Sydney Gala Raises Record $1.2M for Diabetes Research

When Channel 9 presenter James Bracey's daughter Matilda was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at just three years old, he turned his heartbreak into action. Now his Night of Champions gala has raised a record $1.2 million for T1D research, bringing together Australia's business, media and diabetes communities for their biggest win yet.

More than 400 guests filled Sydney Town Hall for the 2026 event, with former New Zealand Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern joining Australian model Bambi Northwood-Blyth and NSW Swifts defender Sarah Klau. Beauty brands stepped up in a big way, with ghd, Aesop and Eye of Horus donating products for the auction while Natural 365 Cosmetic Clinic, The Skin Bar and Solstice Skin contributed treatments.

For Northwood-Blyth, who was diagnosed at age 12 and co-hosted the gala, the night carried deep meaning. She shared how T1D has followed her through every chapter of her life, teaching her resilience and perspective through both triumphs and losses.

The evening's most powerful moment came when 19-year-old Jess Kovacs took the stage with her younger sister Annabelle. After watching Annabelle live with T1D since age seven, Jess tested positive for early markers in 2023 and accessed a new treatment in 2026 that delays disease progression. She spoke about the hope this gave her and her wish that Annabelle could have had the same chance to reclaim some of her childhood.

The Ripple Effect

The $1.2 million raised will fund research toward curing, preventing and treating type 1 diabetes and its complications. Breakthrough T1D CEO Sydney Yovic says exceeding the $1 million milestone will accelerate their mission to improve outcomes for people living with the condition.

The treatment that gave Jess Kovacs hope represents exactly what this fundraising makes possible. For every dollar raised at galas like Night of Champions, researchers move closer to breakthroughs that could spare future children from daily insulin injections and constant blood sugar monitoring.

What started as one father's response to his daughter's diagnosis has grown into a movement bringing together entire communities. When beauty brands, sports stars and business leaders join forces with families touched by T1D, they prove that collective action creates real progress toward a cure.