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McKinnon Political Leader of the Year Awards
Together with McKinnon CEO, Mike Baird, and MC Jacqueline Maley, join us as we recognise the outstanding leaders shortlisted for the prize – and celebrate the winners as they are announced at the event.
A partnership between
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about the prize
The McKinnon Prize in Political Leadership is a collaboration between McKinnon and the University of Melbourne and is Australia's only independent, non-partisan award for outstanding political leadership.
Established in 2017, this prestigious award celebrates political leaders who demonstrate exceptional vision, collaboration, courage, and ethical behaviour. By highlighting outstanding leadership examples, the Prize helps counter public cynicism, inspires emerging leaders, and shapes the national conversation about leadership quality in politics.
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The McKinnon Prize recognises outstanding Australian political leaders in three categories:
Keynote speakers
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Alastair Campbell
Alastair Campbell is a keynote speaker, a writer, a communicator and a strategist. Alastair is best known for his role as Tony Blair’s communications guru. He now splits his time between writing, speaking at conferences, charitable fundraising and politics.
After a career in journalism, Alastair became Tony Blair’s press secretary in 1994. He played a key role helping to create New Labour and return it to power. After the 1997 election he became Blair’s Chief Press Secretary and Official Spokesman, co-ordinating Government communications and briefing the press twice daily. After the second election victory, he became Director of Communications & Strategy. He resigned in September 2003. During his time in Downing Street, Alastair was involved in all the major policy issues and international crises. He has said that, in ten years in the media and another ten in politics, he saw his respect for the media fall and his respect for politics rise.
He co-hosts popular podcast The Rest is Politics with Rory Stewart, and together they lift the lid on the secrets of Westminster, as two men who have been at the heart of the political world.
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Rory Stewart
Rory Stewart is a diplomat, author, explorer, academic, and politician – serving in successive Conservative governments as Minister for Environment, Minister of State for International Development, Minister of State for Africa, Minister of State for Prisons and Secretary of State for International Development. Rory is the Brady Johnson Professor of Grand Strategy at Yale University’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs, where he teaches politics and international relations.
He is the Co-Host of hugely successful podcast, The Rest is Politics, alongside Alastair Campbell – in which they speak from across the political divide, ‘disagreeing agreeably’ over big-hitting subjects and lifting the lid on the secrets of Westminster.
Rory has been described by the New York Times as “living one of the most remarkable lives on record.” Named by Esquire magazine as “one of the 100 most influential people of the 21st century”, Rory was the first man to walk across Afghanistan after the US-UK invasion, and served as Deputy Governor of two Iraqi provinces at the age of 29. An award-winning writer and documentary maker, he has advised the US President and British Prime Minister on their Afghanistan and Middle East policy. He is proficient in 11 languages.
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