Travis Head has edged out fellow Ashes hero Alex Carey to claim a second consecutive Allan Border Medal, polling 153 votes to Carey's 152.
The award was presented at a function in Brisbane on Friday night, delayed by six months from its usual timing due to scheduling conflicts.
Top three finish close
Ashes Player of the Series Mitchell Starc finished third on 150 votes, despite having stepped away from one of the three international formats.
Starc, still a force in Tests and ODIs, ended his T20 international career last September in a bid to prolong his red-ball career. He also took home the Shane Warne Test player of the year award, while Mitchell Marsh was named ODI player of the year and Tim David was recognised as Australia's best T20 player.
Head joins elite company
Head becomes a multiple winner of the Allan Border Medal, joining Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, Shane Watson, Steve Smith and David Warner. The award was first handed out in 2000.
The 32-year-old made 30 appearances across all formats during the 2025/26 season, scoring 1437 runs. His standout performances included a blistering 123 from 83 balls in the opening Ashes Test in Perth and a memorable 170 in Adelaide alongside Carey.
Carey's career-best season
Carey enjoyed a career-best season, scoring 1079 runs in 24 games across formats, including a stunning century at the Adelaide Oval and 28 dismissals behind the stumps during the Ashes.
The ceremony was postponed from its traditional end-of-summer slot in Melbourne so players could attend. Last year, Head accepted the medal via video as the men's team was on tour in Sri Lanka.
In the women's awards, Annabel Sutherland won a second consecutive Belinda Clark Award and was also named women's ODI player of the year.
