The 2026 Australia Day honours list features media industry figures with awards made under the Order of Australia.
Former long serving Fairfax Media general counsel Gail Hambly is appointed a Member of the Order of Australia.
And Julie Inman-Grant, the Australian eSafety Commissioner, has been awarded the Australian Public Service Medal (PSM).
"I joined the Australian Public Service nine years ago after 22 years in the tech industry," she said.
"Those are very different cultures. Technology has changed our lives immeasurably, but the dedication, values & impact of the APS are equally inspirational.
"eSafety is seeking to build a world where Australians can harness the benefits of tech, without suffering its devastating harms."
Among the media industry figures in the honours list:
Officer of the Order of Australia (AO)
Mark Charles Armstrong, NSW, for distinguished service to media and communications law, to the development of public policy and regulation, and as an academic.
Member of the Order of Australia (AM)
Gail Iris Hambly, NSW, for significant service to the media and communications sector, to the arts, and to the legal profession. She is the former group general counsel at Fairfax Media Limited and chair, Australian Associated Press.
Kim Elizabeth Anderson, NSW, for significant service to literature, and to the publishing industry. Former CEO and COO of Southern Star Entertainment, publisher, HarperCollins, and chief content, operations and digital officer, NineMSN.
Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM).
Zoe Nanuma Kean of Tasmania for service to science journalism. She is the author of Author, Why Are We Like This: An Evolutionary Search for Answers to Life's Big Questions, 2024.
Broadcaster Russell Henry Walkington, of Broadbeach Waters, for service to broadcast media.
Robert Bontschek for service to the Jewish community of Melbourne, and to the media. He is the founder of J-AIR Community Radio 88FM.
Coastwatch founder Kenneth Charles Brown, of Queenslander, for service to the media and to the community.
Omer Riza Incekara, of Castle Hill NSW, the managing director and owner of Xavier Advertising, for service to the Turkish community of Australia and to multiculturalism.
Brett Allen Murray, of the Gold Coast, the CEO of the BAM Media Group, was honoured for service to the media, and to motorsports. He is the team owner of PIRTEK Team Murray, 2016, member of Supercars championship-winning teams 2003,04,05 (Media Manager) and fundraiser, Motorsport Ministries, Sport Chaplaincy Australia, since 2019.
John Alex Elliott, Wilcannia NSW, was awarded the OAM for service to the community of Wilcannia. The former president of the Wilcannia Tigers Football Club and a player in the 1960s, is the founder and proprietor of Western Advertising.
The Australian Public Service Medal (PSM)
Julie Elizabeth INMAN GRANT for outstanding public service to the improvement of online safety for Australians.
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