Celebrating the 2022 Mardi Gras Community Awards

APN-Mardi-Gras-Awards-2022-photo-by-Matt-AkerstenThe 44th Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival was one for the history books. This year Mardi Gras brought back some of the community’s most-loved events including Fair Day, our fan-favourite Pool Parties, Queer Art After Hours, Laugh Out Proud, Sissy Ball, Laneway, and of course, the Parade.

Putting on one of the world’s biggest LGBTQIA+ festivals is no simple task, and Mardi Gras couldn’t do it without the passion, dedication and talent of our wonderful community.

At this year’s Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Community Awards we celebrated and recognised members of our community that went above and beyond to make the 2022 Season a shining success.

2022 Mardi Gras Community Awards Winners

FAIR DAY:

BEST STALL
Winner: Aspect – Autism Spectrum Australia

BEST SPORTS STALL
Winner: Sydney Front Runners

BEST COMMUNITY STALL
Winner: Mature Aged Gays

FAIR DAY STALL OF THE YEAR
Winner: Fetish Australia

SPECIAL COMMENDATION
Hawaii Tourism Oceana
Nungala Creative
NSW Nurses and Midwives Association
Life Savers with Pride
Jarin Street
Inner West Roller Derby League

PARADE:

BEST INDIVIDUAL OR SMALL GROUP
Winner: Princesses of Mardi Gras 2022

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Winner: Newtown Breakaways Football Club

BEST SATIRICAL ENTRY
Winner: Rainbow Rebellion

RON MUNCASTER AWARD FOR BEST COSTUME
Winner: You Are Unique

BEST FLOAT DESIGN
Winner: Free Gay and Happy

SPIRIT OF 1978*
Winner: Fruits from Brazil

RON AUSTIN AWARD FOR MOST FABULOUS PARADE ENTRY
Winner: FLAGCOM and Friends

SPECIAL COMMENDATION
GlLADD
NSW Nurses and Midwives Association
The Librarians
Gymnastics NSW
Emerald City Kickball

VOLUNTEERS:

AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN INNOVATION
Winners: Konstantinos Ziotas and Richard Hill
Special Commendation: Agiba Andrea and Dylan Third

AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN SERVICE
Winner: Andrew Endycott
Special Commendation: Dani McLennan, Gordon Parker, Trill Liddle and Ty Owen

AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN LEADERSHIP
Winners: Austin Berscheid and Kate Gallon
Special Commendations: Leonard Watson, Matthew Flinn and Simon Liddle

AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN TEAMWORK
Winners: Adrian Hinder, Aiden O’Dea, Avalon Carnall, Damon Hartley, Fiona Carter James Taylor, Joel McKinnon, Karla Burrows, Lachlan Dewsbury, Parker Howard, Peter Cowan, Ruby Hudson, Simon Poole, Tara Pollock, William Klaasen and Zaac Totonjian

BEST NEWCOMER
Winner: Celeste McNamara
Special Commendation: Ahmed Dulaimi, Emma Corbridge, Laura Koefoed and Phil Killsha

ICARE AWARD
Winner: Jade McKinnon
Special Commendation: Acacia-belle McCormack, Kyle Schembri, Mihailo Bajceta and Tara Pollock

VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR
Winners: Brett Williams and Reo Lynch

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
Winners: Frank Iannilli and Paul Truscott

SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: IN MEMORIAM
Donna-Maree Bates

SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Virginia Ferris


For more information about the 2023 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, visit: www.mardigras.org.au for details.

Image: courtesy of Matt Akersten

Note (*): Spirit of 1978 is a new award that embodies the spirit of the march down Oxford Street in 1978. The recipient of the award is selected by the 78ers Committee which is awarded to a Parade entry they feel connects directly to the events of June 1978.