Country crooner Lee Kernaghan was named Australian of the Year in a ceremony in Canberra last night.
While Lee’s music has touched countless Australian, his tireless efforts to help drought-stricken families earned him the prestigious honour.
Over the past decade Lee has led Pass the Hat Around and Spirit of the Bush tours, raising more than a million dollars for rural communities in need.
“In all my dreams, I could never have imagined that I’d receive an award like this – it’s been a huge surprise and, without doubt, it’s the greatest honour I have ever been given in my entire life,” he said.
He plans to use his new status to highlight the plight of farming families battling the drought.
“What I’d like to do is look at ways that, individually and as a nation, we can assist those people – that we can support them and help them get back on their feet again,” he said.
“One way we can do that is to buy Australian made and Australian grown – we’re securing Australian jobs and we’re keeping Australia strong.”
The award couldn’t go to a nicer bloke. Well done Lee!