The Cyprus Diaspora Forum is proud to announce the nominees for the CYDIA Awards® 2026, the annual celebration recognising the outstanding achievements and contributions of Cypriots abroad and friends of Cyprus.
The CYDIA Awards® form part of the Cyprus Diaspora Forum®, which will take place in Limassol from 6–9 May 2026, bringing together leading members of the global Cypriot community from across business, government, academia, science, culture and philanthropy.
The awards honour exceptional individuals across a wide range of categories, including the highly anticipated Lifetime Achievement Award.
We are delighted to announce that the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Theo Paphitis, the renowned British Cypriot retail entrepreneur, television Dragon and philanthropist.
Among the other distinguished honours, the Diaspora Ambassador Award will be presented to Despina Panayiotou Theodosiou, Joint CEO of Tototheo Global and President of the Board of the Association of Cypriot Professionals in Greece.
The Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry Diaspora Entrepreneur Award will be presented to Christos A. Poullaides, a prominent Bahrain-based construction industry leader with operations across the Middle East and Europe.
The Diaspora Ambassador Legacy Award will be awarded to Panos A. Panay, President of The Recording Academy and presenter of the Grammy Awards.
The Diaspora Honorary Award, which recognises an exceptional individual whose achievements, leadership and enduring contribution have brought distinction to the global diaspora, will be awarded to Demetrios Mallios.
In the remaining 15 categories, the public is invited to vote for their favourite nominee. Public voting will close on Sunday, 19 April 2026, giving the global Cypriot community an opportunity to recognise individuals who have made a significant impact in their respective fields.
Voting is now open at: https://www.cyprusdiasporaforum.com/nominees-2026
CYDIA Awards 2026 Nominees and Categories
Advocating Cyprus
Effie Athanassiou
Irene Matys
Martin Zarian
Sergey Polivar
'Artemis Pouroulis' Culture and Arts
Andreani Panayides
Andreas Charalambous
Avgi Pourgoura
Elly Symons
Contribution to Society
Christos Charalambous
Kelly Christodoulou
Lucy Loizou
Niklas Wilhelm
Education
Androulla Poutziouris
Georgia Solomou
Professor Katerina Kaouri
Sean Alimov
Finance and Commerce
Carissa Louca
Dr. Demetrios Zamboglou
George S. Georgiades
James Demetriades
'George Michael' Entertainment Award
Chryso Makariou
Daphne Alexander
Dimitri Leonidas
Dr. Marios Joannou Elia
Health
Dr. Eleni Toumarides
Maria Hadjidemetriou
Professor Natasha Kyprianou
SOZO Brain Center
Impact
Andreas Farmakalidis
Eleni Savva
Dr. Maria Krambia-Kapardis
Maria Petrides
Literature
Alex Christofi
Christy Lefteri
Eva Asprakis
Soulla Christodoulou
Marketing and Media
Matthew Zorpas
Rafaella Mehmet
Savvas Agathangelou
Tom Toumazis
Movement for Change
Charalambos Toumazis
Marianna Konina
Michalis Pantelidis
Panos Englezos
Real Estate
Anastasia Yianni
Artemis Ansell
Nick Salatas
Omar Awartani
Social and Philanthropy
Chris Christofi
The Cyprus Environment Foundation
Filli Kaoullas
Sophia For Children
Sports
Evagoras Papasavvas
George Panagiotakis
Kyrenia Nautical Club
Michael Georgiou
Startups and Innovation
Connie Christofi
Stavros Therapontos
Stelios Alexandrou
William Demetriou
The CYDIA Awards® 2026 ceremony and Gala Dinner will take place at the Parklane Resort in Limassol, Cyprus, on Saturday, 9 May 2026, as the closing event of the Cyprus Diaspora Forum®.
The evening will feature a spectacular entertainment programme with performances by Alexandros Tsangarides, The Amalgamation Choir, Sofia Patsalides, Savvas Mouskos, Chryso Makariou, Stavros Konstantinou and Antri Karantoni, with a special guest performance by Evangelia.
The event will also include a specially choreographed performance by Antigoni Tasouri and will be hosted by Emilia Papadopoulos and Yanna Darilis.
This landmark occasion will celebrate the achievements of the global Cypriot community and international friends of Cyprus, highlighting the extraordinary impact Cypriots continue to have around the world.
More information: www.cyprusdiasporaforum.com
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