Inspiring refugee advocates: Meet past winners of the Les Murray Award

Nominations are open until the end of February for the fourth Les Murray Award for Refugee Recognition, presented by SBS and Australia for UNHCR.

The award is named in honour of the beloved sports broadcaster Les Murray AM, who hosted The World Game on SBS and was himself a young refugee who arrived in Australia in 1956 from Hungary.

Since 2022, the Les Murray Award has celebrated people from refugee backgrounds who are promoting positive awareness of refugees in the community.

NOMINATE NOW

Meet the inspiring winners of the Les Murray Award:

Danijel Malbasa

Danijel Malbasa was the inaugural winner of the Les Murray Award for Refugee Recognition in 2022. Danijel is an advocate, writer and lawyer who is also a former refugee from Croatia.

Danijel spent five years in a makeshift camp on the outskirts of Kosovo where he helped care for his mother and three siblings after his father was killed by a landmine.

“It was a large sewing factory,” says Danijel. “They removed the sewing machines and put down mattresses on the floor. We lived there with 800 people sharing one bathroom. It was a really difficult situation.”

In 1999, Danijel’s family was granted a humanitarian visa to Australia. At the age of 12, he arrived traumatised, malnourished and unable to speak English.

“UNHCR saved our lives. They gave us the opportunity to find asylum through the UNHCR system and the Refugee Convention, and the opportunity to come to Adelaide.”

Today, Danijel uses his platform to educate Australians about the challenges refugees face. His writing has appeared in news outlets like the Guardian and The Age, and three books including New Humans of Australia.

Danijel recently took on a new role as a Senior Advisor to the Victorian Treasurer. Previously, he had worked for a decade as a senior lawyer for a major trade union. Danijel also sits on the Federal Government's Refugee Advisory Panel.

“For a long time, I didn’t want to be labelled as a refugee,” says Danijel. “I felt that way because of the perception people have of refugees. They’re seen as a burden. I want to change that. Refugees contribute so much more than we cost. Our stories, our lives, shouldn’t be controversial. We need to hear the stories of success.”

Anyier Yuol

In 2023, former South Sudanese refugee and football player Anyier Yuol received the Les Murray Award for Refugee Recognition, honouring her achievements in sport, women’s empowerment, and refugee advocacy.

“Les Murray is an icon. It’s such an honour to be able to receive this award because he was a refugee advocate and a passionate football fan who understood how sport plays an important part in refugee communities.”

Born in a UNHCR camp in Kenya, Anyier lost both her parents at a young age. She and her older sister were raised by their aunt before resettling in Australia on humanitarian visas at the age of 10, along with their father’s family.

Adjusting to a new country was challenging, and Anyier initially struggled to find her place. But sport became a powerful way to connect with others.

“I didn’t need to know English. I just needed to know left, right, forward and back,” says Anyier. “From there, I fell in love with football and began to explore how sport could engage young people, beyond just winning on a playing field.”

Anyier became involved with Football United, an organisation that brings together young people from diverse backgrounds through sport.

Beyond the pitch, she also made her mark in the fashion industry. After competing in beauty pageants, she started her own modelling agency to create professional opportunities for underrepresented groups.

Anyier is a passionate advocate for refugees. At 25, Anyier served as Chair of the Australian National Committee on Refugee Women, consulting with hundreds of women from different backgrounds to inform national policy and advocate internationally.

“There are so many conflicts, so many vulnerable people displaced,” she says. “You can’t be neutral when it comes to human rights. If you have the privilege and the voice, use it.”

Hedayat Osyan

Hedayat Osyan, founder of a social enterprise that employs refugees in the construction industry, won the 2024 Les Murray Award for Refugee Recognition.

Originally from Afghanistan, Hedayat’s life changed when his father, a high school teacher, was arrested by the Taliban in 2006 and never seen again. In 2009, when the Taliban attacked his village, his mother urged him to flee. At just 17, he said goodbye to her and his two younger siblings before making a perilous journey to Australia by boat. He was detained on Christmas Island for three months before receiving residency in 2010 and settling in Sydney.

Determined to build a future, Hedayat studied English before completing Years 11 and 12.

“My father believed that we can change the world through education. I followed his advice. I went to Canberra to study politics and international relations,” says Hedayat. “Six years before, I’d been in a country that didn’t give me a chance to go to high school, let alone university.”

In his spare time, Hedayat worked part-time with migrant and refugee organisations, where he witnessed the challenges refugees faced in finding employment. Determined to make a difference, he founded CommUnity Construction in 2017 to create job opportunities and pathways for people forced to flee.

Since then, he has trained 90 refugees from various backgrounds, with 60 now employed in the construction industry and four having started their own businesses.

“Social enterprises like mine make a huge contribution to society,” says Hedayat. “We help refugees thrive and become independent. We want to prove refugees are resilient, hard workers and bring new skills to society if you give them opportunity.”

Nominations for the 2025 Les Murray Award close on Friday, 28 February.

NOMINATE NOW