Matty J Has Just Received the Biggest Honour of His Life — But It Was His Daughter’s Reaction That Moved Him Most
For Matty “J” Johnson, being named Australian Father of the Year was an honour he never quite expected to receive — and one he is still getting used to.
The former Bachelor star, television personality and Two Doting Dads podcast host was recognised at the 2026 Australian Fathering Awards at Admiralty House in Sydney, celebrating fathers and father figures making a meaningful difference in the lives of children.
But while the award officially places his name among Australia’s celebrated dads, Matty J has been refreshingly reluctant to see it as proof that he has somehow mastered fatherhood.
If anything, he seems slightly embarrassed by the attention.
And then there is the way his eldest daughter sees it.
For seven-year-old Marlie-Mae, there is no awkwardness at all.
Her dad, she has decided, may well be the best dad in the universe.
“It feels a bit strange”
Speaking on Weekend Today after receiving the award, Matty J admitted the honour had not quite sunk in.
“It is still settling in, it feels a bit strange,” he said.
He described the experience of being celebrated specifically for being a dad as feeling “very self-indulgent” — a strikingly humble reaction to an award intended to recognise the everyday work of fatherhood.
“It’s one that hasn’t really sunk in yet,” he added.
The ceremony was held at Admiralty House and hosted by Governor-General Sam Mostyn, with the Australian Fathering Awards recognising the contribution fathers and father figures make to children, families and communities.
For Matty J, however, the most meaningful part of fatherhood has never been a title.
It is the ordinary moments.
His daughter has already decided what the award means
While Matty J was still trying to make sense of his new title, Marlie-Mae had no such hesitation.
According to her dad, she has already been telling her schoolmates that he had “pretty much” won the title of best dad in the universe.
It is an innocent comment, but perhaps one that captures the spirit of the award better than any formal speech could.
Marlie-Mae was also curious about exactly how her father had managed to win.
Did he have to race the other dads?
Matty explained that part of his submission included footage of him giving his daughters “horsey rides” — the sort of simple, everyday interaction that would mean very little on paper but everything to a young child.
And that is precisely the point.
The Fathering Project describes Matty J’s approach to fatherhood as being about showing up — being present, playful, affectionate and engaged in his daughters’ world.
Life with three daughters has changed him
Matty J shares three daughters — Marlie-Mae, Lola and Poppy — with wife Laura Byrne.
Their youngest, Poppy, arrived last year, and the family has since been navigating the very different demands of raising three children.
Matty has described life with three young daughters as a “massive juggling act”, balancing work, family commitments and the needs of children at very different stages.
But the demands of fatherhood have also changed the way he sees himself.
Raised by a single mother in a large family, Matty has previously credited his mum with shaping many of the values he now brings to his own family.
The Fathering Project says her openness, resilience and non-judgemental approach helped influence the kind of emotional environment he wants to create for his own daughters.
It is a legacy he appears determined to pass on.
The conversation goes well beyond his own family
Matty J has increasingly used his public profile to talk about the realities of modern fatherhood through Two Doting Dads, the podcast he co-hosts with Ash Wicks.
Since launching in 2023, the podcast has tackled subjects including men’s mental health, parenting, postnatal depression, miscarriage and body image — often with a mix of humour and unusually candid conversations.
That work has become an important part of why his recognition extends beyond simply being a well-known father.
After accepting the award, Matty spoke about wanting to help reshape attitudes towards masculinity and fatherhood in Australia.
“More than anything I want to reframe what fatherhood and Australian masculinity looks like,” he told The Australian Women’s Weekly.
He argued that the old image of the emotionally distant father is changing, and that vulnerability and emotion should not be seen as weaknesses.
“The true strength of a father is in being able to show vulnerability and emotion, not hiding it,” he said.
Not perfection — just being there
That idea sits at the heart of Matty J’s recognition.
The Fathering Project says his fatherhood is not about getting everything right. It is about being there through the school runs, the silly games, the difficult conversations, the bedtime routines and all the small moments in between.
“When you do have those little moments of connection, and your kids do open up to you, it’s nice to know you’re on the right track,” Matty has said.
It is a particularly fitting message from someone who admits he still does not feel entirely comfortable being called Father of the Year.
Because the award was never really about perfection.
It was about presence.
And perhaps the simplest measure of that came not from the ceremony at Admiralty House, but from a seven-year-old girl telling her classmates that her dad might just be the best dad in the universe.
His Father’s Day wish is surprisingly simple
After all the attention surrounding his new title, Matty J has no elaborate plans for celebrating Father’s Day.
His idea of luxury is considerably simpler.
A little time alone.
He joked that he might head to Icebergs without the children — a small slice of peace and quiet after the beautiful chaos of life with three daughters.
For a man who has just been named Australia’s Father of the Year, it may be the most relatable Father’s Day wish of all.
And perhaps that is what makes Matty J’s story resonate.
The award may have given him a title.
But to his daughters, he was already Dad — and that was always the title that mattered most.