Congratulations to winner Tyler Joseph Petersen-Dix

Huge congratulations to Tyler Joseph Petersen-Dix, who has been named SA Young Achiever of the Year at the 7NEWS South Australia Young Achiever Awards, selected from the ten category winners — an exceptional honour that capped off an inspiring evening of celebration.

More than 400 guests gathered at the Hilton Adelaide on Saturday 14 June to honour the state’s most inspiring young leaders.

The Department of Human Services (DHS) is a proud sponsor of the Pride Award and the Aboriginal Achievement Award categories.

DHS Aboriginal Achievement Award winner

As well as being named overall award winner, Tyler was awarded the DHS Aboriginal Achievement Award in recognition of his outstanding leadership and innovation.

A proud Dieri man and visionary entrepreneur, Tyler is the co-founder of Malu Finance and a loan manager at Prime Finance, where he advocates for greater access to finance for First Nations-led ventures. He also leads Social Lane, a digital and brand agency supporting businesses nationwide.

Tyler’s impact extends across sport and media, through his involvement in Packapunch Boxing, Prime Racing, MMA, and Surf Esports — producing events with over 100 million views.

DHS Pride Award Winner

Jace Reh was named the winner of the DHS Pride Award, selected from a strong field of nominees.

A proud trans and chronically ill Gamilaroi leader, Jace provides vital one-on-one support to queer individuals navigating complex systems. They serve on the boards of both the Drop-In Care Space and the SA Rainbow Advocacy Alliance, championing community events, intersectional inclusion, and policy advocacy.

Jace also co-created the Discovering Disability Justice presentation with their partner, a platform that amplifies the voices of queer, disabled people of colour.

All 2025 Category Winners

DHS congratulates all the category winners for their outstanding contributions:

• Tyler Joseph Petersen-Dix – Department of Human Services Aboriginal Achievement Award
• Jace Reh – Department of Human Services Pride Award
• Antony Abbracciavento – Awards Australia Foundation Connecting Communities Award
• Charlie Wilkins – Carclew Creative Achievement Award
• Jing Kai Germin Chan – Konica Minolta Career Achievement Award
• Bethany Jones – South Australian Skills Commission Outstanding Apprentice Award
• Rachel Pearce – Sweat Female Tech Entrepreneur Award
• Jacqueline Paige Barsby – The University of Adelaide STEM Award
• Erin Skinner – University Senior College Create Change Award
• Elaine Mariñas – Websters Lawyers Achievement in Law Award

Learn more about all the SA winners.

About the awards

Established in 1988, the Young Achiever Awards acknowledge, encourage and promote the positive achievements of young people in South Australia aged 30 and under.