Melbourne honours its brightest changemakers at 2025 Melbourne Awards

Melbourne celebrated the people and organisations shaping the city’s future at the 2025 Melbourne Awards on November 15, recognising outstanding contributions across leadership, creativity, community impact and innovation.

The city’s highest civic honour, Melburnian of the Year, was awarded to pioneering business leader and MECCA co-founder Jo Horgan.

What began as a single South Yarra store has grown under her leadership into a trans-Tasman beauty empire of more than 100 stores, turning over more than half a billion dollars annually.

Beyond business success, Ms Horgan was recognised for her longstanding commitment to equality and opportunity for women and girls through MECCA’s M-POWER and M-PACT programs, which support education, employment pathways and gender equity initiatives.

Lord Mayor Nick Reece described her as “a true representation of Melbourne grit and determination – growing a beloved beauty empire from scratch on our home turf”.

Dr Belle Lim was named Young Melburnian of the Year for her contribution to diversity, equity and inclusion, particularly for international students and women in STEM.

A cancer genetics researcher and founder of leadership organisation Future Forte, she has built programs supporting more than 2500 participants from more than 50 countries.

As national president of the Council of International Students Australia during 2020–21, she led advocacy that benefited more than half a million students.

This year’s awards, held at Melbourne Town Hall, highlighted excellence across eight categories that reflect the city’s cultural, social and economic breadth. Tourism and Events portfolio lead Cr Mark Scott said the finalists “represent the spirit of Melbourne – inclusive, creative, innovative, and deeply community-minded”.

The Aboriginal Melbourne – ganbu guljin award went to the Birrarangga Film Festival, celebrating First Nations storytelling through cinema.

The Access and Inclusion category recognised the Melbourne Youth Orchestras’ Adaptive Music Bridging Program, which expands pathways for young musicians of all abilities.

Arts and Events was awarded to Arts Centre Melbourne for Asia TOPA 2025, a flagship festival of Asia–Pacific collaboration.

In City Design, the Melbourne Place Hotel by Kennedy Nolan was honoured for transforming a heritage site into a renewed contemporary destination.

The Community award went to the River Nile School, which empowers young women—particularly those from refugee and migrant backgrounds—through education.

The Knowledge and Innovation award recognised Acusensus, an Australian company using AI technology to improve road safety.

The LGBTIQA+ category honoured Thorne Harbour Health’s Mpox Response, a critical community-led health initiative.

The Sustainability award went to Trades Hall’s Carbon Footprint Reduction Project, which is pioneering environmental upgrades within one of the city’s most historic precincts.

Lord Mayor Nick Reece said the awards continued to shine a light on “the incredible Melburnians who push the envelope and go above and beyond to make our city the best and fairest it can be”.

Full profiles of winners and finalists are available at melbourne.vic.gov.au/melbourneawards.