A world-class Festival needs a world-class workforce to bring it to life – and thanks to the time, talent and dedication of thousands of volunteers we brought the first WorldPride in the Southern Hemisphere to our shores earlier this year.
Recently, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras gathered to recognise the brightest stars of their volunteers as well as the Parade and Fair Day festivities at the Mardi Gras Community Awards.
FAIR DAY:
Most Fabulous Stall:
Winner: TAFENSW, Design Centre Enmore
Runner up: Harlem Starlet
Best Sports Stall:
Winner: Rainbow Racquets Squash Sydney
Runner up: Emerald City Kickball
Best Community Stall:
Winner: Legal Aid NSW
Runner up: Black Dog Institute
Fair Day Stall of the Year:
Winner: Trikone Australia
Runner up: Take Blaktion
Special Commendation:
MyKiki
Recon.com
PARADE:
Best Choreography:
Winner: Asian Marching Boys & Friends
Runner up: Sydney Dance Company
Runner up: Sydney Opera House
Ron Muncaster Award for Best Costume:
Winner: The Fabulous Queer Upcyclers
Runner up: Emerald City Kickball
Runner up: LGBTQIA+ LATINX IN SYDNEY
Best Float Design:
Winner: Le Petit Bateau
Runner up: Life Without Barriers
Runner up: Newcastle Pride
Best Individual or Small Group:
Winner: You Are Unique
Runner up: PHANTOM
Runner up: Queens of the North
Best Satirical Entry:
Winner: The P.I.N.K. F.L.A.M.I.N.G.O.S. (The Politically Inspired, Non-violent, Kind & Fabulous LGBTQI & Allies Marching In Notorious Group of Satirists)
Runner up: Order of Perpetual Indulgence
Spirit of 1978:
Winner: Union Pride
Ron Austin Award for Most Fabulous Parade Entry:
Winner: Celebrating Arone Raymond Meeks
Runner up: TAFENSW, Design Centre Enmore
Runner up: Oceanic Pups and Handlers (O-PAH)
Special Commendation:
NSW Ambulance
Rainbow Families
VOLUNTEERS:
Award for Excellence in Innovation:
Winners: Alice Anderson & Lee McKinnon
Award for Excellence in Teamwork:
Winners: Adam Moffat & Whitney Gunn
Award for Excellence in Service:
Winners: Marlon Guan & Sharm Giles
Award for Excellence in Leadership:
Winners: Brady Tasker & Tara Pollock
Award for Best Newcomer:
Winners: Catherine Turner & Flynn Mclean
ICARE Award:
Winners: Josip Buric & Rui Jorge Teixeira Correia
Special Acknowledgement:
Leonard Watson, Simon and Trill Liddle
Volunteer of the Year:
Winners: David Mills & Samantha Barrish
Special Commendation (A-Z):
Caelan Lee
Craig Giles
Joel McKinnon
Karen Le Grand
Lady Jase
Matt Sage
Michaela Vincent
Paul Highland
Phlan-Michelle Purss
Rod Dever
Ryen Partin
Stanley Jour
Tali Katz
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT:
Lifetime Achievement: Paul Savage
Hall of Fame: Stevie Clayton
Hall of Fame: Michael Woodhouse
For more information about Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, visit: www.mardigras.org.au for details.
Image: Mardi Gras Community Awards 2023 Winners – courtesy of Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras