AM
Dick Smith AO
Fathering Today
What Fathering Means To Me
I feel incredibly privileged to be the adopted dad to 5 beautiful kids aged 8 to 21. Parenting is simultaneously the single greatest challenge and the single greatest joy in my life. It’s a constant conundrum trying to balance the desire to be ‘fun dad’ and also serve their long-term needs, which sometimes means doing ‘un-fun’ stuff. Balancing the need to be present and available at work and also present and available as a dad, is tricky too. And then there’s the reflection part: ‘I should have handled that better’ or ‘I wish I had done X not Y’. But I’ve grown to accept that success isn’t about being the ‘perfect’ dad. It about being the ‘have a go’ dad, the ‘show-up’ dad, the ’shut-up and listen’ dad. I don’t have words to describe the sense of pride and love I have for my kids. I just know that being their dad is the most precious thing in my life, and the most meaningful thing I will ever do.
Michael, NSW – Proud Dad of 5
"Our mission is to educate, connect and empower fathers and father figures across Australia to prevent long term social, emotional and cognitive difficulties and create the conditions for children to thrive."
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