The Awards for Australia and New Zealand 2026 will open for entries in April, with the presentation night scheduled for Melbourne on August 11, during the ACannabis conference week.
The timing shift allows the industry to direct its attention toward the TGA's ongoing regulatory review in the first quarter of the year, with the regulator due to present preliminary findings to the Medicinal Cannabis Expert Working Group in Canberra at the end of February.
Holding the awards during the ACannabis conference week is also expected to cut travel costs for those wishing to attend both events — a change many in the industry have called for — making Melbourne the clear destination for the second week of August.
The decision has the backing of both Medicinal Cannabis Industry Australia (the organiser of ACannabis) and the Australian Medicinal Cannabis Association (the organiser of United in Compassion, which takes place in Brisbane next month).
Co-founder Martin Lane said: "In previous years, we have opened the awards entry portal in February, but we didn't want to distract people from the TGA review.
"Moving the program back a couple of months also makes presenting the awards during the week of ACannabis a no-brainer and will no doubt please the many company CFOs who have travel budgets to manage!
"We're very grateful to both MCIA and AMCA for supporting the change as they work towards their merger. It means the industry will now have two big gatherings during the year – UIC in February and ACannabis/the The Cannabis Observer Awards in August – and we can't wait to put on our biggest celebration yet."
MCIA chair Kristin Viccars said bringing the Awards into the ACannabis conference "will make for a truly blockbuster few days".
"It's a great reflection of what a more unified industry body can achieve in partnership with The Cannabis Observer," he said. "It creates a natural moment and space where the industry can show up as one, whether that's for big conversations or a well-earned celebration recognising the amazing people and work being done in our sector.
"It also gives everyone the breathing room to stay focused on the TGA review early in the year, which is exactly where our attention needs to be. And if it means fewer flights, fewer hotel nights and a few happier CFOs, that's a win all round."
AMCA chair Dr Teresa Nicoletti described the combination of the awards with ACannabis as a "smart and timely move for the sector".
"It brings two major events together in a way that feels coherent and purposeful, and it gives us a clear sense of how 2026 will flow," she said.
"With the TGA consultation and the proposal for regulatory reforms demanding concentrated attention in the first half of the year, this shift ensures that critical work can continue and that important events like the The Cannabis Observer Awards and ACannabis retain their prominence.
"AMCA is delighted to support this amalgamation, which reflects the constructive collaboration that has been building across the sector and the practical benefits that come from aligning our efforts.
"It will make it easier for members to participate fully, manage travel more efficiently and be part of a week that showcases both the progress and the talent within our industry.
"As we continue working towards a more unified industry body, decisions like this set the foundation for a stronger, more connected future."
Wholelife Botanicals is the headline partner for the Awards 2026, with CMI Safe Co. sponsoring the green carpet. For more information about partnership opportunities, email de****@**********om.au.
For more information about ACannabis, email ac*******@***********om.au.
