RIVER4WARD 2026
Date: 28 MAY 2026
PAUL KELLY HEADLINES RIVER4WARD 2026 AS EVENT RAISES RECORD-BREAKING $863,000 FOR YOUTH CANCER
Music legend Paul Kelly led stars who united for youth cancer at Sony foundation’s tenth annual River4Ward, rallying behind young Australians required to travel far from home for cancer treatment.
Victoria’s leading names in media, entertainment and business united at Sony Foundation’s ‘River4Ward’ today, Thursday, 28 May, raising vital funds to support young regional Australians required to travel far from home for life-saving cancer treatment.
Hosted annually by Sony Foundation, the charitable arm of the Sony Group of Companies, River4Ward harnesses the power of music, entertainment and philanthropy to shine a spotlight on critical gaps in youth cancer care across Australia – gaps that continue to force young regional cancer patients to navigate the overwhelming reality of a cancer diagnosis far from home and the support of loved ones.
Headlining this year’s River4Ward was Australian music icon and Sony Music Group artist Paul Kelly, accompanied by Indigenous singer-songwriter, Jess Hitchcock. Inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame and widely regarded as Australia’s “poet laureate”, Kelly has built an acclaimed 40-year career spanning more than 27 studio albums. Guests were also treated to a moving performance by rising star and 2026 Australian Idol finalist Kalani Artis.
Hosting duties were shared across some of Melbourne’s most recognisable television and radio personalities from Sony Foundation’s Media Partners, including Nine Entertainment’s Alicia Loxley, Tom Steinfort, NOVA Entertainment’s Jason ‘Jase’ Hawkins, Lauren Phillips, Clint Stanaway, Seven Network’s Campbell Brown and Sky News’ Candice Wyatt, alongside FOXFM’s Brendan ‘Fev’ Fevola and auctioneer Damian O’Sullivan. Guests also heard from environmental activist and designer Joost Bakker, alongside Jack Say and Isaac Gibbons from ‘Swag on the Beat’ during a special Fireside Chat discussing the power of using personal platforms for social good.
Funds raised at River4Ward 2026 will support Sony Foundation’s You Can Stay, providing free, uncapped accommodation for young regional Australians aged 15–29, and their families, who must travel to the city for life-saving treatment unavailable closer to home. Since 2020, Sony Foundation, in partnership with Quest Apartment Hotels, has funded more than 45,000 nights of free accommodation through You Can Stay, allowing patients and families to focus on treatment without the added financial stress of paying for accommodation in the city.
Around one in three young cancer patients live in regional areas and they are 1.3 times more likely to die from the disease due to barriers in accessing critical care. With youth cancer rates up 50% since the 1980s and limited new Federal Budget measures to address rural health inequity, programs like Sony Foundation’s You Can Stay are helping bridge the gap, ensuring young Australians can access specialised cancer treatment regardless of where they live.
“Over the past six years, the rapid growth of You Can Stay has highlighted the very real challenges faced by young people and families in regional Australia when accessing life-saving cancer treatment. Together with Quest Apartment Hotels, we’re proud to have provided over 45,000 nights of free accommodation for regional families in need, helping ease some of the financial and emotional pressure during an incredibly difficult time,” said Ms Ryan-McPhee, CEO of Sony Foundation.
“Now in its tenth year, River4Ward is a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when the media, music and entertainment industries unite for a shared cause. The ongoing support for Sony Foundation and our youth cancer initiatives continues to make a meaningful difference, helping ensure young Australians can access the care and support they need, no matter where they live.”
18-year-old Remy Grogan from Gippsland, Victoria, was just 15 when she was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, requiring extensive treatment and multiple surgeries in Melbourne, more than 200 kilometres from home. To date, Sony Foundation’s You Can Stay program has provided Remy and her family with over 370 nights of free accommodation near her treating hospital, helping ease the significant financial and emotional burden of accessing specialised cancer care in the city.
At the event, Remy courageously shared her cancer journey in a powerful address.
“During all these long months of treatment, we travelled from home in Gippsland, almost 3 hours all the way to Melbourne a million times, with early appointments and me not being a morning person, we were blessed to have been introduced to the support of You Can Stay.
“We were put up in an apartment during the most intense part of my treatment just 5 minutes from the hospital. The Quest Apartment allowed me my own space whenever I wasn't in the hospital, a place family and friends could visit me…For mum and dad, it also meant they didn't have to drive hours and hours every week just to get me my treatment,” said Ms Grogan.
Each year, around 1,200 young Australians are diagnosed with cancer, more than any other age group. Caught between paediatric and adult care, many fall into a critical gap in the health system, where their unique needs are often overlooked.
Since its inception in 2010, Sony Foundation has committed more than $18 million to its national youth cancer initiative, You Can, helping bridge critical gaps in healthcare, and ensuring young Australians aged 15-29 facing cancer have access to specialised, age-appropriate care, regardless of where they live.
River4Ward continues to showcase the power of collective corporate philanthropy, bringing together more than 400 guests from across Victoria’s media, entertainment and business industries in support of young Australians facing the fight of their lives.
Sony Foundation thanks our River4Ward 2026 Event Partners: Creative Printing & Apparel, G.H.Mumm, Greenevent, Heineken Silver, Live Nation, Mazi Wines, Melbourne Entertainment Co., Morris Whisky, NPW Productions, Peter Lehmann Wines, Sanpellegrino, Tennis Australia, The Big Group, The Marsh Family, Topbunk and Unity Executive Services.
Sony Foundation also thanks our River4Ward 2026 Media Partners: ACM, Are Media, ARN, Foxtel Media, Gumtree Group, IGN Entertainment, JCDecaux, JOLT, News Corp Australia, Nine Entertainment, Nova Entertainment, oOh!media, Paramount, QMS, Scentre Group BrandSpace, Seven Network, Snapchat and Val Morgan.
