Meet the winners of the Mardi Gras Community Awards 2023

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. Last week we gathered to recognise the brightest stars of our volunteers as well as the Parade and Fair Day festivities at the Mardi Gras Community Awards.

MEET THE WINNERS

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