Animal Action Awards information

Last updated on 10 July, 2026

Nominations process

The nominations process opens on 13 March 2026 and will close at 5:00 pm GMT on 24 April 2026. All nominations must be submitted electronically on the IFAW website; please visit the 2026 Animal Action Awards Nomination Form. Any individual 18 years of age or over can submit a nomination for an organisation or individual 18 years of age or over whom they deem to make extraordinary contributions towards animal conservation, rescue, welfare, or animals and people thriving together. Nominations may also be submitted for animals deemed to be extraordinary. No donation, purchase, or payment of any kind is necessary to nominate or win.

Eligibility and Rules

If you enter or nominate an organisation or individual for the Animal Action Awards through this website, then you agree to and are bound by the following rules:

• To enter or nominate, you must be 18 years of age or older.
• Note: Award winners must have a bank account in their individual/organisation name and be required to provide these banking details to receive award-related payments or reimbursements.
• The following individuals are not eligible to be nominated for this Award: employees, interns, volunteers, directors, trustees and officers of IFAW and its affiliates or any individuals, agencies, companies, or entities involved in the administration, judging, development of the Award and the immediate family members – defined as spouse, recognised partner, parent, child, sibling, and spouse or “step” of each and those living in the same household of each such individual.
• Sending an e-mail is not proof that we have received your nomination submission. No responsibility can be accepted for nominations that are lost or delayed, or which are not received for any reason.
• Incorrectly completed submissions will be disqualified.
• The closing date is 5:00 pm GMT on 24 April 2026, and we reserve the right to amend the end date at any time. If you are a winner, we will notify you as specified below. The judges’ decision will be final, and no correspondence will be entered into.
• You can view winners of the 2026 Animal Action Awards by visiting the IFAW website after the Animal Action Awards ceremony is held on Thursday 15 October 2026.
• We reserve the right to amend these rules at any time to comply with law or comply with legal requirements or meet changing business needs without notice. If so, we will publish the updates on the relevant IFAW website.

Eligibility Review and Due Diligence

To protect the integrity of the Awards program, FAW reserves the right, at any stage of the nomination, review, selection, or award process, to determine that a nominee is ineligible or unable to proceed where legal, regulatory, compliance, sanctions-related, operational, financial, tax, reputational, security, or other considerations would prevent or significantly complicate IFAW's ability to administer the Animal Action Awards or provide any associated benefits.

IFAW may conduct reasonable due diligence and publicly available media reviews, including:

• Sanctions screening*
• Searches of publicly available news sources
• Regulatory and enforcement records
• Court records
• Other relevant publicly available information

The existence of an allegation alone will not automatically disqualify a nominee. Any information identified will be assessed based on its relevance, credibility and significance.

Sanctions-Sensitive Countries and Regions

*"Sanction-sensitive countries and regions" include Afghanistan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cuba, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Iran, Iraq, Myanmar (Burma), North Korea, Russia, Serbia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, Yemen, the Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions of Ukraine, as well as any other countries or regions that may become subject to comprehensive sanctions, targeted sanctions, trade restrictions, or enhanced compliance requirements.

Residence, operation, or registration in a sanction-sensitive country or region does not automatically disqualify a nominee. However, nominations from such locations may be subject to additional review, and IFAW reserves the right to determine eligibility in its sole discretion and in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

ENTRIES OR NOMINATIONS THAT ARE PROHIBITED OR DEEMED INELIGIBLE WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED AND WILL BE VOID.

Review, Adjudication and Selection Process

All nominations must be received via the IFAW website submission form by 5:00pm GMT Friday, 24 April 2026. Review will then take place by a committee comprised of IFAW staff members.

As part of the review process, IFAW may conduct sanctions screening, due diligence, compliance reviews, and other checks it considers appropriate. Nominees from sanction-sensitive countries or regions may be subject to enhanced review.

Successful completion of such reviews may be required before a nomination can progress to the shortlist, finalist stage, or award recipient stage.

The nominees found to excel at any of the following categories may be moved onto the shortlist for further assessment:

• Dedicated their lives to wildlife rescue or conservation.
• Helped preserve spaces for wildlife and their habitats.
• Fought to save wildlife from poaching and illegal trade.
• Demonstrated courage and resolve in helping wild animals in a disaster.
• Gone the extra mile in any other way in their work and care for wild animals.
• Dogs recognised for their impact in conservation or broader rescue operations, including emergency response.

