Meet The 2026 marie claire Women Of The Year Nominees

Global icons, fearless advocates, groundbreaking entrepreneurs and emerging leaders have been named among the nominees for the 2026 marie claire Women of the Year Awards. The annual awards celebrate extraordinary Australian women whose leadership, creativity and courage are changing lives, shaping culture and inspiring others.

Editor Georgie McCourt said the shortlist captures the extraordinary breadth of female talent in Australia, and the many different ways women are making an impact.

“Some of these women are names we’ve known and loved for decades,” she says. “Others are women we want every Australian to know about. What connects them is the conviction to pursue something bigger – whether that’s changing an industry, standing up for a community or opening a door for the next generation.

“Championing women is at the heart of everything we do. These awards give us the opportunity to recognise their achievements, amplify their voices and celebrate what becomes possible when women have the support and freedom to fulfil their potential.”

Winners will be announced on November 19 at the 2026 marie claire Women of the Year awards, supported by Volvo, Clé de Peau Beauté, Strand and Figur in a night of inspiration, tears and laughter at The Lands by Capella in Sydney.

And the nominees are:

The Icon

A woman whose illustrious career and talents have immortalised her name for generations to come

Nicole Kidman

More than four decades into her career, Nicole Kidman remains one of Australia’s most influential global screen talents and producers. 2026 proved to be another prolific year for the enigmatic star, appearing in Practical Magic 2 and Apple TV’s Margo’s Got Money Troubles, which earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series. She even snuck in a showstopper music video appearance for Troye Sivan. Her film and television company, Blossom Films, continues to be a champion of female-led narratives, unearthing female talent and giving platforms to women’s stories and lives.

Kylie Minogue

The prolific singer and performer, Kylie Minogue, remains one of Australia’s most recognisable cultural exports, with a career spanning music, fashion and live performance. Her continuing global reach, creative reinvention and ability to connect with successive generations make her a natural contender for marie claire’s most enduring honour.

Adut Akech Bior

Adut Akech Bior is a South Sudanese-Australian supermodel and refugee advocate who has become one of the most influential figures in global fashion. Born in South Sudan and raised in Kenya’s Kakuma refugee camp, she moved to Adelaide with her family at the age of seven. Her international breakthrough came in 2016, when she was cast exclusively in Anthony Vaccarello’s debut Saint Laurent show. Since then, she has walked for the world’s leading fashion houses and appeared on major magazine covers around the globe. Beyond the runway, Akech Bior uses her platform to champion greater diversity within fashion and advocate for refugees as a high-profile supporter of UNHCR. Her extraordinary journey and cultural impact have made her a powerful role model for a new generation.

Ash Barty

Ash Barty is one of Australia’s most celebrated athletes and an enduring role model both on and off the court. A proud Ngarigo woman, she rose to world No. 1 and won three Grand Slam singles titles: the 2019 French Open, 2021 Wimbledon Championships and 2022 Australian Open. Her historic Australian Open victory ended a 44-year wait for a homegrown women’s singles champion. Barty retired at the height of her career in 2022, aged just 25, and has since embraced motherhood while devoting her energy to writing, mentoring and the Ash Barty Foundation, which creates opportunities for young Australians through sport and education. Already a bestselling author, she will release a new book later this year, continuing her mission to inspire the next generation.

Magda Szubanski

Magda Szubanski is one of Australia’s best-known and most-loved performers, with a career spanning television, film, writing and advocacy. Beloved as Sharon Strzelecki in Kath & Kim and for her role in Babe, she has become a cultural touchstone for her warmth, wit and intelligence, and was a leading voice in the campaign for marriage equality. In 2026, after completing treatment for stage-four mantle cell lymphoma and entering remission, she returned to public life with her second memoir, I Can’t Tell You, But I Will, a tribute to her mother that moves between public conviction and private grief.

The Entrepreneur

For a founder who has built, grown or transformed an exceptional business, brand, media platform or social enterprise.

Nagi Maehashi

Nagi Maehashi has transformed RecipeTin Eats from a personal food blog into one of Australia’s most trusted and commercially successful food platforms. Every night, thousands of families across Australia turn to her website and award-winning cookbooks, for her signature detailed, yet fuss-free, recipes – single-handedly re-shaping how our nation eats. In 2026, she continued combining extraordinary audience reach with the social impact of RecipeTin Meals, which provides freshly cooked food to people experiencing hardship.

Remy Tucker

Tucker is the founder of ON THE HOUSE, the start-up treating free period products as essential public infrastructure. In 2026, she secured $1.7 million in seed funding to expand its advertising-funded dispensers across universities, stadiums, workplaces and other high-traffic venues.

Grace Brown

As the founder and CEO of Andromeda Robotics, Grace Brown has built one of Australia’s most exciting technology companies around Abi, an empathetic companion robot designed to combat loneliness in aged care. In 2026, Andromeda reportedly reached a $100 million valuation, demonstrating how human-centred Australian innovation can improve quality of life.

Leah Cameron

A Trawlwoolway woman, Leah Cameron founded Marrawah Law from her kitchen table and grew it into one of Australia’s largest Indigenous-owned law firms. In 2026, she continued bringing First Nations perspectives into heritage, business and national decision-making through her legal practice and board leadership.

The Creative

For exceptional original work across literature, filmmaking, theatre, visual art and screen production.

Liane Moriarty

Acclaimed Aaustralian author, Liane Moriarty entered a landmark new chapter in 2026 with Big Little Truths, her first sequel and a return to the world that became a global publishing and television phenomenon. The queen of domestic noir, with more than 25 million books sold, she remains one of Australia’s most commercially successful and internationally influential storytellers.

Selina Miles

Filmmaker Selina Miles, directed two of 2026’s most timely Australian documentaries: Silenced, examining how legal systems can punish women who speak about violence, and Poster Boy, exploring internet celebrity and the manosphere. Together, they cemented her reputation as a filmmaker unafraid to interrogate power, identity and culture.

Atong Atem

Atong Atem is an Ethiopian-born, South Sudanese artist and writer based in Naarm/Melbourne. Working primarily across photography and video, she is celebrated for her vivid, highly constructed portraits exploring identity, migration, family and the African diaspora. Drawing inspiration from African studio photography, Atem uses bold colour, pattern and self-portraiture to challenge colonial traditions of image-making and reclaim the power of cultural storytelling. Her work has been exhibited throughout Australia and internationally, while her acclaimed photobook Surat reimagines photographs from her family archive. In October 2026, the NGV opened Passage: The Art of Atong Atem, the world-premiere survey of her decade-long practice and her first major solo exhibition in Australia – affirming her place as one of the most compelling artists of her generation.

Heather Mitchell

Heather Mitchell is an acclaimed Australian actor who has never seemed busier, taking on prominent stage and screen roles in 2026. She reprised her award-winning tour-de-force performance as US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in the Sydney Theatre Company production of RBG: Of Many, One, with major seasons at Perth’s Heath Ledger Theatre, the Dunstan Playhouse at Adelaide Festival Centre and an exclusive Victorian run at Geelong Arts Centre. On screen, she ventured into producing for the first time, co-producing and starring in the Paramount+ series Dalliance, and appeared in Stan’s The Killings at Parrish Station and Paramount+’s Two Years Later. She was also nominated for a 2026 Logie Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Ella Evans in The Narrow Road to the Deep North.

The Advocate

For a woman who has used her voice, expertise, platform or lived experience to advance an important cause and create meaningful change.

Sherele Moody

Sherele Moody is the founder of Australian Femicide Watch and The RED HEART Movement. She has spent more than a decade tirelessly collecting the names and stories of women and children killed by violence in Australia, ensuring not only that their lives are not forgotten, but also providing a powerful document demanding change. In 2026, she expanded her public-interest reporting and practical support for women escaping abuse, including the creation of Stacey’s Sanctuary.

