The finalists have been announced for the 2024 LGBTQ+ Inclusion Awards, ahead of a gala celebration in Sydney on Friday, 31 May.
The awards are produced by Pride in Diversity, an initiative led by New South Wales’ peak LGBTQ+ health organisation ACON.
Pride in Diversity’s Australian Workplace Equality Index serves as the selection method for the awards, setting benchmarks for Australian organisations to align their LGBTQ+ inclusive policies and practices.
Categories include CEO of the Year, Executive Leadership, LGBTQ+ Inclusive Innovation, LGBTQ+ Role Model of the Year and the Network Leader of the Year.
There is no shortage of representation for corporate giants and government organisations among this year’s nominees, such as Australian Securities Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) CEO Mike Burgess, Star Entertainment Group’s George Hughes, as well as representatives for EY Oceania, KPMG Australia, Deloitte, Suncorp, NAB and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Dawn Emsen-Hough, Director of ACON’s Pride Inclusion Programs, says the team are thrilled that the awards are back after a brief hiatus.
“We have some record-breaking results within the AWEI Submissions this year, highlighting the importance that participating organisations are placing on this work,” Emsen-Hough said.
“We know from the AWEI Employee Survey that many within our community have been impacted by the negativity and misinformation that is playing out in social media and the country more broadly.
“The number of people out to all at work is continuing to decline with respondents indicating that is a significant reason.
“It is therefore critical that there remains a high level of focus on this important aspect of Diversity and Inclusion.”
The ceremony will be hosted by drag star Courtney Act and ABC presenter Jeremy Fernandez, with special performances from the cast of &Juliet.
The 2024 Australian LGBTQ+ Inclusion Awards will be held on Friday, 31 May 2024 in Sydney. For a full list of nominees and more information, head to pid-awei.com.au
