'Terribly sorry': winner's trophy taken then returned in Aus of the Year drama

At a prestigious ceremony on Friday, ABC Radio Adelaide presenters Sonia Feldhoff and Jules Schiller announced volunteer and citizen scientist Malcolm 'Mac' Benoy had won 2026 Senior Australian of the Year for South Australia.

Shortly after accepting his award, Mr Benoy, 78, was stopped from giving his acceptance speech, as Mr Schiller told the crowd the "judges were conferring".

"Just hold that thought a minute. There's been a controversy," Ms Feldhoff said.

"Is this like the Oscars?" Mr Schiller asked, recalling the agonising 2017 Oscars moment, when the award for Best Picture was mistakenly handed to the creators of La La Land, instead of the actual winners, Moonlight.

Shortly after, the hosts explained the "wrong winner was in the envelope".

They went on to announce sound designer James Currie had won.

But the drama wasn't over, with the hosts again returning to clarify the award was still not with its rightful owner.

"Apparently it's our notes that are incorrect. Let's scrub the last five minutes. Let's start all over again," Ms Feldhoff said.

Mr Benoy was then announced 2026 Senior Australian of the Year for South Australia for the second time.

Read more on The Senior:

National Australia Day Council chief executive Mark Fraser then took to the stage, apologising for the confusion.

"That is just miscommunication," Mr Fraser said. "We had it right all the way along. I don't know what has transpired behind the scenes - but it's incorrect information.

"The trophy is correct, the press release is correct. It is Malcolm Benoy. I'm terribly sorry for the embarrassment."

A volunteer citizen scientist, Mr Benoy was awarded for his significant contribution to researchers of contemporary climate science.

He has spent two decades working with the Bureau of Meteorology in South Australia, where he founded a volunteer group which has worked to preserve the state's historical meteorological data.

Together, they have catalogued and digitised more than 90,000 weather documents and synoptic charts, which now serve as a valuable research asset for contemporary climate scientists.

"International climate change and meteorological researchers have used the group's records to reconstruct historical weather patterns in the southern hemisphere, helping to better understand how the global climate is changing," a spokesperson for Australian of the Year said.

Astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg was awarded 2026 Australian of the Year for South Australia, after making history as the first Australian qualified as an astronaut under the Australian training program.

Mental health advocate Chloe Wyatt-Jasper was named 2026 Young Australian of the Year for South Australia. She has her experience of domestic violence and family tragedy to help others facing difficult circumstances, and their own mental health issues.

Community and migrant advocate Ayesha Fariha Safdar was awarded 2026 Local Hero for South Australia, for her work founding and running the Adelaide Pakistani Women's Association, which helps migrant women navigate their new lives in Australia.