Dr Alison Thompson OAM

The Australian humanitarian and founder of Third Wave Volunteers continued delivering frontline medical and disaster assistance in 2026. Having mobilised more than 30,000 volunteers during her career, Thompson combines rapid emergency response with an unwavering commitment to communities in crisis.

Kat Dopper

The founder of Heaps Gay, Kat Dopper turned the threatened closure of Divine Playhouse, her new LGBTQIA+ arts venue, into a national campaign for queer culture and artistic freedom in 2026. She mobilised artists, lawyers, supporters and thousands of petitioners rather than allowing the space to disappear quietly.

Mindy Woods

The Bundjalung chef and educator continued expanding Karkalla On Country in 2026, connecting people with native ingredients, food, culture and Country. Her work champions Indigenous food sovereignty while creating economic opportunity and preserving knowledge through contemporary dining and storytelling.

The Champion

For exceptional sporting achievement, sporting leadership or a meaningful contribution to advancing women in sport.

Rose Davies

Long-distance runner, Rose Davies made Australian athletics history in 2026 by winning double gold at the Commonwealth Games taking out both 5000m and 10,000m titles. The record-breaking season established her as one of the country’s most exciting distance runners and a formidable competitor on the international stage.

Tara Neyland

Neyland continued her extraordinary rise in para-cycling in 2026, winning Commonwealth Games gold in the C4-C5 one-kilometre time trial and breaking her own world record. Her performances and candour about disability are reshaping perceptions of para sport.

Jakara Anthony

Winning a history-making dual moguls gold at the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics cemented Anthony’s status as a leading figure in Australian winter sport. After a stellar 2026 season where she started as the World number one, she remains the defining Australian force in freestyle skiing, combining technical precision with extraordinary consistency on the world stage.

Mary Fowler

Through her extraordinary talent and grounded outlook, Mary Fowler has become the poster girl, not only for the Matildas, but for women in sport. This year
she notched up 100 games for Manchester City, signed a record-breaking $10 million deal with Adidas, while inspiring the next-generation of young girls to embrace authenticity, trust their journey and find purpose beyond achievement.

The Designer

For an Australian woman whose vision, originality and influence have made a significant impact across fashion, jewellery, product or object design.

Sarah Gittoes

Sarah Gittoes continued evolving her cool-girl jewellery brand, Sarah & Sebastian, in 2026 through sculptural design, local craftsmanship and a strong commitment to ocean conservation. The jewellery house she co-founded with Robert Sebastian Grynkofki has become one of Australia’s most internationally recognisable design names.

Louise Olsen

As co-founder and Creative Director of iconic Dinosaur Designs, Louise Olsen has spent decades turning resin into instantly recognisable jewellery, objects and artforms. In 2026 the brand has expended its footprint with new store locations, new collections and new mediums beyond their signature resin. Her work in 2026, alongside co-founder and partner Stephen Ormandy, demonstrated the originality and staying power of an Australian design language sitting between art, fashion and sculpture.

Denni Francisco

Denni Francisco is a proud Wiradjuri woman, designer and the founder of Ngali, one of Australia’s leading First Nations fashion labels. Established in 2018, Ngali – which translates across several Aboriginal languages as ‘we’ or ‘us’ – is grounded in collaboration, cultural storytelling and a deep respect for Country. Francisco works closely with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists to translate their work into contemporary textiles and sophisticated, consciously produced collections. In 2023, she made history when Ngali became the first Indigenous Australian label to present a standalone runway show at Australian Fashion Week and in 2026 she continues reshaping the Australian fashion landscape while creating greater visibility and opportunity for First Nations creativity.

Kit Willow

Willow continued demonstrating how luxury fashion and environmental responsibility can coexist through KITX in 2026. Her work combines innovative materials, circular thinking and advocacy, positioning her as one of Australia’s most persistent voices for change within fashion.

