The Arts Foundation appointed Sir Eion and Lady Jan Edgar as Patrons of the Icon Awards after Sir Eion's retirement as a Trustee in 2010 and following their remarkable $500,000 donation to the Foundation. Sir Eion has long been a champion of the Icon Awards and says "the Icon Awards offer New Zealanders the opportunity to congratulate our most accomplished artists on their achievements and to celebrate their work with them. This is an important function for any developed society and one that Jan and I are proud to be associated with."