TJ Ryan Memorial Medal and Prize

​​​​Up to 15 TJ Ryan Memorial Medal and Prizes are awarded each year to support exemplary Queensland students to pursue tertiary studies.

State and non-state secondary schools can nominate 1 high achieving Year 12 student for this award. Nominees should demonstrate outstanding leadership in their school and community and academic excellence.

Award details

Each year, the Queensland Department of Education awards:

• up to 15 TJ Ryan Memorial Medallists
• a prize valued at $5,000
• a certificate of recognition
• up to 15 TJ Ryan Merit awards
• a certificate of merit.

How schools nominate their candidate

Each Queensland secondary school can submit only 1 nominee.

• Review the nomination guidelines provided
• Schools determine their 1 nominee
• Review the nomination process with the selected nominee to prepare a nomination

Student nominee submits the nomination.

• Gather all supporting documents (as listed in the document checklist provided on Smart Jobs).
• Visit Smart Jobs to nominate yourself for the prize.
• Click the green 'apply online' button at the bottom of that page to proceed—you may need to create an account.
• When logged in to the Smart Jobs account, complete the online questionnaire and upload all required supporting documents by the closing date.

History of the award

The TJ Ryan Memorial Medal represents a long-standing tradition of recognising educational achievement in Queensland. The award is a memorial to Thomas Joseph Ryan, former teacher, barrister and Queensland Premier (1915–1919), and is provided to students who demonstrate a strong commitment to high academic achievement and outstanding leadership in both their school and the local community.

From 1927 to 1970, the TJ Ryan Memorial Scholarship was awarded to the student who achieved the highest result in the state scholarship examination. The scholarship program ceased with the end of these public examinations.

In 1993, the TJ Ryan Awards were re-introduced by the Queensland Government. The award was open to students from disadvantaged backgrounds who demonstrated academic excellence and who displayed leadership qualities through their achievements in Year 12. From 1996, the awards were expanded to all students who demonstrate outstanding leadership qualities and academic excellence during their senior years at high school.

In 2003, the award was renamed the TJ Ryan Memorial Medal and Scholarships, and in 2024, renamed to the TJ Ryan Memorial Medal and Prize. The award has also been known as the Premier's Awards and the Lilley Medal.

What others say about the awards (2.59​mins).

Enquiries and further information

Nominations for the 2025 TJ Ryan Memorial Medal and Prize have now closed.

Subscribe​ to receive an email alert when nominations for the 2026 program opens in Term 4.

If you have any questions about this program, contact our Scholarships and Grants team by email at scholarships@qed.qld.gov.au or phone (07) 3055 2991.

2024 award recipients

Medallists

Merit