Meet the LGBTQIA+ Finalists for the 2026 Melbourne Awards
Image: Image: Library Up Late. Midsumma Festival. Photography by Suzanne Balding
A social running club, an education charity, a queer arts festival and a gathering centring transgender women and queer Muslim women are among the finalists for the 2026 Melbourne Awards.
Lesbirun, The Pinnacle Foundation and Midsumma Festival are this year’s three LGBTIQA+ category finalists, while All Women’s Iftar — Trans Sisters United is a finalist in the Access and Inclusion category.
With the awards taking place on Saturday November 14, the finalists highlight the different ways LGBTQIA+ communities find friendship, support, cultural connection and belonging across Melbourne.
The Melbourne Awards Finalists
Founded in 2024 on Wurundjeri Country, Lesbirun offers lesbian, bisexual and queer women a welcoming, sober alternative to traditional nightlife. It’s a simple, social concept: a free weekly run and walk, followed by coffee and a chance to connect.
From just one member, the club has grown to more than 100 regular participants. Alongside its weekly catch-ups, Lesbirun hosts social events centred on connection, wellness and visibility, creating opportunities for people to build friendships through shared activity.
Whether participants arrive ready to run or prefer a walk and conversation, the club provides a regular place to show up and be welcomed.
The Pinnacle Foundation supports young LGBTQIA+ people through a different stage of life. Australia’s LGBTQIA+ education charity has supported hundreds of young Melburnians since 2011, including many who have experienced rejection from family, faith or community.
Through scholarships, mentoring and opportunities, Pinnacle helps recipients pursue their education while building supportive relationships. It aims to create a more inclusive society with visible LGBTQIA+ role models, connecting individual educational opportunities with lasting community change.
Midsumma Festival, meanwhile, has been a defining presence in Melbourne’s LGBTQIA+ arts and cultural landscape since 1988. Its 22-day festival presents more than 200 events across Melbourne and Victoria, with 40 per cent offered free.
That reach was reflected in its 2026 results: 334,531 attendances and $29.9 million in direct economic impact. Alongside its cultural contribution, those figures demonstrate the festival’s substantial role in bringing audiences together and supporting activity across the city.
Speaking to the Star Observer, Felicity McIntosh, Midsumma’s Deputy CEO & Head of Marketing, Communications and Partnerships, said being a finalist was an “honour”.
“I’m incredibly proud of what we create at Midsumma year-round, and of the passion and talent of our tiny but mighty team. It’s an absolute honour for Midsumma to be nominated in the 2026 Melbourne Awards, recognising our nearly 40 years of ensuring Melbourne continues to be one of the world’s most inclusive cities,” she said.
“To be recognised alongside our fellow nominees who are also creating safer, supportive spaces for our communities to thrive brings a shimmer of joy that I think our communities really need right now. We all play an important part in creating opportunities for our diverse queer communities to connect, find their people and celebrate their pride their way, and we’re so proud to be part of that.”
Sisterhood and Belonging
Also recognised this year, in the Access and Inclusion category, is All Women’s Iftar — Trans Sisters United.
Trans Sisters United champions transgender women and women of colour through advocacy, community care and sisterhood. Powered entirely by volunteers, its annual iftar brings Ramadan’s spirit of generosity and belonging to women of diverse faiths, cultures and identities, centring transgender women and queer Muslim women.
Growing from 16 participants to around 150, the gathering challenges exclusion and reduces isolation through shared meals and cultural celebration. It creates space for lasting connections, with sisterhood at the heart of all they do.
Across both award categories, these finalists create opportunities for queer people to participate, connect and thrive. Their recognition highlights work that continues beyond major celebrations, through weekly gatherings, ongoing mentoring, creative expression and community care.
Celebrating Melbourne’s Communities
Established in 2002, the Melbourne Awards celebrate the people, organisations and ideas that make Melbourne a more inclusive, creative and forward-thinking city.
The 2026 program spans 11 categories, recognising contributions across community life, culture, sustainability, innovation and business. This year introduces a Hospitality category celebrating the city’s bars and restaurants, while incorporating the former Lord Mayor’s Small Business Awards into the broader program.
The winners will be announced on Saturday November 14.
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