The annual IMRF Awards for 2025 is now open for nominations. If you know of any individual, team, or organisation that has significantly contributed to this effort, whether on a local, national, regional, or global scale, please consider making a nomination by clicking here.

The IMRF is thrilled to announce that nominations for the highly prestigious 2025 IMRF Awards are now open. These awards, renowned for recognising dedication, hard work, exceptional leadership, and advancements in technology and innovation, serve as a beacon of excellence in the maritime SAR community. Over the years, not only has the number of nominations we received increased, but the categories have also expanded. 

The IMRF Awards not only highlight the dedication and exceptional effort of maritime SAR professionals and volunteers but also underscore the significant impact of their work. By recognising technological advancements, the awards encourage ongoing improvement and adaptation in SAR operations, demonstrating the importance of innovation in saving lives in the world’s waters and acknowledging the global reach and influence of the SAR community.  

This year’s awards categories are: 

IMRF Award for Outstanding Individual Contribution 

This award recognises an individual's exceptional effort and dedication to maritime SAR. The recipient may have demonstrated exceptional actions, leadership, or innovation in rescue operations. 

IMRF Award for Outstanding Team Contribution 

This award is given to a team that has had remarkable collaboration and effectiveness in maritime SAR missions. The focus is on teamwork, coordination, and the collective achievement involved in rescue operations. 

IMRF Innovation and Technology Award – sponsored by Kpler 

This category honours advancements in maritime SAR technology and methodology. It can include new tools, systems, or techniques significantly enhancing SAR capabilities and efficiency. 

IMRF #WomenInSAR Award – sponsored by HamiltonJet 

This award honours an individual who has made a significant contribution to improving equality of opportunity for women and girls in maritime SAR. 

IMRF Vladimir Maksimov Award for Lifetime Achievement - sponsored by Inmarsat 

Named after Vladimir Maksimov, this award celebrates an individual’s lifelong dedication to maritime SAR. It acknowledges sustained contributions to the SAR community over many years. 

IMRF People's Choice Award – sponsored by Navigate PR 

This award allows the public to vote for their choice after the finalists have been announced. You cannot make a nomination for this category. 

IMRF Patron’s Award 

Selected by the IMRF’s Patron, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, this award honours an individual or team that has shown outstanding efforts in maritime SAR. This is chosen from the nominations. You cannot make a nomination for this category. 

Nominations for the 2025 IMRF Awards are now open, so if you know of any individual, team, or organisation that has significantly contributed to this effort, whether on a local, national, regional, or global scale, please consider making a nomination by clicking here.

Please note that nominations for this year's awards close at 23:59 UTC on Friday, 8 August 2025. 

Please remember that the more information you provide in the nomination, the greater the chances of your nomination being selected as a winner.

Sponsorship opportunity:  

To make these awards truly memorable and to ensure we can properly honour the achievements of the award recipients, we are providing sponsorship opportunities for the following categories: Outstanding Individual Contribution and Outstanding Team Contribution. Sponsorship includes a name and company profile in relevant materials, along with an exclusive announcement of the award winner for the sponsored category. The video will be viewed at the Annual Meeting, featured in social media posts, and shared on the IMRF’s YouTube channel.

Should you or your organisation wish to sponsor, please contact Caroline Jupe at [email protected] or click here to view our sponsorship page.