Matt Gilbertson-Hans Awarded The 2023 Adelaide Cabaret Festival Icon Award

Beloved South Australian entertainer, Matt Gilbertson – Hans, “International superstar” has been announced as the recipient of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival 2023 Icon Award at The Variety Gala, presented in front of a full house at the Festival Theatre tonight. 

Australia's favourite Berlin boy-wonder and award-winning performer is a crowd favourite at Adelaide Cabaret Festival and has performed his own sold-out shows throughout the years, including playing the outrageous host of The Variety Gala in 2021 alongside Artistic Director, Alan Cumming.

In 2018, Hans won the hearts of 16 million Americans with his cheeky and electrifying song and dance routines on NBC TV series, America's Got Talent and returned to the USA to appear on America's Got Talent: The Champions, competing against the very best contestants from around the world before making it to the Grand Final: In his own words, “Darling, I went there to make America glitter again. It was calling me, and I answered!”

Adelaide Cabaret Festival Executive Producer Alex Sinclair: “This year's Adelaide Cabaret Festival Icon Award has been presented to one of the most deserving performers and a long and loyal friend of Adelaide Festival Centre. Matt Gilbertson – Hans – encompasses everything that makes a cabaret artist glitter; wit, charm, musicality, talent, tenacity, and the special ability to make audiences belly laugh. We are sure South Australians will join us in celebrating Matt's incredible contribution to the entertainment and arts industry locally, nationally and around the world.”

Adelaide Cabaret Festival's Cabaret Icon Award celebrates and acknowledges pioneers and prominent figures that have had a significant impact on the Australian cabaret industry. The first Cabaret Icon Award was presented in 2013 when the festival was under the artistic direction of Kate Ceberano. The Award is now an annual tradition the festival is proud to present to the country's finest cabaret creators.

Previous recipients of the award include the inaugural recipient Reg Livermore AO (2013), Rhonda Burchmore OAM (2014), Frank Ford AM (2015), Robyn Archer AO (2016), Debra Byrne (2017), David Bates (2018), Meow Meow (2019), David Campbell OAM (2020), Paul Capsis (2021) and Libby O'Donovan OAM (2022).