This September, at the close of Canada’s first conference devoted entirely to lipedema, we are presenting the very first Lipedema Canada Luminary Awards. Six categories, one unforgettable night in Winnipeg, and a long overdue chance to thank the people who have carried this community. Anyone can be nominated, from anywhere in the world, whether they are a clinician, a researcher, a patient, an advocate or the friend who never stopped showing up. Nominations close Wednesday, August 12.
This September, at the close of Canada’s first conference devoted entirely to lipedema, we are handing out the very first Lipedema Canada Luminary Awards. Six awards, one room, and a long overdue chance to say thank you out loud. Nominations are open now, and you have until Wednesday, August 12, 2026 to tell us about someone who has made a difference in the lipedema community.
That date is a little later than we first planned. The nominations coming in have been extraordinary, and we knew there were more stories out there, so we gave everyone an extra week. People keep telling us about a physician who finally listened, a physiotherapist who changed everything, a researcher quietly working away at the questions no one else was asking, a spouse who learned to wrap legs at midnight, a stranger in a support group who answered a message at 2 a.m. Those people deserve to be named out loud, and we would rather wait a week than miss them.
Who Can Be Nominated
Anyone. We want to be very clear about that, because we have been asked.
You do not have to be Canadian. Lipedema does not stop at a border, and neither does the work of making life better for people who live with it. If someone in Germany, Brazil, the United States, the Netherlands, Australia or anywhere else has shaped how this community understands itself, they are eligible.
You do not have to be a clinician. Doctors, surgeons, nurses, therapists and researchers are all welcome nominees, and so are patients, advocates, caregivers, partners, parents, group moderators, content creators and the friend who drove someone to every appointment. The lipedema community is made of all of these people, and the first time we hand out these awards we want the room to look like the community actually looks.
And yes, you can nominate yourself. If you have done work that mattered, tell us about it. Nominating yourself is not bragging, it is record keeping for a condition that has gone unrecorded for far too long.
The Six Categories
The categories come straight out of our mission to educate, advocate, raise awareness, empower, support, collaborate and innovate.
The Educator Award for the people who help others understand lipedema, however they do it and whoever they reach.
The Changemaker Award for the people who push for change, in big rooms or small ones, and refuse to let lipedema be dismissed.
The Innovator Award for the people whose work could change the future of lipedema, through research, through the writing of standards, or through ideas big enough to move the whole field.
The Spotlight Award for the people who make lipedema impossible to ignore, in whatever corner of the world they reach.
The Trailblazer Award for someone whose contribution has spanned years, or a lifetime.
The Unsung Hero Award for the people whose quiet, steady care holds this community together, usually without any recognition at all.
Full descriptions of every category are on the gala page.
The Night Itself
The Luminary Awards will be presented on Saturday, September 12, 2026 at the Royal Aviation Museum of Canada in Winnipeg, at 2088 Wellington Avenue. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the evening runs late.
It closes out Canada’s first conference devoted entirely to lipedema, three days of learning and connection finished off properly, with a cocktail reception, a plated dinner at your table, the awards themselves, and then a dance floor. Live entertainment comes from The Retro Rhythm Review, the Motown tribute act led by musical siblings Sol Satellite and Jonny Moonbeam, who have been playing together for close to twenty years. They dare you not to dance, and we would not bet against them.
Tickets are $150. If you would like to bring your people, the Community Champion Table seats ten for $1,500.
You do not need to be registered for the conference to come. The gala is open to everyone: patients, families, clinicians, advocates and friends of the community. The venue is accessible for wheelchairs, seating is accessible, washrooms are accessible, dietary accommodations are available, and a quiet space can be set aside on request. If you need something that is not on that list, ask us and we will sort it out.
As for what to wear, the dress code is dressed up with somewhere to go. A gown, a suit, or the outfit that simply makes you happy. Compression garments are welcome. So are comfortable shoes, and you will want them.
Nominate Someone Before Wednesday
It takes a few minutes. That is genuinely all. A name, a category, and a few sentences about why they matter. Head to the gala page and click Nominate Someone.
Nominations close Wednesday, August 12, 2026. Nominees will be announced the week of August 17, and winners will be revealed live at the gala on September 12.
Somebody changed things for you. Tell us who.
With Thanks to Bauerfeind
This evening, and these first Luminary Awards, are possible because of the generous support of Bauerfeind. We are especially grateful to Rosanna and Micheal and the whole Bauerfeind team, whose partnership and warmth made all the difference. Thank you for helping us celebrate the people who light the way.
