THE 8TH ANNUAL MAXIM AWARDS AUSTRALIA/NZ
WOMAN OF THE YEAR
CELESTE BARBER
When the country was burning, and ScoMo was on holiday, it was comedian and Instagram sensation Celeste Barber who stepped up – helping to raise over $50 million for bushfire relief with support from her celebrity friends and small donors all over the world. While most Insta-famous leverage their followers for promotions and paid posts, CB rallied her millions of social media fans to donate. It’s been a monumental year for Barber professionally, too, launching a podcast, dropping her first book and embarking on a global comedy tour. Celeste Challenge succeeded!
RUNNER-UP 1 JACINDA ARDERN
New Zealand’s PM drew international praise for her compassionate response to the horrific Christchurch mosque shootings and White Island volcano disaster, and won us all over when she flew to Queensland for a week-long vacay to support the state even as bushfires continued to rage. Overall, Adern has fared a tough year with grace, thoughtfulness and a can-do attitude that has made her internationally admired by both younger and older progressives alike. Hey, ScoMo, you could take a leaf or two out of her book.
RUNNER-UP 2 TONI WATSON
Nothing captured the Boomer vs. Gen Z divide quite like Tones and I’s polarising performance at the 2019 AFL Grand Final. Wearing her trademark cap and oversized hoodie, Toni belted out her signature worldwide hit “Dance Monkey” as part of the pre-show, dividing twitter and drawing comparisons to Meat Loaf. Whether you love it or hate it, there’s no denying the overnight success story behind the 26-year-old star and annoyingly addictive hit, which took Watson from busking the streets of Byron Bay to the top of the ARIA, Billboard and U.K. charts to name a few.
MAN OF THE YEAR
NICK KYRGIOS
Once the reigning loose cannon of pro tennis, Nick has definitely redeemed himself recenty. At 24, he still doesn’t know how good he is (get a coach already, dude!) but his efforts so far at this year’s ATP Cup and Australian Open have been some of his best games in recent memory. He was also a driving force behind the Australian Open’s Rally For Relief charity match, which helped raise almost $5 million for bushfire relief. Plus, he donated $200 for each ace he served this summer, which was matched by burger chain Grill’d and tennis legend John McEnroe, raising an extra $90,000 for the relief. It’s hard to believe it was only last August that Nick was fined a record $113,000 for on court misconduct at the Cincinnati Masters. Whether you’re a fan of his or not, you have
