ANU Alumni Awards

2025 Alumni Awards Nominations 

The ANU Alumni Awards recognise and celebrate the diverse achievements of our alumni, and student volunteers, who are making a real difference in the world. The awards showcase the skills, passion and achievements that make ANU alumni leaders in the community. We encourage you to nominate yourself or someone in the ANU community who should be celebrated for their impact when the nominations are re-opened next year.

Past recipients have included change-makers in policy, champions in sustainability, Indigenous entrepreneurs, and advocates for human rights around the globe. You can see the 2023 ANU Alumni Award recipients here.
 
Award categories:
  • Alumni of the Year
  • Indigenous Alumni of the Year
  • International Alumni of the Year
  • Young Alumni of the Year
  • Alumni Volunteer of the Year
  • Student Volunteer of the Year
 

Judging criteria

All eligible applications will be assessed on the extent to which they meet the following three criteria:

Impact: evidence and scale of the tangible impact and contribution the nominee has had in their profession, community or field of expertise.

Service: evidence the nominee is committed to bettering the lives of others in their community or society in general through their professional or volunteer efforts.

ANU: the influence of ANU on the nominee's career and achievements, and examples of how the nominee has stayed involved with the University community.
 

Award category eligibility

Please check the eligibility criteria for the award you wish to nominate for before starting the nomination.

Alumni of the Year

This award is the most prestigious honour awarded by the University to a member of the ANU alumni community. Nominees for this category must be recognised as alumni of ANU and have completed a postgraduate or undergraduate degree at the University.

Indigenous Alumni of the Year

This award is presented to an outstanding individual who identifies as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and is accepted as such by the community in which they live. Nominees for this category must be recognised as alumni of ANU and have completed a postgraduate or undergraduate degree at the University.

International Alumni of the Year

This award is presented to an outstanding individual who was enrolled as an international student at ANU and is an international citizen or holds a permanent residency visa for a country other than Australia. Nominees for this category must be recognised as alumni of ANU and have completed a postgraduate or undergraduate degree at the University.

Young Alumni of the Year

This award is presented to an outstanding individual 35 years of age or younger (born in 1989 or later). Nominees for this category must be recognised as alumni of ANU and have completed a postgraduate or undergraduate degree at the University.

Alumni Volunteer of the Year 

This award is presented to an outstanding individual who has consistently given back to their community or a specific group through volunteerism. This award celebrates their impactful contributions across profit, non-profit, community, or public sectors, highlighting their commitment to social innovation and service to others, both locally and globally. Nominees for this category must be recognised as alumni of ANU and have completed a postgraduate or undergraduate degree at the University.

Student Volunteer of the Year 

This award is presented to an outstanding individual who is currently enrolled as an undergraduate or postgraduate student at ANU or graduated, or will be eligible to graduation in 2024. The nominee must have been enrolled for at least one semester.
 

Conditions of nomination

  • Nominations must be received via the online nomination form by 11.59pm (Australian Eastern Standard Time) on Saturday 31 August 2024. Late nominations will not be accepted.
  • Self-nomination is allowed.
  • The selection panel reserves the right to reallocate nominations between categories based on the field of nominees.
  • Nomination forms and supporting documentation must be completed in English.
  • Alumni who have been unsuccessful in previous nominations may be re-nominated in the same or another category.
  • All nominees (if aware of their nomination) and nominators will be contacted by the University with the outcome of the nomination.
  • Due to the large volume of quality nominations received, the University will be unable to provide feedback to nominees or nominators.
​Award recipients and nominees may be acknowledged in media publications and via University communication channels, for example the ANU website and social media.

For more information on ANU Advancement Privacy, please click .

Top tips for writing your nomination:

Who, what, why and how: Summarise the key information at the start of your application. 

Use personal examples: This is a memorable way to make your nominee stand out.

Plan and categorise: Remember a good piece of writing is 30% planning, 40% writing and 30% editing. You can compartmentalise your thoughts and ideas, and improve readability for the selection panel.

Address the selection criteria: Just like a job application, responses need to be linked to the selection criteria. Ensure you carefully address each criterion, demonstrating the nominees' impact and achievements, and providing evidence where possible.

Avoid hyperbole: Words like "world-class" or "superstar" are overused and not evidence-based.

Remember your audience: The selection panel is comprised of executive staff members and alumni, including former Alumni Award recipients. Panel members are selected based upon their professional experience to ensure each panel has the relevant expertise for each award category.


 

More information

For more information about the ANU Alumni Awards:

 

Award timetable

01
Jul
Nominations open
31
Aug
Nominations close
30
Oct
Finalists notified
2025 Awards Ceremony (Date to be advised)

Highlight story

Past years' recipients

Contact

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