David Duchovny, Phoebe Tonkin & Philip Noyce To Present at 22nd Annual G’Day USA Arts Gala

The American Australian Association andG’Day USA are proud to announce the presenters and performers for its 22nd G’Day USA Arts Gala, set to take place on February 21, 2025, in Los Angeles. This annual event celebrates the remarkable collaborations, innovations, and talent shared between Australia and the United States.

As in previous years, the gala was announced to benefit the American Australian Association and its Art Fund. However, this year’s event will now direct all funds raised to support Los Angeles wildfire relief efforts, with all profits donated to the American Red Cross California Wildfires 2025 Fund.

AUSTRALIA CARES is a campaign by the American Australian Association and its G’Day partners to raise additional funds for the American Red Cross and show that Aussies are with LA. Past G’Day Honorees Naomi Watts, Laura Brown and Kid Laroi have joined the AUSTRALIA CARES campaign and are encouraging others to donate.

Presenting globally recognized actress Teresa Palmer with the Excellence in Film & Television Award will actress Phoebe Tonkin. Best known for her standout roles in The Vampire Diaries and The Originals, Tonkin received critical acclaim in 2024 for her leading performances in Boy Swallows Universeand Kid Snow, the latter for which she won the 2025 AACTA Award for Best Lead Actress in Film.

Celebrated Australian film and television director Phillip Noyce will present theExcellence in Film & Television Award to Indigenous filmmaker Warwick Thornton. Noyce has directed a prolific list of projects, including The Giver, Rabbit-Proof Fence, The Quiet American, The Bone Collector, and the Jack Ryan adaptations Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger. His body of work has garnered international acclaim, with Noyce having received an AFI Award for Best Direction for Dead Calm, a Golden Globe nomination for Best Director for The Quiet American, and a BAFTA nomination for Best Film for the same project. Noyce’s exceptional direction in The Quiet American also earned him a Palme d’Or nomination at the Cannes Film Festival, along with an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. In addition to numerous AACTA Awards for Best Film and Best Director, Noyce has received a special Longford Lyell lifetime achievement award from the Academy.

The third honoree is renowned, celebrated comedian, writer, composer, and lyricist Tim Minchin, who will receive the Excellence in the Arts Awardpresented by legendary actor David Duchovny, on whose show Californication Minchin guest starred. Duchovny’s career spans over three decades and includes enduring classics Twin Peaks, Californication, Zoolander, and his iconic work as Agent Fox Mulder in The X-Files.

Confirmed to perform at this year’s gala are Australian break-out artists Samantha Jade & Nathaniel and Betty Who, honoree Tim Minchin, and Darren Hayes of Savage Garden.

Darren Hayes, the iconic frontman of Savage Garden (“Truly Madly Deeply,” “I Want You”), has solidified his place as one of the most influential voices in pop music history with a career that has spanned over two decades, selling over 30 million albums globally. Hayes’ talent has been recognized with numerous accolades, including ARIA Awards, multiple American Music Award nominations, and a Grammy nomination.

Presenting sponsors of the event include Fox, News Corp, Qantas, Screen Australia, Stan and Tourism Australia.

For over two decades, the highly anticipated G’Day USA Arts Gala has honored prominent Australians from film, television, music, and the arts for their contributions to the US-Australia relationship.

For more information on the G’Day USA Arts Gala, please visit https://americanaustralian.org/events/2025-gday-usa-arts-gala/.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATION:

Established by Sir Keith Murdoch in New York City in 1948, the American Australian Association is the leading privately funded organization supporting American-Australian relations. The Association provides an important forum for collaboration and discourse among American and Australian political and business leaders. The Association has hosted meetings for American and Australian ambassadors and consul generals, Australian prime ministers and other federal and state ministers, US presidents, and other US federal and state government leaders. The Association regularly hosts impactful thought leadership events in diverse areas, including government matters, business, the arts, defense, and technology. Keystone events in the United States include the G’Day Arts Gala in Los Angeles, ANZAC Day in New York, Australia House at SXSW in Austin, Texas, and the American Australian Defense Dialogue in Washington, D.C. The Association also provides scholarships and exchanges for young American and Australian leaders to undertake transformational study, research, and professional and artistic development in each other’s country. The Association has awarded over $18 million to over 1,100 post-graduate, veteran, artistic and Indigenous scholars. For more information, visit www.americanaustralian.org or find us on Facebook: @americanaustralian, Instagram: @_aaausa, & LinkedIn @american-australian-association

ABOUT G’DAY USA

G’Day USA is Australia’s premier public, economic, and cultural diplomacy program in the United States. Now under the umbrella of the American Australian Association, with the support of the Australian government, it brings together leaders from government, business, the creative industries, and academia to deepen the Australia-US relationship and showcase Australia’s creative, innovative economy and society to the United States. Over the past 22 years, G’Day USA has grown into a year-long program of events with unparalleled reach and an outstanding record of delivering outcomes for partners and sponsors. Spanning innovation, public policy and defense cooperation, tourism, food and wine promotion, and collaboration across our screen, music, education, and sports sectors, G’Day USA cultivates and enhances the strong ties between our two countries. For further information about G’Day USA, visit https://americanaustralian.org/gday-usa.