Shortlisted finalists will be reviewed by a judging panel selected in advance and comprised of IFAW staff and Executive Team members.

The finalists deemed to have made the most significant contributions to animal conservation, rescue, welfare, or to animals and people thriving together will be selected as the winners. 

A minimum of six (6) winners will be chosen and invited to attend the Animal Action Awards ceremony in London.

Winner Notification

Winners will be notified via email address by September 4, 2026 and must respond within seven (7) days in order to reserve their spot at the awards ceremony and claim their award.

Awards and Travel Support

Award winner will attend the Animal Action Awards ceremony in London, UK on Thursday 15 October 2026.

Each winner will receive a monetary award equivalent to £1,000 (Pound Sterling) in their local currency.

To support attendance at the ceremony, IFAW will reimburse or cover the following expenses for each winner:

• Round trip, economy class airfare from the winner’s home airport, rail travel, or UK mileage reimbursement at 45p per mile.
• Transportation between home and the departure airport or railway station (including public transport, Uber, or licensed taxi services).
• UK visitor visa fees, where required.
• Accommodation in a hotel selected by IFAW for the nights of October 14 and 15, 2025.
• Transportation between the airport and London hotel.
• Meals expenses during travel and the stay in London, up to £100 (Pound Sterling) per day, or the equivalent amount in local currency using the applicable Oanda exchange rate for the daily rate on sending funds.

The above expenses will be covered for the award winners only. While award winners are welcome to bring a guest, IFAW will not cover any guest-related expenses. Award winner airfare and hotel will be booked and paid for by IFAW, and any reimbursements for meals up to the GBP100 per day meal allowance will be deposited into winners’ bank accounts following the trip and when IFAW has received original receipts for claiming back.

Other expenses listed above will be paid by the award winner and reimbursed by IFAW within a thirty (30) day period after the submission of receipts. Any additional expenses incurred will be paid by the award winner, not subject to reimbursement by IFAW. The monetary award will not be transferable to another person.

Privacy Notice: How personal data will be processed in respect of the award

IFAW collects data on nominees including contact names, email addresses, telephone numbers, mailing addresses, and details about their work in animal welfare and conservation to support and manage the awards process. We may also use publicly available information and conduct due diligence or similar checks in relation to nominees, to help ensure the accuracy and integrity of the awards process. As part of celebrating out winners, we share highlights of their work on social media and with relevant regional and national press. In addition, we collect bank account details solely for the purpose of reimbursing per diems and travel expenses.

IFAW also retains contact names, email addresses and telephone numbers of those who have nominated winners for the duration of the awards nomination process and for one (1) year after the event.

IFAW’s Awards programme operates under IFAW’s privacy policy.

Award Promotion and Media Participation

When a nominee accepts an Animal Action Award, they consent to IFAW promoting the story of their work with animals via traditional and social media channels. They also consent to having photos and videos taken of themselves at the awards ceremony and used in these channels. Winners are expected to attend the awards ceremony and also agree to speak with any media prior to the awards, and onsite, at a time which can be mutually agreed upon.

There may be other requirements of working with the media, such as, if appropriate, allowing journalists to visit winners where they operate, doing remote interviews, attending media studios, or helping to source ad hoc information in relation to their work. Winners would be expected to respond within a reasonable timeframe and cooperate in facilitating such requests.

IFAW’s Liability

IFAW is not responsible for the personal safety of award winners (or their guests) during their travel to and from London, or during their stay in London for the awards ceremony. IFAW and its affiliates or subsidiaries, their respective members, shareholders, trustees, officers, directors, agents, employees or representatives shall not be liable for any losses, costs, taxes, fees, damages, claims, expenses, or other liabilities not expressly stated in these Terms and Conditions arising with respect to the award, receipt, possession and/or use or misuse of the award, any travel related thereto, including without limitation, personal injury, death, and property damage, and claims based on publicity rights, privacy or defamation. It is expressly understood that IFAW, by making this award, has no obligation to provide other or additional support to the winner for the purposes of this award or any other purpose.

Relationship of the Parties

Nothing in these Terms and Conditions or with respect to the award, nominees or winners shall be construed to create a relationship between the parties of independent contractor, employee, agency, partnership, or joint ventures, nor to render either party liable for any debts or obligations incurred by the other. Neither party is authorised to make representations on behalf of the other, or to bind the other in any manner whatsoever.

Governing Law

These Terms and Conditions, and any disputes arising under it, shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales. The parties agree that any disputes will be submitted to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English Courts.