Tony Award winner Geoffrey Rush has been named the Australian Of The Year for his services to the arts, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

According to the site, the citation, which was presented to Rush by Prime Minister Julia Gillard, said that "as an internationally acclaimed and recognized actor, Geoffrey remains extraordinarily grounded in his local community, his country and the Australian arts industry."

Rush won the Tony Award for Exit the King and his other stage credits include The Drowsy Chaperone and Diary of a Madman.

He earned the Academy Award for Shine and received Oscar nominations for The King's Speech, Quills, and Shakespeare in Love. He won the Emmy Award for The Life and Death of Peter Sellers.