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2024 award nominations have now closed.
Our annual Animal Justice Awards recognise the individuals, charities and organisations working towards a better life for all animals for today, tomorrow and in future.
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 who 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 and Voiceless for their support and sponsorship of three awards.
Award Categories
This year’s Awards include six categories:
- The Peter Singer Award for Lifetime Achievement
- In Memoriam for Animal Justice
- Outstanding Activism in Animal Justice
- Animals Australia Award for Effective Advocacy
- Voiceless Award for Animal Protection Education
- Voiceless Award for Youth Advocacy
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 at the Animal Rights Forum in Melbourne 24-25 February 2025. The Award Selection Panel will consist of representatives from the Animal Justice Foundation, Animal Rights Forum, Animals Australia and Voiceless.
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.
Peter Singer Award for Lifetime Achievement
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 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 the bespoke Peter Singer Award for Lifetime Achievement in recognition of their work.
Nominations have now closed.
In Memoriam 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. 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 In Memoriam Animal Justice Award in recognition of their work in the movement.
Nominations have now closed.
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 (2023) to fund further effective activism. The winner will receive a bespoke Outstanding Activism for Animal Justice Award in recognition of their work and a $10,000 cheque to support their ongoing work for animals.
The 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.
Nominations have now closed.
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 (2023). The panel will 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 award 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 consider only work that is legal under state and national laws applicable at the time.
Nominations have now closed.
Voiceless Award for Animal Protection Education
This will be awarded to an Australian sanctuary, educator, or influencer who uses educational strategies to raise awareness of or promote critical thinking about animal protection issues.
The winner will receive a bespoke award and $2,500 from Voiceless in recognition of their 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 awards sponsored by Voiceless will consider only work that is legal under state and national laws applicable at the time.
Nominations have now closed.
Voiceless Award for Youth Advocacy
This will be awarded to a young or young-at-heart trailblazer who has demonstrated passion, commitment and transformative work for the Australian animal protection movement in the past few years (2020-2023).
The winner will receive a bespoke award and $2,500 from Voiceless in recognition of their 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 awards sponsored by Voiceless will consider only work that is legal under state and national laws applicable at the time.
Nominations have now closed.
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.
- It is anticipated that the majority of grants 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 it in multiple years)
- 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 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.
- The awards sponsored by Animals Australia and Voiceless will consider only work that is legal under state and national laws applicable at the time.
Image credit: Carol Slater Photography, 2020
