On Monday evening, more than 300 publicans and industry stakeholders came together to celebrate the state’s best pubs, bars, hotels and restaurants at the 2025 AHA ACT Awards for Excellence.
The awards ceremony was held at the National Museum of Australia, where AHA ACT general manager Chris Gatfield praised Canberra’s hospitality scene for the quality seen across winning venues.
“All of the winners here tonight show the vibrancy of the ACT’s hospitality sector,” he stated. “When it comes to quality of staff and venues Canberra really does punch above its weight and that is on ample display here tonight. I congratulate each and every winner on setting the bar even higher for the 2026 Awards for Excellence.”
Celebrated sports pub The Dock Kingston took out one of two major overall hotel awards, Hotel of the Year (General Division), in addition to the Heart of the Community award, and for the second year running, Best Sporting Entertainment Venue.
Irish pub King O’Malleys scooped Best Live Music Venue and Best Innovation Project, and Public Bar Manuka was awarded Best Outdoor Experience. While many of the food categories were dominated by eateries and accommodation hotels, the Old Canberra Inn claimed the award for Best Steak.
BentSpoke Brewing Co enjoyed back-to-back success, taking home the Best Draught Beer Quality award once again, while head chef Jodie Johnson also claimed Chef of the Year for a second consecutive year. It was another strong showing for the Canberra brewery, which was also awarded Best Burger, while employee Melanie Collins was celebrated as Human Resources Talent of the Year.
This year’s Hall of Fame inductees were long-serving former AHA ACT president Michael Capezio (General) and Doma Hotels’ Kathryn Carling (Accommodation).
Gatfield added: “Over a record breaking 26 years as President Michael established himself as an authoritative voice for our industry, and leaves a long track record of successful advocacy.
“Kathryn is an evangelist for accommodation, tourism and all things Canberra – her commitment to not just the economic but also the environmental sustainability of our industry marks her as a truly forward-thinking leader.”