The IMRF Awards 2021 Shortlist Is Revealed

The judges for the 6th IMRF Awards have finished reviewing all the submissions and have announced this years’ Award finalists.

Theresa Crossley, CEO, IMRF said: “The IMRF Awards this year are special, firstly because of the global pandemic - the eligibility period spanned two years and our Awards ceremony on 14 September will be an online event; and secondly because, despite all the challenges search and rescue teams around the world have faced over the last two years, we have received our strongest set of nominations yet. The judges have had a really difficult task, selecting the finalists from an outstanding field of candidates, all with compelling stories and all worthy of international recognition and appreciation.”

The IMRF Awards were established to recognise search and rescue (SAR) professionals around the world for their outstanding actions, skills, expertise and commitment or an innovation/technology that transforms SAR activities.

There are five IMRF Award categories: Team, Individual, Lifetime Achievement, #WomeninSAR and Innovation & Technology.

The Finalists in the IMRF Awards 2021 Are

Anna Bertrandsson Littke from the Swedish Sea Rescue Society (SSRS);
Commander Maritime Dr Suzanna Razali Chan (Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency);
Krista Lynn Elvidge (Canadian Coast Guard);
Captain Chen Jian (China Rescue and Salvage);
Patrick van Eyssen (NSRI);
Lifeboat Station Scheveningen (KNRM);
Coastguard Nelson (Coastguard New Zealand);
The Larus Project (TU Dortmund University and associates);
The Jet RIB Team (NSRI).

This year - because of the pandemic – the nomination period has covered both 2020 and 2021 and the winners will be announced at an online awards ceremony, which will be released on YouTube on Tuesday, 14 September 2021 at 12:00 (British Summer Time - BST).

The judges of the IMRF Awards 2021 are based all around the world and include Michael Vlasto, the former IMRF Chair and Chair of the Awards Judging Panel, Jared Blows, MRCC Chief, MRCC Cape Town, South Africa, Nigel Clifford, Deputy Director, Safety and Response Systems, Maritime New Zealand and Julie-Anne Wood, Assistant Director, Policy, Standards & International, UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency.

The IMRF is Very Grateful to All Its Award Sponsors for their Support

	Inmarsat, sponsor of The *Vladimir Maksimov Award for Lifetime Achievement* - Inmarsat is the world leader in global mobile satellite communications and has been providing safety communications at sea since its inception by the International Maritime Organization in 1979 (www.inmarsat.com).
Pole Star, sponsor of the IMRF Award for Innovation and Technology - Pole Star develops pioneering maritime intelligence technologies turning complex data into accessible insight across regulatory conformance, sanctions screening, trade compliance, tracking, monitoring, and ship security (www.polestarglobal.com).
	HamiltonJet, sponsor of the #WomenInSAR Award – the company’s waterjet and control systems deliver manoeuvrable, reliable and safe prolusion for SAR vessels. HamiltonJet has worked with the maritime SAR sector for many decades, making and developing waterjet propulsion systems which can dramatically increase the range of conditions a SAR boat can operate in (www.hamiltonjet.com).
The Sun Glory Marine Company, sponsors of the *IMRF Team Award* - Sun Glory is committed to providing safe and complete towing services for ships sailing on international routes, domestic coastal routes and inland waterways.

People's Choice Award

There is one more award still to be announced – the People’s Choice Award.

In a change to previous years and reflecting the ongoing challenges of the global pandemic, the general public will be invited to vote for the most deserving ‘People’s Choice’ winner from the shortlist.

Details of each shortlisted nomination will be posted on the IMRF Facebook page after the awards ceremony, with the People’s Choice winner announced at the IMRF’s European Regional Meeting which will be held on 14 October 2021.

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