ACON opens nominations for 2019 Honour Awards celebrating community heroes
Image: The winners of the 2018 Honour Awards. Image: ACON / supplied.
ACON has opened nominations for the 2019 Honour Awards which will return to celebrate LGBTQI individuals and organisations making a difference.
The annual awards celebrate those making a difference to the lives of LGBTQI people and creating a positive impact in the community.
2019 will mark the 13th year of the awards, which were launched in 2007.
Nominees can be submitted across nine categories covering community, health, business, entertainment, visual arts, media, HIV, youth and community service sectors.
Four finalists will be selected in each category with the winner announced at the ceremony on Wednesday 2 October at the Ivy Ballroom in Sydney.
Unlike some community awards ceremonies, all finalists – and the first person to nominate them – receive a free ticket to attend the ceremony.
“The Honour Awards are all about celebrating how people from all walks of life are helping or inspiring others in our community,” said ACON President Justin Koonin.
“Every day, people and organisations from right across our community are helping others in different ways, and the awards are about acknowledging all kinds of community service, whether big or small.
“As a community, it’s important that we celebrate those whose names don’t make the headlines, 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.”
In 2018, ’78er Robyn Kennedy was named Community Hero and activist group CAMP Inc received a special accolade honouring their pioneering efforts in increasing gay and lesbian visibility and reducing isolation.
Koonin encouraged members of the community to submit their heroes.
“The Honour Awards are all about celebrating how all people within our communities of all backgrounds are helping or inspiring others.
“We thank all our event partners for their generous support. Not only are you helping to celebrate our community’s unsung heroes, your support is helping to strengthen the health and wellbeing of LGBTQ people in NSW.
“We look forward to celebrating the amazing and inspirational work of people in our communities.”
Submissions for the 2019 Honour Awards nominations close on Wednesday August 14.
For more information or to make a submission, head to honourawards.com.au.
