Meet the people who make Melbourne shine
Melburnian of the Year is Jo Horgan, founder of MECCA Brands, with over 110 stores, 7,000 team members and a movement advancing gender equality.
Transforming beauty into an empowering force, visionary Jo Horgan AM is the Founder and Co-CEO of MECCA Brands, Australia’s leading beauty retailer. What started as a single store in South Yarra in 1997 has grown into a global success story with over 110 stores, 7000 team members and over 200 of the world’s most sought-after brands. Jo advocates for gender equality by educating, uplifting and empowering women and girls through MECCA’s social change movement, M-POWER. Her leadership reframes beauty as trust, connection, and possibility, proving that when you invest in people, you make a lasting impact far beyond the mirror.
Young Melburnian of the Year
Winner: Dr Belle Lim
Dr Belle Lim is the founder of Future Forte, which has supported over 3,000 young leaders in careers, leadership and civic engagement.
Equality and opportunity advocate Dr. Belle Lim empowers the next generation of young leaders with global vision. After moving from Malaysia to Melbourne to pursue her education, Belle founded Future Forte, a social impact organization that advances leadership, representation and economic inclusion for international students; Supporting more than 3,000 young people to access pathways to careers, civic engagement and public leadership. An advocate for diversity and inclusion as a cancer genetics researcher, Belle now leads cultural diversity engagement and growth in the AFL, strengthening the representation and participation of multicultural communities across Australia. Its mission is clear: To ensure that every young person feels like they belong and can lead.
Aboriginal Melbourne – ganbu guljin
Winning: Birrarangga Film Festival
Birrarangga Film Festival is Australia’s leading Indigenous film festival; It is a powerful celebration of First Peoples storytelling through cinema. Since its launch in 2019, it has become a nexus supporting Indigenous filmmakers, fostering global partnerships, and sharing thousands of years of cultural knowledge while honoring the world’s oldest living cultures. Every two years Narrm becomes a meeting place where ancestral voices and contemporary visions share the same screen. Under the guidance of Artistic Director Tony Briggs, Birrarangga bridges continents and generations and reveals how stories, including songs, connect us all. It’s much more than a festival; A lively conversation between land, spirit and story
Access and Participation
Winning: Adaptive Music Bridging Program
The Adaptive Music Bridging Program opens the world of music to children ages eight to 14 who have disabilities, chronic illness, mental health issues, or are deaf or neurodiverse. Delivered in collaboration between the University of Melbourne and the Melbourne Youth Orchestras, the program helps each child choose, design or adapt an instrument to suit their needs while building their self-confidence, musical literacy and performance skills. By fostering an inclusive, creative and inspiring learning environment, the program instills a love of music, encourages lifelong participation and enables children with disabilities to find their rhythm and place in a vibrant cultural community.
Arts and Events
Winning: Asia TOPA
Asia TOPA – Melbourne Asia Pacific Performing Arts Triennial – returns in 2025, celebrating new ideas, performances, culture and art from across the region and reigniting the city’s creative heartbeat. Presented by Arts Center Melbourne, the festival transformed the city into a stage where 410 artists and collectives from 17 countries performed in 20 venues, from theaters to galleries, squares to nightclubs and university campuses. With more than 750,000 attendees, Asia TOPA celebrated Australia’s place in the region and showcased the power of art to bridge cultures, spark conversation and inspire a renewed sense of community across Melbourne.
City Design
Winning: Melbourne Place Hotel
Designed by renowned architectural firm Kennedy Nolan, Melbourne Place Hotel reflects a bold vision of how great design can connect people, culture and place. Known for his context-driven, design-focused practices, Kennedy Nolan’s approach balances innovation with precision, creating spaces that not only respond to their environment but also care for the country. The hotel embodies Melbourne’s distinctive design DNA: smart, creative and inclusive. With its contemporary form and thoughtful details, it redefines what hospitality can be, a place that inspires creativity, connection and community in the heart of the city.
Society
Winning: Nile River School
Education at River Nile School is more than just learning; is to belong. This independent high school supports young women aged 15 to 24 from refugee and refugee-like backgrounds, providing inclusive education, wellbeing programs and real-world opportunities that empower students to build safe and connected futures. Within its vibrant, multicultural community, diversity is celebrated and every student’s voice is valued. The Nile River is a place of hope and transformation, where education becomes a bridge to independence and every young woman is supported to find her strengths, purpose and place in the world.
Knowledge and Innovation
Winning: Acusensus Australia
Driven by a mission to make roads safer for everyone, Acusensus Australia is redefining what’s possible with smart, life-saving technology. The company’s pioneering systems, including the world’s first safe solutions to detect mobile phone and seat belt misuse, use artificial intelligence to help authorities detect risks before they cost lives. Partnering with governments in Australia, New Zealand, the US and the UK, Acusensus turns innovation into action, improving road safety and protecting communities around the world.
LGBTIQA+
Winning: Mpox Response – Thorne Harbor Health
As Victoria faced an mpox outbreak in 2024-25, Thorne Harbor Health acted quickly to protect its community. As one of Australia’s leading LGBTIQA+ community-controlled organisations, it has mobilized trusted voices, healthcare professionals and volunteers to deliver dedicated vaccine clinics, healthcare worker training and social media that speaks directly and compassionately to queer audiences. The result was a rapid public health response that reduced stigma and achieved record vaccine uptake. Thorne Harbor Health’s leadership transformed a moment of uncertainty into a moment of unity, demonstrating the power of inclusion, trust and community-led care in Melbourne.
Sustainability
Winning: Carbon Footprint Reduction Project – Trade Hall and Literature Institute
Built in 1859 and still standing strong, Trades Hall and the Literary Institute is the world’s oldest continuously active trade union building and a symbol of Melbourne’s proud history of advocacy and innovation. Once lit by whale oil candles, the heritage-listed landmark has evolved over time, setting an example of sustainability. A carbon reduction program was launched in 2018 to eliminate gas, increase energy efficiency and install solar panels. Since then, carbon emissions have more than halved and the team is now working towards net zero. It’s proof that even the city’s oldest buildings can power a cleaner, brighter future.
A legacy that continues
This year’s winners have risen to the challenge of pushing Melbourne into the best version of itself, displaying extraordinary levels of commitment and talent to causes close to their hearts – and that certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed. “The Melbourne Awards are about rewarding incredible Melburnians who push boundaries and go above and beyond to make our city the best and fairest it can be,” says Mayor Nick Reece.
Celebrating the achievements of these extraordinary individuals and organizations, the City of Melbourne Awards continue to support a city that truly fosters passion and innovation.
To learn more about the Melbourne Awards program and 2025 winners, please visit: https://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/melbourne-awards.
