2026 NOMINATIONS ARE NOW OPEN!

See the 2025 Award winners HERE

Our annual Animal Justice Awards recognise the individuals, charities and organisations working towards a better life for all animals for today, tomorrow and into the future

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Every year we will provide Awards and one-off financial grants to support outstanding animal charities, thought-leading activists, cruelty-free brands and innovative community organisations that are progressing animal justice.

Awarding those who foster sustainable behavioural, social, political, economic, cultural and technological change to save animals is one of the ways the foundation aims to support the movement.

Huge thanks to Animals Australia for their ongoing support and sponsorship of the Effective Activism Award, and to the Australian Alliance for Animals for signing up for another year with their Award for Young Political Advocacy. The same thanks go to The Gillies Foundation for their Award for Exemplary Commitment to Companion Animal Rescues for the second year, and we are thrilled to announce that World Animal Protection has agreed to sponsor an Award for Effective International Advocacy and Impact.

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Award Categories

This year’s Awards include seven categories:

1. Peter Singer Award for Lifetime Achievement
2. In Memoriam Award for Animal Justice
3. Award for Outstanding Activism for Animal Justice
4. Animals Australia Award for Effective Advocacy
5. Gillies Foundation Award for Exemplary Commitment to Companion Animal Rescue
6. Australian Alliance for Animals Award for Young Political Advocacy
7. World Animal Protection Award for Effective International Advocacy and Impact

An Award Selection Panel of renowned animal advocates will be convened to review the nominations and select the winners, with a formal announcement of award winners made the Animal Rights Forum in Sydney in February 2026. The winners will also be announced via our newsletter and social media.

The Award Selection Panel will consist of representatives from the Animal Justice Foundation, Animal Rights Forum, Animals Australia, The Gillies Foundation, Australian Alliance for Animals, and World Animal Protection.

Note that nominations for the Animal Justice Awards are not “votes” in any sense. The panel will determine the winner without consideration of the number of nominations that name a person or organisation.

Previous winners in a category cannot be considered again in the same category, but may be considered in an alternative category. See links to 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 awards and winners at top of this page.

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Peter Singer Award for Lifetime Achievement

Please note that this award is not accompanied by a financial grant. This will be awarded by Peter Singer to an individual who has provided outstanding service to the movement over a long period (more than 20 years).

The Awards Selection Panel will consider the impact of the work on animals directly, as well as its wider impact on society’s progress towards a world of animal justice. The winner will receive a bespoke, hand-blown glass award mounted on an Australian native timber base, in recognition of their work.

Are you nominating yourself or someone else? *-- Please choose --MyselfSomeone else

Details of the nominee (person you're nominating)

First name

Last name

OrganisationIf relevant

Email address

Phone

Please describe their lifetime’s work in the movement *(limit 500 words)0 / 500

Your contact details

Your first name *

Your last name *

Your email address *

Your phone *

Your organisationIf relevant

Please describe your lifetime’s work in the movement *(limit 500 words)0 / 500

Your affiliation with the nomineeColleagueFriendFamilyOther

Other affiliation

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Submit nomination

Please do not fill in this field.

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In Memoriam Award for Animal Justice

This will be awarded to an individual who has provided outstanding service to the movement and has passed away in the preceding period (2024-25) The panel will consider the impact of the work on animals directly, as well as its wider impact on society’s progress towards a world of animal justice.

The family, beneficiaries or successors of the person will receive a bespoke, hand-blown glass award mounted on an Australian native timber base, in recognition of their work in the movement. Please note that this award is not accompanied by a financial grant.

I am nominating...

First name *

Last name *

OrganisationIf relevant

Please describe their work and impact in the movement *(limit 200 words)0 / 200

Nominee deceased *I confirm that this person is deceased

Your contact details

Your name *

Your email address *

Your phone *

Your affiliation with the nomineeColleagueFriendFamilyOther

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Please do not fill in this field.

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Award for Outstanding Activism for Animal Justice 

This accolade includes a $10,000 grant. and will be awarded to an individual or organisation that has undertaken outstanding activism in the previous period (2024-25) to fund further effective activism.

The winner will receive a bespoke, hand-blown glass award mounted on an Australian native timber base, in recognition of their work, along with the financial grant to support their ongoing work for animals. 

The Awards Selection Panel will consider both the work already undertaken, and the proposed use of the $10,000 grant over the following year to continue and deepen the outstanding activism.

The winner will be required to provide a progress report within twelve months of receiving the grant funds and will be followed up to ensure effective use. Where possible, the AJF will help promote this work and progress through our own communications. 

