A man of Palawa and Portuguese heritage, Jony Berry was the first Aboriginal person to represent Australia at the Mr World competition, using his platform as a model and performer to advocate for causes close to his heart.
Having experienced traumas including homelessness, domestic violence and child sexual assault himself, Jony regularly speaks out about preventing youth suicide within Aboriginal communities. He’s a founding member and youth mentor of the Ballawinnie Tasmanian Aboriginal community and co- founded the B.Excellence Program to provide cultural support and mentoring to high-risk Indigenous youth.
Jony also advocates for Aboriginal flag rights. When representing Australia at the Mr World competition he wanted to wear a large robe bearing the flag but organisers asked him to remove it for copyright reasons. The controversy reinforced his ‘Free the Flag’ message and made international news.
With his large social media following, Jony also uses his local and overseas profile to raise awareness of issues affecting young LGBTQ+ people.