Awards now open

The Marina Industries Association (MIA) is calling for entries into the 2025 Nautilus Marine Insurance Marina of the Year Awards.

30 September 2024

The MIA has announced a call for entries in the 2025 Nautilus Marine Insurance Marina of the Year Awards. This biennial event celebrates excellence and leadership in the marina industry and continues to set new benchmarks for marinas and the facilities and services they offer.

Lorraine Yates, General Manager of Sydney Harbour Boat Storage at White Bay 6 Marine Park and winner of the 2021 and 2023 Best Dry Stack Storage Facility Award, emphasised that the process is just as important as the award itself.

“Industry recognition is so important, and we are grateful for Awards such as these,” she said. “I recommend any marina to go through the Awards submission process as it is a great opportunity to scrutinise your business performance against criteria and reflect on what is great about it and what can be improved. We really enjoyed it.”

2023 Marina of the Year Award Gala Dinner.

White Bay 6 Marine Park was winner of the 2021 and 2023 Best Dry Stack Storage Facility Award.

The 2023 Hall of Fame inductee, Fenwicks Marina, was honoured for its consistent excellence. Andrew Fenwick with Tim and Sarah Fenwick accepting the award.

The 2025 Awards feature 12 categories, with the winners to be announced at the Awards Dinner on 6 May 2025, at the Middle Harbour Skiff Club. Categories 1–3 and 5–7 are exclusively open to Australian entrants, while Category 4 is reserved for international marinas.

Award categories

1. Commercial Marina of the Year Award Under 140 boats
2. Commercial Marina of the Year Award Over 140 boats
3. Club of the Year Award
4. International Marina of the Year Award
5. Boatyard of the Year Award Under 20 boats
6. Boatyard of the Year Award Over 20 boats
7. Drystack Storage Facility of the Year Award
8. Community Support Award
9. BMT Environmental Award
10. Industry Innovation Award – a.) Marina or Boatyard b.) Industry Supplier
11. Marina Industry Woman of the Year Award (NEW)
12. Marina Industry Emerging Talent Award – under 35 years (NEW)

New categories for 2025

The 2025 Awards introduce two exciting new categories: the Marina Industry Woman of the Year Award and the Marina Industry Emerging Talent Award.

Marina Industry Woman of the Year Award: This award recognises the outstanding achievements, leadership, and contributions of women in the marina industry. It aims to inspire more women to pursue and excel in careers within the sector, celebrating their impact in a traditionally male-dominated field.

Marina Industry Emerging Talent Award: Designed to honour young professionals under 35 who have made exceptional contributions to the industry, this award highlights the importance of nurturing the next generation of leaders and innovators.

With these new categories, the 2025 Marina of the Year Awards will celebrate not only outstanding marinas and boatyards but also the individuals driving the industry forward. These additions ensure that marina industry professionals’ hard work, dedication, and innovation are recognised, paving the way for a more inclusive and dynamic future.

MIA Hall of Fame

Winners of two consecutive awards in the categories of Marina, Boatyard, or Drystack of the Year are not eligible to enter and will be considered by the judging panel for entry into the MIA Hall of Fame. The 2023 Hall of Fame inductee, Fenwicks Marina, was honoured for its consistent excellence, having won Best Boatyard of the Year Under 20 boats in 2015–2016, 2019–2020 and 2021–2022.

In accepting the Hall of Fame Award, Andrew Fenwick highlighted the importance of a strong, collaborative industry, stating, “It is important to have a vibrant, well-run association that provides such great support and puts on events like this to show off and recognise the industry’s best.

“I thank the MIA and Nautilus Marine Insurance for their support and encouraging industry players to raise the bar constantly.”

Submissions and judging

Entries close 7 March 2025. To streamline the process, submissions must be made through the dedicated online platform. Word/character limits and restrictions on appended photos and documents have been introduced to save time and resources.

Submission guidelines, including detailed information and word/character limits for each category, are available on the MIA website. Separate submissions are required for each category.

For more information, contact Silvia Jura at admin@marinas.net.au.

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