2026 Award Winners in Performing Arts
There are moments in life that make you stop, take a breath and reflect on the journey.
Last Tuesday was one of those moments.
Standing on stage alongside my uso, Andrew, accepting the 2025 Local Business Award for Performing Arts wasn't something either of us ever imagined when we first started out. If someone had told us years ago that we'd one day be recognised in the performing arts industry, we probably would've laughed.
Our story didn't begin on a stage.
It didn't begin with a watch brand.
It certainly didn't begin with awards.
It started with two young Pacific boys working the doors as security in Western Sydney, learning the value of hard work, responsibility and showing up every single day. Those early years taught us lessons that would later become the foundation of everything we've built.
Eventually, that journey led us to create MATAI.
What started as an idea around a kitchen table slowly became a brand that now reaches people across Australia, New Zealand and around the world. We've celebrated incredible milestones together, faced challenges that tested us, experienced disappointments that made us question everything, and celebrated victories that reminded us why we started in the first place.
But through every season, one thing has never changed.
MATAI was never built simply to sell watches.
It was built with purpose.
A couple of years ago, right in the middle of MATAI beginning to gain real momentum, I felt God place something on my heart that I couldn't ignore.
It was a calling to come back and invest in young people here in Western Sydney.
To be honest, it didn't make much sense.
Business was growing.
The workload was increasing.
There were already enough challenges in front of us without starting something completely different.
I also knew people would question it.
Why would someone growing a watch brand decide to step back into brown performing arts?
Why split your focus?
Why now?
The answer was simple.
Because mentoring young people has always been part of who I am.
Long before MATAI, I spent years working alongside artists and creatives, helping develop their confidence, leadership and direction. If you know my story, you'll know the journey with a number of music artists over the years. I was never there to hold people's hands forever. My role was always to help guide them through a season, equip them with the tools they needed and prepare them for whatever God had planned next.
That passion never left.
It was simply waiting for the right time.
That's how HLC (Higher Learning Collective) continued to grow, and eventually how Dream Academy was born.
From the very beginning, Dream Academy was never meant to become another singing and dancing school.
Yes, we love the performing arts.
Yes, we love seeing young people discover their gifts.
But the real vision has always gone far beyond the stage.
We want young people to develop leadership.
Confidence.
Communication.
Character.
Faith.
Purpose.
Because those are the qualities that shape lives long after the performance ends.
Whether they become performers, teachers, business owners, community leaders or parents one day, those foundations will stay with them for life.
Although Dream Academy and MATAI operate separately, the heart behind both has always been exactly the same.
Purpose.
Community.
Legacy.
From day one, MATAI was never built to chase money or simply become another successful watch brand.
It was built to give back.
To genuinely care about our Pacific community.
To honour God through the way we do business.
To build something that would outlive us.
To use whatever platform we've been blessed with to create opportunities for others.
Over the last four years, we've had the privilege of supporting schools, churches, sports teams, community organisations, government initiatives and countless local events throughout Western Sydney and beyond.
Not because it's good marketing.
Not because it helps sell more watches.
Because that's who we said we would be.
That's the promise we made when MATAI began.
This award isn't really about Andrew or me.
It belongs to every young person who has walked through the doors of HLC and Dream Academy.
It belongs to every family who trusted us.
It belongs to every mentor who gave up their time.
It belongs to our incredible HLC Board, whose commitment and leadership continue to shape the future of the organisation behind the scenes.
Most importantly, it belongs to every member of the MATAI family.
Every watch you've purchased.
Every message you've shared.
Every recommendation you've made.
Every order you've placed.
Every time you've chosen to wear MATAI.
You've helped make moments like this possible.
Your support has allowed us to continue saying yes to opportunities that create real impact in our communities.
When someone chooses MATAI, they're not simply buying a watch.
They're becoming part of something much bigger.
They're helping build a brand that believes business should give back.
That success should be shared.
That purpose should always come before profit.
Winning the 2025 Local Business Award for Performing Arts is an incredible honour, but it isn't the destination.
It's simply another reminder that when you stay faithful to your purpose, even when it doesn't make sense, God has a way of opening doors you never expected.
We're incredibly grateful for everyone who has walked this journey with us.
The journey continues.
Two-time Jewellery Business Award Winners.
Now proud recipients of the 2025 Local Business Award for Performing Arts.
Different industries.
One purpose.
Thank you for believing in us.
Thank you for believing in the vision.
And thank you for continuing to wear MATAI.
Strength. Identity. Legacy.
Built with purpose.
MATAI TO THE WORLD.