Powerhouse

Recognising a formidable woman whose leadership, authority and influence are driving meaningful change across business, politics, public service, defence or the arts.

Lieutenant General Susan Coyle

Susan Coyle made history in 2026 as the first woman appointed Chief of the Australian Army and the first woman to lead a service of the Australian Defence Force. Her appointment capped a distinguished career spanning operational command, cyber, space and information warfare.

Simone Young

Simone Young made history as the first woman to serve as Chief Conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. In 2026, she celebrates 30 years of association with the Orchestra, while continuing to lead acclaimed ensembles on the international stage, building a legacy that will be hard to match.

Shemara Wikramanayake

In 2026, Shemara Wikramanayake led Macquarie to a reported $4.85 billion full-year profit before announcing her retirement as Managing Director and CEO in November. Her eight-year tenure cemented her legacy as a trailblazer for women in business and one of Australia’s most consequential corporate leaders.

Allegra Spender and Zali Steggall

As Independents MPs, Allegra Spender and Zali Steggall have become influential voices for climate action, political integrity and evidence-based reform. In 2026, they launched their own political party – Community Strong Australia – an alternate centrist political force designed to harness community-led voices and shake up Australia’s political landscape.

Anika Wells

For Anika Wells, children’s safety belongs at the heart of the debate about how social media operates. As Australia’s Communications Minister, she has taken on a difficult question: what should governments demand of platforms that wield enormous influence over young lives. Her answer has been to pursue stronger protections, including measures supporting Australia,s minimum age for social media use. Despite resistance from major technology companies, Wells has continued to press for greater responsibility from the businesses behind the screens. These reforms have made Australia a focal point for an international debate about childhood in the digital age. By challenging powerful companies and pushing for change, Wells is helping shape the online world the next generation will inherit.

Rising Star

For an emerging Australian woman whose talent, courage or leadership signals an exciting future in culture, advocacy, business, public life or sport.

Bianca Adler

Bianca Adler is a record-breaking Australian mountaineer who, at 18, became the youngest Australian to summit Mount Everest. The Melbourne teenager reached the top of the world’s highest mountain in May 2026, returning one year after extreme weather and signs of frostbite forced her to abandon her first attempt just 400 metres from the summit. Her decision to turn back – and determination to try again – demonstrated extraordinary courage, judgement and resilience. Adler was already an accomplished climber, having scaled Mont Blanc at 12 and Aconcagua at 14. At 16, she became the youngest woman in history to summit the 8,163-metre Mount Manaslu. Her remarkable achievements are inspiring a new generation, particularly young women, to pursue ambitious goals with courage, preparation and respect for their limits.

Chloe Wyatt-Jasper

The 17-year-old turned profound personal trauma into a campaign for better youth support. In 2026, her work through South Australia’s Teen Parliament helped secure $5 million in government funding for improved mental health services for young people, while her South Australian Young Australian of the Year recognition expanded her national platform.

Anisa Nandaula

Anisa Nandaula reached a major national audience in 2026 through ongoing appearances on Taskmaster Australia, Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Gen and her live show No Small Talk. Her fearless energy and sharp observations on race, identity and Australian culture make her one of the country’s most exciting new comic voices.

Georgie Purcell

Georgie Purcell is an Animal Justice Party MP in Victoria whose advocacy spans animal welfare, youth representation and the treatment of sexual assault survivors. Before entering Parliament, she worked in union campaigning and communications, and as chief of staff to Andy Meddick MP. She stood for election to bring more young voices into politics and turn her commitment to animal protection into legislative action. Her priorities include ending duck shooting and commercial kangaroo slaughter, scrutinising greyhound racing, supporting wildlife carers and making veterinary care more affordable.
Purcell has also pushed for a justice system that better protects victim-survivors. She wrote an open letter, supported by Brittany Higgins and other advocates, calling for changes to reduce courtroom trauma. The Victorian government subsequently committed to expanding access to pre-recorded testimony and strengthening protections for confidential records.