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 Demetios 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