Hollywood actor, and one-time Grease star, John Travolta was also in attendance.

Each year the G'Day USA event, part of a larger trade mission promoting Australian innovation and industry to the world's largest economy, honours several Australians of distinction.

Hemsworth was the recipient of the Excellence in Film award, recognising a body of work which includes roles in The Hunger Games, Empire State and Independence Day: Resurgence.

The 29-year-old Melbourne-born actor attended the gala with his wife, singer Miley Cyrus.

Hemsworth's award was presented by actor Vince Vaughn.

Game of Thrones production designer Deborah Riley received the Outstanding Achievement in Film and Television award at the gala.

The 45-year-old Brisbane-born production designer's work on the critically acclaimed HBO fantasy drama has already earned her four Emmy awards and an award from the Art Directors Guild.

Riley's other credits include The Matrix, Moulin Rouge and 21 Grams.

Riley thanked the people who have "shaped me, and made me the person I am today,"

Riley also singled out Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin as central figures in her career, "and for the teams of people they have inspired working for them."

But the night's biggest award, the Lifetime Achievement award, was presented to legendary singer Helen Reddy.

The award was accepted by Reddy's daughter, Traci Wald Donat.

The Melbourne-born singer won a ticket to New York on the 1966 music television series Bandstand before launching a long and successful international career.

Reddy had three chart-topping songs reach #1 on the Billboard rankings in the US, but the most famous of them is the feminist anthem I Am Woman.

The success of I Am Woman made Reddy the first Australian artist to top the US charts.

Reddy's other hits include Leave Me Along, Angie Baby and You and Me Against the World.

In 1973, Reddy won a Grammy award for best female pop vocal performance for I Am Woman, beating nominees Roberta Flack, Aretha Franklin, Carly Simon and Barbra Streisand.

In her Grammy acceptance speech, Reddy famously thanked God "because she makes everything possible".

Reddy is also the subject of an upcoming biopic titled I Am Woman, directed by Los Angeles-based Australian producer/director Unjoo Moon.

The 77-year-old singing legend will be played by Tilda Cobham-Hervey in the film.

Reddy attended the gala but the award was accepted by her daughter, Traci Wald Donat.

The Australian and American national anthems were performed at the gala by Australian singer Anja Nissen and American singer Nayanna Holley.

The black-tie gala is the colourful side of a more serious government enterprise, the G'Day USA trade mission, which stages a number of events across the US under the banner of "economic diplomacy".

That mission, first staged in 2004, promotes Australian food and wine, fashion, film and the arts, defence industry and technological innovation.

Other events are staged by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade across the US, in San Francisco, Austin and New York.

This year includes US-Australia "dialogue" conferences addressing topics such as cyber security and co-operation in the Indo-Pacific region.

A space industry conference is also planned for April, to be held alongside the 34th Space Symposium in Colorado, which will feature representatives from US and Australian space agencies.

The G'Day USA event is managed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade with Tourism Australia.

It is sponsored by a number of organisations including Australia Unlimited, Qantas, the United States Studies Centre at The University of Sydney and the American Australian Association.