Cr Anthony Tran was shortlisted for the 2022 McKinnon Emerging Political Leader of the Year for his commitment to advocating for mental health services for young people, with a particular focus on wellbeing support for young people from ethnically diverse backgrounds.

The Shortlisting Committee acknowledged Tran, one of the youngest Mayors to take office in Australia, as reflective of the next generation of young leaders that has a bright future ahead representing their local communities across Australia. The Shortlisting Committee commended Tran for his leadership during the management and recovery from the 2022 Maribyrnong River floods in his local government area. The Shortlisting Committee noted that Tran, along with other locally-elected Vietnamese Australians, contributes to a blueprint for other minority communities in Australia to assume leadership positions in politics, industry, and education to drive change – breaking through the ‘bamboo ceiling’.