A smartphone game designed to save an Aboriginal language with only a handful of speakers remaining has been awarded five international awards, alongside projects backed by corporate giants Google and Pepsi.

The Anthem Awards, recognising social impact projects, receive thousands of submissions from more than 40 countries each year.

The "Nyiyaparli Widi" smartphone game — developed by traditional owners in a remote area in Australia's north-west — won four silver and a bronze award.

The game was designed by traditional owners to teach Nyiyaparli kids to learn the language, which was once widely spoken throughout a 40,000 square kilometre stretch of bushland in the Pilbara.

Now, the community is 400 people-strong with just eight people speaking the language fluently.

Senior Nyiyaparli

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