The 2020 Australian of the Year is Adelaide eye surgeon Dr James Muecke, who has been recognised for his work in helping to prevent blindness.
Dr Muecke began his medical career in Kenya, but has most recently turned his focus to type 2 diabetes - the leading cause of blindness in adults.
He plans to use his national platform to challenge Australians' perception of sugar and the impact it has on the development of type 2 diabetes.
The 56-year-old says with 80 per cent of blindness cases avoidable in the world, he sees the issue as one about human rights.
Dr Muecke founded Sight For All, an organisation dedicated to fighting all causes of blindness with projects in Aboriginal and mainstream Australian communities, Asia and Africa.
In the other news, Tennis World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty has credited her parents for her success as she is named the 2020 Young Australian of the Year.
Ashleigh Barty has netted a national prize as she battles to become Australia's first Open singles champion since 1978.
The 23-year-old tennis sensation from Ipswich in Queensland has been named 2020 Young Australian of the Year.
Barty has been inspirational as she climbed the ranks to become the world's number one women's singles player, as well as serving as the National Indigenous Tennis Ambassador for Tennis Australia.
Due to her Melbourne Park campaign, Barty was unavailable to be in Canberra for the awards ceremony on Saturday, but instead 2002 Australian of the Year Pat Rafter presented it to her in an interview room at the Open.
