Over 400 guests including high-profile figures from media, sport, and fashion attended Sydney’s Night of Champions Gala, raising a record $1.2 million for type 1 diabetes research, showcasing growing cross-sector support and innovative approaches to fundraising.
Beauty brands and business leaders helped push Breakthrough T1D’s 2026 Night of Champ1ons Gala to a record $1.2 million for type 1 diabetes research, as more than 400 guests gathered at Sydney Town Hall for the annual fundraiser. The event brought together figures from media, sport, fashion and philanthropy, underlining how the disease reaches far beyond the clinic and into families, workplaces and public life.
Among those in attendance were Dame Jacinda Ardern, Peter Overton and Jessica Rowe, alongside model and T1D advocate Stephanie “Bambi” Northwood-Blyth and NSW Swifts defender Sarah Klau, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2017. Breakthrough T1D said the money will support research, advocacy and community programmes aimed at curing, preventing and treating the condition and its complications.
The evening also highlighted the growing role of the beauty industry in charity fundraising. Brands including ghd, Aesop and Eye of Horus donated auction items, while Natural 365 Cosmetic Clinic, The Skin Bar and Solstice Skin contributed treatments and experiences. For organisers, that support helped turn the gala into both a social occasion and a major source of research funding.
Northwood-Blyth, who was diagnosed at 12 and co-hosted the event, brought a personal dimension to the evening. Styled in a mix of prestige beauty and fashion labels, she used her speech to reflect on the discipline and resilience that living with type 1 diabetes has demanded throughout her life. Speaking after the event, she said the room had shown “so much strength, generosity and heart”.
The night also gave the stage to younger voices. Jess Kovacs, 19, appeared with her sister Annabelle, who was diagnosed at seven. After testing positive for early markers in 2023 and progressing to stage 2 type 1 diabetes by late 2025, Jess was able to access teplizumab, a treatment designed to delay the onset of stage 3 disease in eligible patients. Her account added urgency to the gala’s message: that research is not abstract, but a path towards preserving childhood, delaying illness and, ultimately, finding a cure.
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