Australian Geographic Adventurer of the Year Awards 2024: Nominations now open!
Australian Geographic’s annual awards for adventure are the longest-running and most prestigious accolades for the adventure community in Australia. With the launch of our new Australian Geographic Awards for Nature earlier this year, we have taken the conservation categories out of our annual merit awards and will focus solely on awarding achievements in adventure and exploration.
The four categories are listed below, and we invite you to submit your nominations here. Nominations close on 30 June.
We have also replaced the annual awards gala dinner in Sydney with smaller speaker events, like our Awards Roadshow events held in February this year. These events will take place around the country at selected venues that give our readers the chance to hear from our winners in a more intimate and interactive setting.
Categories
Young Adventurer of the Year
Awarded to a person usually under the age of 30, this award usually reflects a particular expedition or adventure during the last 24 months.
Spirit of Adventure
This is awarded to those whose efforts reflect strength, determination and the ability to overcome obstacles to attain their goals and achieve great things. It also acknowledges that sometimes it takes more than one attempt to achieve those goals. There is no age limit. It usually reflects an achievement or attempt during the last 24 months. It’s possible for there to be more than one winner in any given year.
Adventurer of the Year
This award has been won by Australia’s most celebrated explorers and adventurers such as Lisa Blair, Tim Jarvis AM and aviator Michael Smith who, at time of press, is undertaking another epic flight. It usually reflects a particularly notable achievement in the last 24 months. There are no age limits.
Lifetime of Adventure Award
This is the Society’s highest honour and recognises those special Australians who haven’t just lived an adventurous life, but who have also given back to Australia and inspired others by their leadership and example. Past recipients include mountaineer Greg Mortimer OAM, Dick Smith AC, and even Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin who received an honorary award in 2010 when he attended the awards event. There are no age limits, but it’s customary for the Lifetime of Adventure medallion to be given to an older Australian.