You are welcome to nominate a person for this Award, but the awards panel will need the contact details of someone with authoritative knowledge of the work done and proposed. So, most of the nominations are expected to be by the individual or organisation itself.

Are you nominating yourself or someone else? *-- Please choose --MyselfSomeone else

Details of the nominee (person you're nominating)

First name

Last name

OrganisationIf relevant

Email address

Phone

Please describe their work in the movement in the last year *(limit 500 words)0 / 500

Please describe what you anticipate the funds would be used for, if awarded the grant *(limit 500 words)0 / 500

Your contact details

Your first name *

Your last name *

Your email address *

Your phone *

Your organisationIf relevant

Your affiliation with the nomineeColleagueFriendFamilyOther

Other affiliation

Please describe your work in the movement in the last year *(limit 500 words)0 / 500

Please describe the proposed use of funds if awarded the grant *(limit 500 words)0 / 500

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Submit nomination

Please do not fill in this field.

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Animals Australia Award for Effective Advocacy

This will be awarded to an individual or organisation that has undertaken innovative and effective values-based advocacy to further the animal cause through a shift in the human/animal relationship in the previous period.

The Awards Selection Panelwill consider both the work already undertaken, and the proposed use of funds towards influencing human thinking, attitudes and choices which affect the lives of animals.

The winner will receive a bespoke, hand-blown glass award mounted on an Australian native timber base, in recognition of their work, and a $5,000 grant from Animals Australia to fund further similar advocacy.

You are welcome to nominate someone for this Award category, but the Awards Selection Panel will need the contact details of someone with authoritative knowledge of the work done and proposed. So, most of the nominations are expected to be by the individual or organisation itself.

The awards sponsored by Animals Australia will only consider nominees whose work is legal under state and national laws applicable at the time.

Are you nominating yourself or someone else? *-- Please choose --MyselfSomeone else

Details of the nominee (person you're nominating)

First name

Last name

OrganisationIf relevant

Email address

Phone

Please describe their work in the movement in the last year *(limit 500 words)0 / 500

Your contact details

Your first name *

Your last name *

Your email address *

Your phone *

Your organisationIf relevant

Your affiliation with the nomineeColleagueFriendFamilyOther

Other affiliation

Please describe your work in the movement in the last year *(limit 500 words)0 / 500

Subscribe to AJF's email newsletterSubscribe

Submit nomination

Please do not fill in this field.

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Gillies Foundation Award for
Exemplary Commitment to Companion Animal Rescue

This will be awarded to an Australian Rescue Group that has demonstrated exemplary commitment towards the protection, care and well-being of vulnerable companion animals at risk in the community in the previous period (2024-25)

The winner will receive a bespoke, hand-blown glass award mounted on an Australian native timber base, in recognition of their work, and a $10,000 grant from The Gillies Foundation to fund similar work.

You are welcome to nominate someone for this Award category, but the Awards Selection Panel will need the contact details of someone with authoritative knowledge of the work done and proposed. So, most of the nominations are expected to be by the individual or organisation itself.

The award sponsored by The Gillies Foundation will only consider nominees whose work is legal under state and national laws applicable at the time.

Are you nominating yourself or someone else? *-- Please choose --MyselfSomeone else

Details of the nominee (person you're nominating)

First name

Last name

OrganisationIf relevant

Email address

Phone

Please describe their work in the movement in the last year *(limit 500 words)0 / 500

Please describe what you anticipate the funds would be used for, if awarded the grant *(limit 500 words)0 / 500

Your contact details

Your first name *

Your last name *

Your email address *

Your phone *

Your organisationIf relevant

Your affiliation with the nomineeColleagueFriendFamilyOther

Other affiliation

Please describe your work in the movement in the last year *(limit 500 words)0 / 500

Please describe the proposed use of funds if awarded the grant *(limit 500 words)0 / 500

Subscribe to AJF's email newsletterSubscribe

Submit nomination

Please do not fill in this field.

Australian Alliance for Animals
Award for Young Political Advocacy

This will be awarded to a young person, or group of young people, who have undertaken effective political advocacy to represent the interests of animals to government in the previous period (2024-25).

The Awards Selection panel will consider how their advocacy work has raised awareness of and contributed to a government or political policy debate concerning the interests of animals.

Examples of effective political advocacy include:

• engagement with local, state or federal politicians to raise awareness of animal suffering and gain support for policy change
• generating messages, letters or submissions to government inquiries and consultation processes, to promote pro-animal views being reflected in subsequent reports and recommendations
• organising others to engage with politicians or government processes to achieve policy change for animals.

