The 2026 ACDN Awards 2026 · by The Cake! Network
A night for the makers who made the year.
Friday 20 November 2026, 7pm · Hijinx at QV, Melbourne
Watch the announcement
Emma reads out the regional winners and the national finalists, category by category, recorded live on Saturday 26 September.
Jump to a category
The 2026 programme
- 4 pillars
- 22 categories
- 6 regions
- 1 night
Key dates
- Fri 14 August Nominations open
- Sun 30 August Nominations close
- Sun 6 September Public voting opens
- Sun 20 September Public voting closes
- Sat 26 September Finalists announced
- Sun 27 September Cake! Member and Large Retailer of the Year voting opens
- Mon 12 October Cake! Member and Large Retailer of the Year voting closes
- Fri 20 November Winners announced on the night
2026 National Finalists
3D/Novelty Cake Artist of the Year
- Baked By KB
- Cake with Amber
- Cherry On Top Cakes
- Fantasy Cakes
- Sarah Theaker
- Sugarbird Cakery
Buttercream Artist of the Year
- Bake + Sway
- Butter Haus
- J & J Cakes - Baked by Jessica
- LoveLeigh's Cakery
- Save Me Some Sweets
- The Cupcake Floristry
Royal Icing Cookie Artist of the Year
- Medovnik Cake and Cookies
- Rachel Karras, Twice Upon a Time Cookies
Fondant Cookie Artist of the Year
- Cookies By Jess Adelaide
- Crumbs & Chaos
- That Cookie Friend
- The Button Co
Cupcake Artist of the Year
- Baked Flores Box
- Cake Heart
- Dolciebouqcakes
- Rustic Roses
- The Cupcake Floristry
- Twilight Cupcakes
Edible Decorations Artist of the Year
- Cake with Amber
- Cherry On Top Cakes
- Crumbs & Chaos
- Ekats
- Hayleys Cakes and More
- J & J Cakes - Baked by Jessica
Sugar Modelling Artist of the Year
- Always Time For Cake
- Be Caked
- Cherry On Top Cakes
- Leah Walton
- Sweet Sugar Creations
- Yeners Way Cake Art Tutorial
Sugar & Wafer Flower Artist of the Year
- Blossom and Buttercream
- Brownz Bakes
- Glenn Jones
- Priscilla’s Cakes
Wedding Cake Business of the Year
- Brownz Bakes
- Deelish Cake Creations
- Ikeda Cakes
- TMF Cake Designs
Custom Cake Business of the Year
- All Things Cake
- Cocoa Oven
- Little treats by Sylvia
- Sugarbird Cakery
Children's Cake Business of the Year
- Be Caked
- Hayleys Cakes and More
- Paddle + Whisk
- Taking a Whisk
Cupcake Business of the Year
- Baked Flores Box
- Blossoming Bouqcakes
- The Cupcake Floristry
- The Little Cupcake Co.
Cookie Business of the Year
- Crumbs & Chaos
- Kisses From Blair
- Linc and Lenny Cookie Co
- Opal & Co Cookie House
- The Button Co
Specialist Dietary Cake Business of the Year
- Bec's Biscuits and Cakes
- Rhi - The Mess
- Tully Cakes
- You Bake my Day
Cake Teacher of the Year
- Baked Flores Box
- Cordie’s Cake Supplies
- Monica Cavallaro
- The Cupcake Floristry
Small Retailer of the Year
- Cookie Stamp Co
- Cordie’s Cake Supplies
- Moreish Cakes
- Stamp and Impress
The full awards guide
Every award, who can enter it, how it is judged, and the scoring each panel works to.
What's covered
Artistic
Technical excellence, judged on a body of work from the past 12 months.
