ELLE Australia celebrated the country’s next generation of creative talent at the ELLE Next Gen Awards 2026, alongside Swarovski, Uber Elite and Essential Parfums as official partners.
The event took place at The Press in Sydney on 2nd September, with the annual awards celebrating Australia’s most exciting emerging talent across fashion, film, music, beauty, art and literature.
The night awarded nine deserving winners, announced to a glamorous room filled with 170 guests.
"The ELLE Next Gen Awards continue the brand’s 81-year global legacy as an incubator of emerging talent by spotlighting the young, bold, fascinating creatives who are pushing boundaries, embracing authenticity, and inspiring the next generation to see themselves as they are," said ELLE Australia editor-in-chief, Jessica Bailey.
Without further ado, the winners of this year's ELLE Next Gen Awards are:
ELLE NEXT GEN ACTOR: Catherine Laga’aia
ELLE NEXT GEN MODEL: Latahlia Hickling
ELLE NEXT GEN FASHION DESIGNER: Hannah Teresa
ELLE NEXT GEN ELLE MAN: Josh Heuston
ELLE NEXT GEN MUSICIAN: Jacoténe
ELLE NEXT GEN FILMMAKER: Lucy Knox
ELLE NEXT GEN ARTIST: Camille Olsen-Ormandy
ELLE NEXT GEN BEAUTY STAR: Florence Baitio
ELLE NEXT GEN WRITER: Madeleine Gray
Image: ELLE Next Gen Awards nominees for 2026
As Headline Partner, Swarovski featured across the awards and ELLE’s print, digital and social coverage, including a dedicated on-site experience and content celebrating the 2026 nominees and winners.
"At Swarovski, innovation, creativity and self-expression are at the heart of everything we do, making ELLE Next Gen a natural partnership for our brand," said Swarovski director of sales, Sonia Kudatov.
"We are proud to return as Headline Partner and celebrate the next generation of Australian talent whose fresh perspectives, ambition and creativity continue to shape the future of fashion, entertainment and culture."
Uber Elite, Uber’s premium ride experience featuring professional chauffeurs, luxury vehicles and first-class service, also joined the 2026 awards as Official Ride Partner.
The partnership helped nominees and guests arrive in style, while offering an exclusive first look at what’s next for Uber Elite in Australia.
Essential Parfums, represented in Australia by Cosmax Prestige Brands, joined as Exclusive Fragrance Partner, creating a luxury sensory experience through premium gifting, experiential touchpoints and editorial content, while paying homage to ELLE’s French heritage.
You can find the full 2026 ELLE Next Gen Awards winners and their bios here.
Image credit: Supplied/ELLE Australia
