Katherine's young citizen of the year, Mitchell Ford, has now been nominated as the NT's young Australian of the year.
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A youth suicide awareness clothing line has won 19-year-old Mitchell Ford the Young Citizen of the Year award.
The youth mental health ambassador created PRVT Apparel when he was in year 11.
The NT nominees were announced today for the 60th anniversary of the Australian of the Year Awards.
They include Mitchell, young Indigenous filmmakers, an optometrist working to prevent blindness, a community activist working to improve remote housing and an artist protecting the Yirrkala environment.
They are among 16 Territorians in the running to be named the territory's Local Hero, Young Australian, Senior Australian or Australian of the Year as the nation celebrates the 60th anniversary of the awards.
The awards will be announced in Alice Springs on Thursday, October 31.
The 2020 Northern Territory award nominees are:
2020 Northern Territory Australian of the Year
- Jasmine Cavanagh - Community activist (Alice Springs)
- Dianne Gipey - CEO Women's Safety Services of Central Australia (Alice Springs)
- Professor Leonard Notaras - Founder, National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre (Darwin)
- Dr Geoffrey Thompson - Sports physician and ex-RAAF flying doctor (Darwin)
2020 Northern Territory Senior Australian of the Year
- Emeritus Professor MaryAnn Bin-Sallik AO - Academic (Darwin)
- Norman Cramp - Historian and volunteer (Darwin)
- Sydney Kinsman - Veteran, ex-prisoner of war and local show member (Alice Springs)
- Banduk Marika AO - Artist, cultural activist and environmental adviser (North East Arnhem Land)
2020 Northern Territory Young Australian of the Year
- Rikki Bruce - Engineer (Darwin)
- Mitchell Ford - Mental health ambassador (Katherine)
- Dylan River - Aboriginal filmmaker (Alice Springs)
- Gutingarra Yunupingu - Aboriginal filmmaker (Yirrkala)
2020 Northern Territory Local Hero
- Shirleen Campbell - Family and domestic violence activist (Alice Springs)
- Timmy Duggan - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men's health advocate (Darwin)
- Helen Summers - Blindness prevention advocate (Darwin)
- Lesley Taylor - Child protection advocate (Yulara)
The nominees are among 128 people being recognised across all states and territories as part of the program, which began in 1960.
National Australia Day Council CEO Karlie Brand said the Territory nominees were all using their skills and experiences to educate, inspire or bring about change.
In the information provided today, the council says mental health ambassador Mitchell Ford is the founder of PRVT Apparel, a clothing brand which aims to spread awareness and provide support for youth with mental health issues.
With suicide the leading cause of death for youth in the NT and Australia, Mitchell is committed to tackling the stigma attached to talking about mental health.
After losing his best friend to suicide at a young age, he decided to create a community and platform that lets young people know they don't need to suffer alone.
PRVT is an acronym for 'prevention', a name which is designed to start a conversation around suicide prevention.
Additionally, for each T-shirt sold, 20 per cent of the profits are donated to headspace, the national youth mental health foundation.
Mitchell also dedicates his free time volunteering with disadvantaged youth. In 2019, he was named Young Citizen of the Year and is very active as a social media influencer around kindness, mental health and self-love.
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Chris McLennan
ACM national rural property writer based in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria. Career journalist. Multi award winner.
ACM national rural property writer based in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria. Career journalist. Multi award winner.
