The first Cabaret Icon Award was presented in 2013 when the Festival was under the artistic direction of Kate Ceberano.
The Award is now an annual tradition we are proud to present to our country’s finest cabaret creators. Previous recipients of the award include the inaugural recipient Reg Livermore AO (2013), Rhonda Burchmore (2014), Frank Ford AM (2015), Robyn Archer (2016), Debra Byrne (2017), David Bates (2018), Meow Meow (2019), David Campbell (2020), Paul Capsis (2021), Libby O’Donovan (2022), Hans (2023). The 2024 award was presented to Reuben Kaye at The 2024 Variety Gala on 7 June 2024.