The AWE Recognition Awards

The AWE Recognition Awards

The Australasian Women in Emergencies Network (AWE) is proud to open nominations for the fourth annual AWE Recognition Awards.

These awards celebrate the women making a meaningful difference in emergency management and disaster resilience across Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific. They are an opportunity to recognise leadership, service, innovation, and impact across every part of the sector.

If you know a person whose work, service, advocacy, or leadership deserves recognition, we encourage you to nominate her. All AWE members are eligible to submit nominations.

2026 Key Dates

Nominations for the 2026 awards open on 21 July and close at 5.00pm AEST on 17 August 2026.

If you have any questions about the nomination process, please contact AWE by email at [email protected] or speak with an AWE Committee member. If you have difficulty speaking or understanding English, contact an AWE Committee member who will help you with your nomination.

Scroll down to access the nomination form and submit your entry.

  • 21 July – Nominations open
  • 17 August – Nominations close at 5.00pm AEST
  • 15 September – Award recipients announced

The AWE Recognition Awards are open to women who work, volunteer, study, research, have experience, or are interested in emergencies and disaster resilience across Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific. This includes people from all sectors involved in emergencies, whether big or small, paid or unpaid, encompassing emergency services, community and not-for-profit organisations, governments and agencies, universities and schools, and the private sector.

The awards recognise contributions across many parts of the sector, from frontline operations and policy to volunteering, research, mentoring, and community leadership.

Award Categories

Leadership – for an individual whose vision, influence and example has shaped the future of emergency management and disaster resilience.

Example: A senior leader who has driven lasting change across an agency, organisation, or region.

Knowledge and Capability Development – for an individual who has contributed to building skills, knowledge, training, and capability across the sector.

Example: A trainer, educator, or practitioner who has strengthened skills, knowledge, or professional capability in others.

Community Resilience & Inclusion – for an individual who has contributed to strengthening communities through resilience-building, inclusion, and locally led action.

Example: A community leader whose work has improved inclusion, preparedness, or resilience for people and places at risk.

Emergency Management and Disaster Resilience Practice – for an individual who has demonstrated a commitment to excellence in operational practice and in planning, response, recovery, and collaborative practice.

Example: A practitioner who has delivered strong outcomes in planning, response, recovery, or multi-agency collaboration.

Advancing Gender Equity & Mentoring – for an individual who has made a significant contribution to creating pathways for others through mentoring, advocacy, and action on gender equity.

Example: A mentor, advocate, or changemaker helping create more equitable pathways for women in the sector.

Research, Policy & Innovation – for an individual who has contributed to the development and advancement of knowledge, turning evidence, ideas, and policy into better practice and stronger outcomes.

Example: A researcher or policy leader whose work has influenced better decisions, practice, or system improvement.

Volunteering & Community Contribution – for an individual whose volunteer service, leadership and community contribution has made a meaningful difference in promoting opportunities, wellbeing and resilience in volunteering.

Example: A volunteer or community contributor whose service has had a positive and lasting local impact.

If you know someone who is making an important contribution in one of these areas, meets the criteria below, and embodies the AWE values, we encourage you to nominate them for an AWE Recognition Award.

AWE Values

Equity and inclusion

We challenge structural barriers and create inclusive opportunities so women of all backgrounds, identities, and lived experiences can participate, lead, and thrive.

Collaboration and collective action

We believe lasting change happens together. We work across organisations, sectors, and communities to advance gender equity and create shared impact.

Respect for lived experience and expertise

We value evidence, professional expertise, and lived experience equally, and we amplify women’s voices, knowledge, and leadership across the sector.

Empowerment and leadership

We support women to realise their full potential and lead change within their organisations, communities, and the emergency management sector.

Integrity and accountability

We act with transparency, care, and responsibility, and remain accountable to our members, partners, and purpose.

Adaptability and learning

We learn, adapt, and respond to changing contexts so we can remain relevant, effective, and resilient in a complex environment.

Eligibility Criteria

  • Nominees must be at least 16 years of age.
  • Nominators must be members of AWE Network.
  • Two referees from different organisations are required, and each must provide a brief statement of support. The nominator cannot also act as a referee for the nominee.
  • A person can receive only one Award each year and is not eligible for another Award within three years.

Selection Criteria

  • The nominations will be assessed by a Selection Panel appointed by the AWE Committee.
  • The panel will consider the nominee’s achievements during the year immediately preceding the award, as well as their broader contribution and ongoing impact in emergency management and disaster resilience.
  • To reflect the diversity of AWE membership, the panel may also consider factors such as age, geographic location, and the nature of the nominee’s contribution, including voluntary or paid roles.
  • Self-nominations are encouraged.
  • A nominee need only be nominated once to be considered. No weight is given to the number of times a person is nominated. One nominator can nominate up to four individuals each year.
  • The Selection Panel will review all eligible nominations and determine the category and recognition level by consensus, including a selected number of Outstanding Recognition Awards.
  • Awards in categories will be determined by the content or nature of the successful nominations.
    In the event of a dispute, the decision of the Selection Panel will be final. Any offline materials submitted as part of your entry will not be returned. No feedback will be provided by the Selection Panel.
  • Nominations must be submitted through the form below by the entry deadline. Entries submitted after this deadline can be entered the following year.

AWE Ally Award Criteria

In order to be eligible for an AWE Ally Award, nominees must:

  • Be nominated by a colleague who self-identifies as female (no self-nominations or nominations from male allies).
  • Be working or volunteering in the emergency management and disaster resilience sector.
  • Have a proven record of working to advance gender equity and inclusion in the workplace.
  • Be a current or past supporter of AWE.
  • Embody the AWE Values.

Nomination

Thank you for your interest in the 2026 AWE Recognition Awards. Nominations are now closed.