NONA Opens Its 40th Ruby Jubilee With a Preview of the Gala Awards 2026
NONA has officially opened its 40th Ruby Jubilee celebrations with the NONA Media Soiree, held at The Heritage Club, Royale Chulan Kuala Lumpur, where the women's lifestyle brand gave an exclusive first look at the NONA Gala Awards 2026.
Carrying the theme "An Afternoon Among Trailblazers and Icons", the afternoon marked a milestone for a brand that has been part of Malaysian life since 1986. Four decades on, the celebration is less about the magazine itself and more about the women it has spent those years spotlighting, from those who built lasting legacies to the newer names still challenging convention.
Presented exclusively by NONA in collaboration with seeNI, with SFJ as the main sponsor, the soiree doubled as the reveal of what the Gala Awards 2026 will look like. Two new honours were introduced: NONA Rising 40 Under 40, and the NONA People's Choice Icons of the Year, both aimed at recognising emerging talent alongside established figures.
"Through this 40th anniversary celebration, we are not simply reflecting on the legacy that has been built, but also creating opportunities to connect younger generations with a brand that served as a platform to celebrate achievements, leadership and aspirations," said Syamil Fahim Mohamed Fahim, Chief Executive Officer of Nu Ideaktiv Sdn Bhd. "We want to ensure that NONA remains relevant as a brand that celebrates women, inspires them and grows alongside them for the next four decades."
For readers who want to watch, the NONA Gala Awards 2026 gala night will be streamed live on the official YouTube and Facebook channels of NONA and Mingguan Wanita. NONA sits under Nu Ideaktiv, the digital media company formed in 2018 through a collaboration between Astro and Karangkraf.
Forty years in, the brand is framing its next chapter around the same idea it started with: making space for Malaysian women's stories, and passing that platform on to the generation coming up behind them.
Photos courtesy of NONA.
