The Australian of the Year Awards are the pinnacle achievement for an Aussie hero, recognising people that go above and beyond to contribute to a good cause, their local community and our country.

Looking at this year’s nominees for Australian of the Year – across all categories – it’s been clear that if there’s one thing that inspires someone to give back; they want to help others – they look out for their mates.

So Commonwealth Bank, who has sponsored the Australian of the Year awards for 37 years, partnered with Facebook to look at how Aussie mateship has changed throughout the years.

While the term ‘mateship’ has started to dwindle in use, the values that drive Aussie mateship are stronger than ever.

Natalie Tran, 2015 Young Australian of the Year Finalist, believes mateship is “about coming together for a common good regardless of gender, race or beliefs”.

“Mateship has never been more relevant, it has no boundaries,” Ms Tran said in the Commonwealth Bank’s ‘Power of Modern M8ship campaign’.

An analysis of the word ‘mate’ by Facebook found that while the use of the word by younger users has declined, other terms based in friendship are still going strong.

“Many millennials think the concept of mateship is outdated, but when you look at their circle of friends and their interactions on social media, they’re actually the champions of modern mateship,” Commonwealth Bank General Manager Brand and Marketing Services, Stuart Tucker, said.

“Modern mateship is less about old Australian stereotypes, and more about building a community – which is what Australians are doing now online.”

Paul McCrory, Head of Financial Services, Facebook Australia and New Zealand said: “We worked closely with Commonwealth Bank to uncover what young people today think about mateship. With new technologies and platforms to communicate through, mateship is also manifesting itself in new ways.

“Although, from the interactions we see on Facebook, people are still there for their mates just as much as they have been in the past. More so, given they have the power to share, be more open, and connected,” Mr McCrory said.

The Commonwealth Bank congratulates all of the remarkable Australians nominated for the 2017 Australian of the Year Awards.

Visit 9news.com.au on January 25 for our coverage of the Australian of the Year ceremony, brought to you by Commonwealth Bank.