• Nominations for Awards close on 21 June. This includes the original nomination, plus endorsement from referee(s).
• All AusIMM members are eligible to nominate and be nominated for one or more Awards.
• AusIMM members may nominate non-members for all Awards except the Beryl Jacka Award, which is only open to AusIMM members.
• Nominations are to be made online using the form.
• Self-nominations will not be accepted.
• The nominator must be an AusIMM member; referees preferably so.
• All nominations are strictly confidential, and it is a requirement that nominees are not informed of their nomination.
• AusIMM is committed to increasing diversity in the industry and welcomes nominations from all professionals, regardless of discipline or background.
• Nominations are also encouraged across AusIMM’s global membership highlighting the impact of our members’ work all over the world.
• It is expected that nominators and/or referees will likely have professional or personal relationships with the nominee. Nominators and referees are asked to describe their relationship with the nominee for the sake of transparency.  

Highest Honours

These awards celebrate outstanding, sustained leadership and exceptional contributions to AusIMM or the resources sector. This category includes three prestigious awards.

The Institute Medal

The Institute Medal is the most prestigious Award and highest honour conferred by AusIMM, recognising eminent leadership and exceptional achievement that has delivered significant and lasting impact for AusIMM or the resources sector.

Honorary Fellowship

Honorary Fellowship may be conferred on any senior and influential professional who has performed notable, active and sustained service to AusIMM or made a major contribution to the resources sector.   This Award includes complimentary annual membership going forward.

Beryl Jacka Award

This award is AusIMM’s pre eminent service honour, named in recognition of Beryl Jacka, who provided exceptional service to AusIMM for more than 40 years, including as Secretary.   It recognises an AusIMM member who has demonstrated extraordinary and sustained service and long-term commitment to AusIMM.  

Note: In 2026, the AusIMM Awards Committee recommended consolidating the Institute Medal and President’s Award into a single, clearly defined top tier award (The Institute Medal). This recommendation was approved by the AusIMM Board. This consolidation provides clear recognition of AusIMM’s highest honour, reduces duplication, and strengthens transparency, integrity and consistency in the Awards framework and judging criteria. Previous recipients will continue to be recognised in listings of past AusIMM Awards, with clear notation of the award name and date to reflect the change.

Leadership Awards

These awards recognise consistent and significant contribution to the ongoing success of AusIMM and/or the resources sector. There are two Awards in this category: Outstanding Leadership Award and Emerging Leader of the Year.

Outstanding Leadership Award

This Award may be presented to an AusIMM member or group. It recognises consistent and noteworthy leadership that has contributed to the ongoing success of the AusIMM and/or the resources sector, through strengthening professional understanding, collaboration and engagement with the broader community.

Note: In 2026, the number of Outstanding Leadership Awards was reduced from two to one, with the criteria refined to focus on leadership impact rather than service. Previously, elements of the Outstanding Leadership Award criteria overlapped with service-based contributions more appropriately recognised through the Beryl Jacka Award. This overlap created duplication and blurred the distinction between leadership recognition and service recognition. The revised structure clearly differentiates the two awards and strengthens the clarity and integrity of the awards framework.

Emerging Leader of the Year

The Emerging Leader of the Year Award recognises the contribution of a young professional within the resources sector through operational, academic, service, or other notable achievement.

This award may be presented to a new resources sector professional, generally aged under 30.

Professional Excellence Awards

These Awards recognise professional excellence for significant contributions to the development or application of professional knowledge, practice or leadership within a specific discipline aligned to AusIMM Societies.  These Awards may be presented to professionals at any career stage, of any discipline, who have made a worthy contribution to their own or any other discipline.

There are six awards in this category:

• Charles Marshall Consultants Society Award
• Peter Stoker Geoscience Society Award
• Jim Torlach Health and Safety Society Award
• AusIMM Metallurgical Society Award
• AusIMM Mining Society Award
• AusIMM Social and Environment Society Award

• The AusIMM Awards Committee will be responsible for the Highest Honours (3 Awards) and Leadership Awards (2 Awards). 
• AusIMM Societies will oversee the Professional Excellence Awards, consisting of six categories representing each Society's focus. Awards Panels will be established within each Society to review nominations and make recommendations. These selections will then be approved in consultation with the Awards Committee. 
• If required, a request for more information may be sent to the nominator and/or referee(s).
• No name or names of people other than those recommended by the Awards Committee for an Award shall be reported to the Board.
• The Awards Committee may exercise discretion in awarding more or fewer than the Awards noted in each category in any year. This includes the option of no Awards in any category.
• All unsuccessful nominations shall be reviewed at the beginning of the following year’s process and may be retained for further consideration.

• Awards will be presented at the annual AusIMM Awards Dinner, usually held in conjunction with the annual AusIMM Congress. In 2026, the AusIMM Awards Dinner will be held in Newcastle on Friday 16 October.