The winner will receive a bespoke, hand-blown glass award mounted on an Australian native timber base, in recognition of their work, and a $2,000 grant from the Australian Alliance for Animals to support their ongoing political advocacy.

To be eligible for this award, all nominees must meet the following criteria:

• Nominees must be under the age of 30 at the time applications close.
• Advocacy activities must be focused on promoting or opposing a particular policy rather than promoting or opposing a political party.
• All activities conducted must be legal under state and national laws applicable at the time.

You are welcome to nominate someone for this Award category, but the Awards Selection Panel will need the contact details of someone with authoritative knowledge of the work done and proposed, therefore, most of the nominations are expected to be by the individual or group itself.

Are you nominating yourself or someone else? *-- Please choose --MyselfSomeone else

Details of the nominee(s) (person or people you're nominating)

First name

Last name

Names of additional nominees(if applicable - you may add the names of up to 3 additional people)

First name

Last name

First name

Last name

First name

Last name

Confirmation of age *I confirm that all people listed will be under 30 years of age on 31 December this year.

OrganisationIf relevant

Email address

Phone

Please describe their political advocacy work in the movement in the last year *(limit 500 words)0 / 500

Your contact details

Your first name *

Your last name *

Your email address *

Your phone *

Your organisationIf relevant

Your affiliation with the nomineeColleagueFriendFamilyOther

Other affiliation

Please describe your political advocacy work in the movement in the last year *(limit 500 words)0 / 500

Confirmation of age *I confirm that I am under 30 years of age on 31 October 2024

Subscribe to AJF's email newsletterSubscribe

Submit nomination

Please do not fill in this field.

World Animal Protection Award for
Effective International Advocacy and Impact

This will be awarded to an Australian individual or organisation that has undertaken effective and impactful campaigning to reduce animal suffering on a global level.

The Awards Selection Panel will look for evidence of campaigning that has been effective in achieving change for animals in multiple countries or international fora.

The winner will receive a bespoke, hand-blown glass award mounted on an Australian native timber base, in recognition of their work, and a $5,000 grant from World Animal Protection to fund similar work.

You are welcome to nominate someone for this Award category, but the Awards Selection Panel will need the contact details of someone with authoritative knowledge of the work done and proposed, therefore, most of the nominations are expected to be by the individual or organisation itself.

The award sponsored by World Animal Protection will only consider nominees whose work is legal under state and national laws applicable at the time.

Are you nominating yourself or someone else? *-- Please choose --MyselfSomeone else

Details of the nominee (person you're nominating)

First name

Last name

OrganisationIf relevant

Email address

Phone

Please describe their work in the animal protection/rights/advocacy movement in the last year *(limit 500 words)0 / 500

Please describe what you anticipate the funds would be used for, if awarded the grant *(limit 500 words)0 / 500

Your contact details

Your first name *

Your last name *

Your email address *

Your phone *

Your organisationIf relevant

Your affiliation with the nomineeColleagueFriendFamilyOther

Other affiliation

Please describe your work in the animal protection/rights/advocacy movement in the last year *(limit 500 words)0 / 500

Please describe the proposed use of funds if awarded the grant *(limit 500 words)0 / 500

Subscribe to AJF's email newsletterSubscribe

Submit nomination

Please do not fill in this field.

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Notes on eligibility:

• Groups do not require incorporation.
• With the intention of promoting animal protection to a wider community, there is no political belief or orientation requirement to be eligible for an award or grant.
• With the intention of promoting animal protection to a wider community, there is no strict dietary or lifestyle requirement to be eligible for an award or grant, though these factors may be considered by the Award Selection Panel.
• With the exception of the World Animal Protection award, it is anticipated that the majority of grant monies will be used to fund projects within Australia.
• It is anticipated that individuals or organisations will only be recognised within a category on one occasion, i.e. the same person or entity cannot win an award in the same category more than once.
• The Animal Justice Awards will largely be directed towards initiatives that can be described as “abolitionist”, that is, ultimately directed towards rights or justice for animals, rather than improved welfare.
• The decision of the Award Selection Panel is final and correspondence will not be entered into.
• The awards sponsored by Animals Australia, the Australian Alliance for Animals, The Gillies Foundation, and World Animal Protection will only consider work that is legal under state and national laws applicable at the time.
• The Animal Justice Awards are contingent on the growth of the AJF’s annual revenue and comprise a small proportion of the annual income earned from investments, philanthropy and donations.

Image credit: Carol Slater Photography, 2020