More than 450 guests gathered at Paddington Town Hall in Sydney to celebrate the people and organisations making a lasting difference for LGBTQIA+ communities and people living with HIV. At ACON's 2026 Honour Awards, 35 finalists and recipients were recognised for their service, leadership and achievements, with performances and a welcome reminder that community work deserves to be seen.

Essential takeaways

  • A strong turnout: More than 450 people attended the ceremony at Paddington Town Hall on 8 October.
  • Thirty-five people and groups recognised: The awards highlighted service, leadership and achievements across NSW's rainbow communities.
  • A lively evening: Reuben Kaye hosted, with performances by Casey Donovan and Samantha Jade.
  • Community work took centre stage: Recipients included Dykes on Bikes Sydney, the Gender Centre and HIV/AIDS Legal Centre.

A packed room for the people who keep showing up

More than 450 guests came together at Paddington Town Hall for ACON's 2026 Honour Awards, celebrating the often-unseen work that strengthens LGBTQIA+ communities across NSW. The evening recognised 35 finalists and recipients whose leadership and service have helped make lasting change. [2], [4]

Hosted by Reuben Kaye, the ceremony also featured performances from Casey Donovan and Samantha Jade. The mix of celebration and recognition gave the event a warm, communal feel: a chance not only to applaud achievements, but to acknowledge the steady work behind them. [2], [4]

The awards recognise more than headline moments

ACON has presented the Honour Awards since 2007, making them a longstanding celebration of excellence and service within NSW's LGBTQIA+ communities. This year's honours spanned community leadership, volunteering, the arts, health and wellbeing, business, and work supporting people living with HIV. [2], [3]

That breadth matters. Community life isn't built by one kind of contribution, and the award categories reflected everything from public-facing creative work to practical support and advocacy. As ACON CEO Michael Woodhouse noted at the event, connection and strong communities are closely linked to wellbeing. [2], [4]

Who took home the 2026 honours?

Dykes on Bikes Sydney received the ACON President's Award, while Katie Green was named Community Hero and William Weller Volunteer Hero. Other recipients included Kat Dopper for Arts, Entertainment and Media, the HIV/AIDS Legal Centre as HIV Hero, and Todd Fuller, who received the Cayte Latta Memorial Award for Visual Arts. [2], [4], [6], [7]

The Gender Centre was recognised as Community Organisation, Barbi Ghanoush as Young Achiever, and Paula Corvalan for Health and Wellbeing. PlanetDwellers and Bernie's Bar shared the Business award, a reminder that support for community can come from organisations as well as individuals. [2], [4], [6]

Why local recognition carries real weight

Awards aren't a substitute for services, funding or policy change, but they can help bring valuable work into view. ACON highlighted ongoing challenges including support for regional pride organisations, access to gender-affirming care and effective responses to suicide in LGBTQIA+ communities. [2], [3]

That makes recognition more than a feel-good flourish. It can help people discover the groups doing important work, and remind supporters that community care is built through many kinds of effort, including the quiet, persistent work that rarely makes headlines. [2], [5]

A celebration rooted in community

The awards were supported by community partners including Sydney Mardi Gras, Equality Australia, Pride Business Association, Rainbow Giving Australia, Twenty10 and Positive Life NSW. Event partners and supporters also helped bring the gathering to life, with Star Observer serving as media partner. [2], [8]

For recipients and guests alike, the evening offered a moment to celebrate what communities can achieve together. And while the trophies mark individual honours, the wider story is about people showing up for one another, year after year. [2], [4]

It's a fitting reminder that community heroes don't always seek the spotlight, but their work deserves to be recognised.

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