Nominations open for 2018 Honour Awards to recognise important work in the LGBTI community
Image: Honour Awards 2017. Image: Ann-Marie Calilhanna.
Nominations are now open for the 2018 Honour Awards, an annual New South Wales-based event that recognises outstanding work in the LGBTI community across the state.
Nominations can be submitted in nine categories covering HIV, health, education, business, community, cultural, legal, media, and political sectors.
A judging panel of community peers selects four finalists in each category with the winner announced on the night of the awards.
ACON President Justin Koonin said the awards are about celebrating the achievements of people in the LGBTI community that often go unrecognised.
“Every day, people and organisations from right across our community are helping others in all kinds of ways, and the Honour Awards are about acknowledging all kinds of community service, whether big or small,” he said.
“As a community, it’s important that we celebrate our unsung heroes as well as our more high-profile achievers.
“So we’re keen to hear about people and organisations that have made a difference, whether it be in the lives of only a few people, or whose contributions are more wide-ranging. To have community nominating and celebrating community is what the Honour Awards are all about.”
Last year Elaine Czulkowski was named Community Hero at the Honour Awards.
Her advocacy spans two decades, including tireless work throughout the marriage equality campaign last year.
“Being recognised and acknowledged by my peers and friends in the community was overwhelming and emotional,” she said.
“I still can’t believe it happened.
“There are many people who work tirelessly as volunteers across many different LGBTI community organisations—some of which would not exist if it wasn’t for volunteers—and they do amazing work that help change people’s lives.”
First held in 2007, the not-for-profit awards is also a gala fundraising event for LGBTI community initiatives delivered by ACON.
Honour Award winners receive a range of gifts, and all finalists receive a free ticket to the gala event, which will be held on Wednesday 3 October at the Ivy Ballroom in Sydney.
To submit a nomination, head to: www.honourawards.com.au. Nominations close Sunday 12 August.