- Not separately entered Cake Decorator of the Year The outstanding overall decorator, from the category winners
- 3D/Novelty Cake Artist of the Year Sculpted, carved and dimensional cakes
- Buttercream Artist of the Year Buttercream as the medium
- Cookie Artist of the Year Royal icing, fondant, painting, airbrushing, wafer paper
- Cupcake Artist of the Year The cupcake as the finished medium
- Edible Decorations Artist of the Year Edible work no other category covers
- Sugar Modelling Artist of the Year People, animals and characters
- Sugar & Wafer Flower Artist of the Year Realistic or stylised sugar and wafer flowers
How it is decided
Artistic guide (PDF)- Round 1 Expert panel Shortlists four to six national finalists
- Round 2 Cake! Members Rank the finalists, first preference to last
- Round 3 Awards Committee Tallies the votes, weighs the results and moderates the final rankings Decides the winner and Highly Commended
Cake Decorator of the Year is chosen by the panel from the category winners.
Small Business
Public votes decide the regional winners, then a national panel judges them.
- Wedding Cake Business of the Year Wedding cakes and wedding desserts
- Custom Cake Business of the Year Adult and general celebrations
- Children's Cake Business of the Year Children's celebrations
- Cupcake Business of the Year Custom, celebration, event and retail cupcakes
- Cookie Business of the Year Decorated, bespoke or specialist cookies
- Specialist Dietary Cake Business of the Year Vegan, gluten free, dairy free and other dietary needs
- Cake Teacher of the Year Beginner and intermediate learners, and children
- Master Cake Educator of the Year Advanced, specialist and professional level
How it is decided
Small Business guide (PDF)- Round 1 Customers Rate and review the businesses they bought from Decides the regional titles
- Round 2 National panel Judges the six regional winners Decides the national title
The six regions: NSW, QLD, VIC, SA, ACT and TAS, and WA and NT. Each has its own Winner and Highly Commended.
Master Cake Educator of the Year is judged nationally, not by region. Advanced teaching travels, so a regional bracket would not describe the work.
Retail, Wholesale and Product
Retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers. Each award has its own judging process.
- Large Retailer of the Year Two or more shopfronts
- Small Retailer of the Year Online, one shopfront or market
- Wholesale Supplier of the Year Supplying retailers and cake businesses
- New Product of the Year Newly introduced to the Australian market
How it is decided
Retail, Wholesale and Product guide (PDF)- Round 1 Customers Rate the shops they buy from Decides the regional titles
- Round 2 External business judges Score the regional winners, with the customer scores still counting Decides the national title
- Round 1 Trade customers Rate the suppliers they buy from Decides the winner
- Round 1 Independent panel Tests identical samples, branding concealed where practical. No public round Decides the winner
The six regions: NSW, QLD, VIC, SA, ACT and TAS, and WA and NT. Each has its own Winner and Highly Commended.
Community
The newcomer to watch, and the one the network wants to celebrate.
- Rising Talent Award Around two years or less in the sector
- ACDN Choice Award Discretionary, not open for nomination
How it is decided
Community guide (PDF)- Round 1 The network Nominates, and artists may nominate themselves
- Round 2 Sector experts and the committee Vet eligibility, then select the recipient Decides the winner
- Round 1 The Awards Committee Chooses at its discretion. Not open for nomination or entry, and not presented every year Decides the winner
The Jo McIntosh Cake Mate Award honours a much loved member of the community. We are pausing it for 2026 and working alongside Jo's family on how the recognition should evolve, so it will not be presented this year.
Two awards close without a public vote this year. Master Cake Educator of the Year and Wholesale Supplier of the Year each finished nominations with fewer than four nominees, and an award that closes with fewer than four isn't judged that year. Retailer of the Year (Large) also finished with three nominees. It doesn't close: its three retailers go to a member and public vote in the next round, and we'll ask you why you chose them.
How we keep it honest.
- 01
We ask who you are
Rate a business and we ask your name, your email, and your confirmation that you really bought from them.
- 02
Every rating is moderated
Duplicates and ratings we cannot stand behind are removed before anything is ranked.
- 03
Reviewers stay private
A business is never told who reviewed it, and the published guide sets out how every award is judged.
The whole network, in one room.
The cakes on the screens, the makers on their feet, and a room full of people who understand exactly how much work it took.
Friday 20 November 2026, 7pm · Hijinx at QV, Melbourne
From the 2025 night See every winner →
Dates for the 2026 awards are announced here first. Become a Cake! Friend and you'll know the moment nominations open.