WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was recognised by fellow Australians Sunday for his resolve in letting the world know how governments work, specifically that of the United States.

The annual Walkley Awards cited WikiLeaks for standing up against intense pressures from powerful governments, including Australia's, in order to fulfill its goal of exposing what actually happens behind the headlines.

According to Agence France Presse, Walkley determines its winners through the expert views of seasoned journalists and photographers.

Assange's WikiLeaks inevitably dominated the field, the award-giving body said, as cables revealed by the whistle-blowing Web site rattled governments around the world.

Efforts to discredit Assange and make life difficult for him also immediately emerged following volumes of U.S. cables posted by site, which embarrassed the U.S. State Department.

Rape cases were filed against the anti-secrecy crusader in Sweden and he now awaits the outcome of his extradition hearing in London.

In handing down the rare recognition of Assange's contentious works, the Walkley trustees praised WikiLeaks for its cutting-edge technology that divulged "the inner workings of government to reveal an avalanche of inconvenient truths in a global publishing coup."

"Its revelations, from the way the war on terror was being waged, to diplomatic bastardry, high-level horse-trading and the interference in the domestic affairs of nations, have had an undeniable impact," declared the Walkley Awards as reported by AFP.

Obviously buoyed by the recognition, Assange characterized the award as a fitting victory for Australia.

"Australian journalists are courageous, the Australian population is supportive, but Julia Gillard is a cowardly Australian prime minister," Assange said though a pre-recorded video. He asserted that Gillard failed in protecting an Australian citizen like him, bowing to pressures applied by Washington on Canberra.

"As Australians we shall not despair, as long as we can speak out, as long as we can publish, and as long as the Internet remains free, we will continue to fight back, armed with the truth," he said.