The WA Youth Awards celebrate the contributions of young people who show outstanding dedication to making a positive change in their community and recognises their leadership and accomplishments.
The 2025 WA Youth Awards were held on Friday, 12 September 2025 at Optus Stadium, and recognised young people’s powerful contributions to their communities and our State.
Maddison Thomas was named as the 2025 WA Young Person of the Year for her resilience and dedication to inspiring others.
Maddison is a young carer who has faced significant obstacles, including homelessness. Maddison advocated for herself and her mother in the public health and housing systems and found the care and housing they needed.
Having successfully completed Year 12, Maddison is now undertaking tertiary studies to become a secondary school English teacher and strives to use her resilience, empathy, and determination to be a positive support in her future students' lives.
Winners of the 2025 Youth Awards were:
- Minister for Youth’s Most Outstanding Youth Worker Award: Jayden Ahmat
- Commissioner for Children and Young People Participate Award: Sofia Ballerini
- MercyCare Positive Achievement Award: Rhiannon Clarke
- Edith Cowan University Community Leadership Award: Rachael Burns
- Anglicare WA Creative Contribution Award: Rhea Dowden
- The Y WA Collective Action Award: The Y WA Youth Parliament
- Youth Focus Sector Collaboration Award: Equestrian Youth Engagement Service
- Mission Australia Young Changemaker Award: Wil Massara
- Carers WA Milestone Award: Maddison Thomas
- The Charmaine Dragun Memorial Award: Millie Kolomyjec
The Youth Awards are presented by the Youth Affairs Council of Western Australia (YACWA), in partnership with the Department of Communities and support from Lotterywest.
Category winners received a $1,000 prize. The WA Young Person of the Year received a $10,000 travel bursary to participate in youth-related events and activities across WA.
For more information visit the YACWA website
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