Nominations For ACON’s 2025 Honour Awards Are Now Open
Image: Deep Field Photography
Nominations are now open for the 2025 Honour Awards, calling on community members across New South Wales to recognise the individuals whose quiet leadership and extraordinary generosity enrich our LGBTQIA+ community. This year, the ceremony will be part of ACON 40, the organisation’s 40‑year anniversary community program.
The awards are set to be presented at the ACON 40 Ruby Gala Dinner on Saturday 18 October at the Hyatt Regency, Sydney.
“The Honour Awards recognise people who make a difference to our community,” said ACON CEO Michael Woodhouse. “The Honour Awards recognise people who make a difference to our community. ACON is celebrating 40 years of community care, health and action through a series of storytelling events about the progress of community and ACON’s place in it. Honour Award recipients are a magnificent part of that story.”
This year’s awards programme highlights three pivotal categories:
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Young Achiever Award
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Community Hero Award
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ACON President’s Award
“This year’s Honour will centre on three important categories: the Young Achiever Award, the Community Hero Award, and the ACON President’s Award,” said Woodhouse.
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Woodhouse went on to remind us why these awards matter — especially in times of ongoing challenges — and what a strong community looks like:
“There is a lot to be concerned about in the world right now. A strong community, led by people who stand up for us all, help us all live healthier and happier lives. The Honour Awards are about celebrating people who support and strengthen us all.
“The Honour Awards shine a light on the people whose dedication and passion help sustain others. We’re excited to be recognising the next group of outstanding community members.’
Part of the milestone ACON 40 program — “the largest community engagement program ACON has ever presented” — the Honour Awards sit alongside more than 30 events scheduled across NSW between August and October 2025. The Ruby Gala Dinner elevates the experience, offering “an opportunity for genuine recognition and connection all in a way that respects and reflects the prestigious nature of the awards themselves, as well as the Honour Awards ceremony.”
The deadline to nominate is Wednesday 3 September 2025 — you can submit your nominations here.
What are the ACON Honour Awards?
Launched in 2007, the Honour Awards have become a cornerstone of LGBTQIA+ community recognition in New South Wales. They celebrate people and organisations whose contributions often happen away from the spotlight but are deeply felt across health, HIV support, youth services, the arts, media, law, business, and grassroots community organising.
In 2024, winners included youth advocate Jackie Turner, who received the Young Achiever Award, and theatre producer Marko Jovanovic, who was recognised for his work in arts and entertainment. Community advocate and found of the Rainbow Shoelaces Project Abbie Jane was also celebrated for her tireless efforts in grassroots organising, with other recipients honoured across health, HIV prevention, business, and community service.
The 2023 awards saw a similarly diverse group of honourees. Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Chair, Giovanni Campolo-Arcidiaco was presented with the Community Hero Award, bi+ advocate Bree Mountain won the Young Achiever Award, the late David Polson — founder of Qtopia Sydney — was presented with the HIV Hero Award, and Whadjuk Noongar journalist and presenter Narelda Jacobs was awarded the Media Award.
Beyond recognition, the event also acts as a key fundraiser for ACON’s health programs, ensuring that money raised on the night is channelled back into initiatives that support LGBTQIA+ health and wellbeing across the state.
The awards have consistently honoured both the well‑known and the understated leaders among us.
By tying the 2025 Honour Awards into the broader ACON 40 festival, this year’s event invites us not only to recognise outstanding individuals, but also to honour 40 years of collective resilience, care, and activism. If you know someone who embodies that spirit — someone whose labour, care, creativity, or advocacy makes our rainbow communities safer, healthier, or more vibrant — it’s time to nominate.
For details on how to nominate and advice on how to submit your entry, head to the Honour Awards site.
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