Astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg is 2026 Australian of the Year

The first Australian to qualify as an astronaut under Australia’s space program, Katherine Bennell-Pegg, is the 2026 Australian of the Year.

Bennell-Pegg, 41, who has yet to go to space, graduated from Basic Astronaut Training in 2024 as part of a class of six trained by the European Astronaut Centre in Germany. She was the first international candidate to do so. She had been picked for the program from more than 22,500 applicants.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese presented the Australian of the Year awards on Sunday night.

The Senior Australian of the Year is Professor Henry Brodaty, a pioneer in dementia treatment.

Young Australian of the Year is Nedd Brockmann, an ultra-marathon runner who has raised large sums to help the homeless.

The winner of the Local Hero section is Indigenous construction leader Frank Mitchell.

Bennell-Pegg, from South Australia, is an active promoter of Australia’s space program, and had the ambition of becoming an astronaut since she was a child. She regularly makes presentations to school children to inspire the next generation.

National Australia Day Council CEO Mark Fraser said she was “forging new frontiers for Australian space engineering, research and exploration.

"She leads by example, openly sharing her story to inspire the next generation and reminding us all of the power of a dream, and where determination can lead,” he said.

Bennell-Pegg was appointed director of space technology at the Australian Space Agency in 2022.

She has said “I have always dreamed of being an astronaut. When I was young, it was for the adventure, but after more than a decade working in space it’s now because I know the role it plays in tackling real-world problems and developing new knowledge that can benefit our society, environment, and science.”

The work of Brodaty, from New South Wales, is hailed as transformative in the diagnosis, care and prevention of dementia.

Momentum for his work came from the experience of his father, who was diagnosed in 1972 with Alzheimer’s disease, aged just 52. Back then, dementia was much more poorly understood than now.

In 2012, Brodaty co-founded the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing and led internationally-significant research that improved understanding of the risk and prevention of dementia.

His Maintain Your Brain large trial showed cost-effective and targeted intervention could delay the onset of dementia and even prevent it.

“Henry, 78, is a leader who has reshaped dementia care from every angle as he navigates toward a future where dementia is better treated and prevented,” the council said.

Brockmann, now 27 and from NSW, became concerned about homelessness when, as a young electrician from Forbes, on his regular trips to TAFE saw how many people were sleeping rough on Sydney’s Eddy Avenue. He wanted to highlight the problem.