Deadly Awards facts for kids

The Deadly Awards, often called just The Deadlys, were a special yearly event. They celebrated the amazing achievements of Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders in music, sports, entertainment, and helping their communities. These awards took place every year from 1995 to 2013.

What Were the Deadly Awards?

The Deadlys were a big annual party to honor the successes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. They recognized talent in many areas like music, sports, entertainment, and community work.

The word "deadly" is a cool, modern word used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It means "great" or "wonderful"!

How the Deadlys Started

The very first Deadly Awards happened in 1995. They were held at the Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-op in Redfern, a part of Sydney. The idea came from a radio show called Deadly Sounds, which started in 1993. Gavin Jones was a key person who helped make the awards happen.

Over the next few years, the awards moved to different places in Sydney, like The Metro Theatre and Home in Darling Harbour.

The Awards Grow Bigger

In 2001, The Deadlys found a special home at the Sydney Opera House. From there, the yearly awards show was broadcast on National Indigenous Television.

The Deadly Awards became more and more popular. They were seen as an important event for the community and for Australia. While the main event stayed at the Opera House, other smaller events were added in different states. The awards also grew beyond just music. They started to include achievements in sports, entertainment, arts, health, education, and training within the Indigenous Australian community. People could even nominate and vote for their favorite candidates!

The last Deadly Awards show was held in 2013.

Why the Deadlys Ended

In 2014, the way the government supported community programs changed. This meant that funding for the Deadly Awards was reduced, and no money was planned for future years.

Sadly, on July 12, 2014, Gavin Jones, who was very important to the awards, passed away. Soon after, on July 14, 2014, Vibe Australia announced that the 20th Deadly Awards, which was supposed to happen on September 30, 2014, would not take place. All other projects by Vibe Australia also ended.

Community Support

When people heard the news, there was a huge wave of support from the community to try and save the Deadly Awards. A petition on Change.org got over 26,000 signatures! A fundraising campaign on Kickstarter also raised A$6,699.

Even though the Deadlys ended, a new event called the National Dreamtime Awards was started in November 2017. These new awards now help to recognize the amazing achievements of Indigenous Australians.

See also

• List of television awards
• Indigenous Australian music