National NAIDOC award ceremony cancelled amid coronavirus restrictions

The National NAIDOC Awards were set to be held in November in Mparntwe (Alice Springs), but have now been cancelled due to coronavirus fears.

There will be no National NAIDOC Awards in 2020 after the decision was made to cancel the ceremony, which was due to be held in Mparntwe (Alice Springs) in November.

In a statement the National NAIDOC Committee said the decision was made "considering the changing and widespread impacts of COVID-19".

"We all want to continue to protect our elders and our communities from the disastrous impacts of COVID-19," the statement said.

Concerns around travel restrictions, quarantining and physical distancing requirements were cited for the cancellation.

Unlike other major events, the National NAIDOC awards will not be replaced by a virtual event.

The National NAIDOC Committee said postponing the event until 2021 will allow more time to acknowledge "our deadly achievers".

"An important part of recognising our community achievers is to celebrate the awards in style, by showcasing the winners together," the National NAIDOC Committee said.

Next year's event will still be held at Mparntwe, and NAIDOC Week will still go ahead from November 8-15 this year.

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Published 17 August 2020 11:45am
Source: NITV News


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