The prestigious IMRF Awards return for an tenth year to recognise volunteer and professional SAR personnel, organisations and technologies from around the world.


The annual IMRF Awards for 2024 is now open for nominations, and we have added another category to this year’s awards.  

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 IMRF 2024 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.  

This year, as part of the IMRF’s Centenary celebrations, the IMRF is pleased to introduce a new award category called the Patron’s Award, the winner of which will be selected by the IMRF’s Patron, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence.  

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 

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 Timothy 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 IMRF Awards 2024 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, 26 July 2024. 

Sponsorship opportunity:  

To make these awards truly memorable and to ensure that we can properly honour the achievements of the award recipients, we are providing sponsorship opportunities for the following categories: Outstanding Individual Contribution, Outstanding Team Contribution, and Innovation and Technology Award. Sponsorship includes a name and company profile in relevant material and an exclusive video to announce the winner of the award.  

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