Submissions have opened for the 22nd ANZIIF Australian Insurance Industry Awards, with insurers, brokers, underwriting agencies, insurtech firms, and service providers invited to nominate work undertaken over the past financial year ahead of an August 2026 awards event in Sydney.
Run by the Australian and New Zealand Institute of Insurance and Finance (ANZIIF), the national program is intended to recognise activity and performance across the Australian insurance market. Winners are scheduled to be announced on Aug. 13, 2026, at the International Convention Centre Sydney. Entries are now open and will close on May 17, 2026. Finalists are expected to be named on June 30, 2026.
The 2026 awards will again span much of the general, life, and intermediated insurance landscape, from large locally licensed carriers to specialist agencies and sector-focused suppliers. Organisational categories are:
Individual recognition includes Young Insurance Professional of the Year, Insurance Leader of the Year, and the ANZIIF Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognises long-standing contribution to the profession. Submissions are required for all categories except Insurance Leader of the Year and the ANZIIF Lifetime Achievement Award. Those two awards are determined through a separate industry nomination and judging process, with input from regulators, the ANZIIF board, Faculty Advisory and Member Advisory Boards and Councils, and members of the judging panel. Recent winners at the ANZIIF Australian Insurance Industry Awards include Warren Saunders Insurance Brokers, Aon, Community Broker Network, NTI, Adica Insurance, QBE, NobleOak Life, ClaimsGateway, Finity, EML, Swiss Re, and MHIA’s Ben McInnes.
For the 2026 program, ANZIIF is using an online portal to receive and administer entries. There is no fee to submit, and organisations or individuals can nominate themselves or their teams. Prospective entrants begin at the submission site, where they can review category descriptions, judging information, and guidance on what to include. Users log in with an email address, receive an automated link to complete sign-in, and then create an account. From there, they select “Apply Now,” choose the relevant category, and complete the required fields.
Submitters must provide details both for the person lodging the entry and for the nominee. When these are the same, the same information is entered in both sections. Each submission then calls for answers to six questions. ANZIIF indicates a weighting for each question, so entrants can calibrate their responses to the relative importance of the criteria. Entries can be saved in draft form and finalised later. Each submission may include one supporting attachment of up to two single-sided A4 pages. That document may contain charts, tables, or graphics, but only labels and legends will be considered; any additional text is not assessed. For the Insurtech Start-up of the Year category, entrants have the option to upload one video demonstration of their proposition, with a maximum length of three minutes.
Entries will be reviewed by a panel of industry judges, who read and score submissions individually before the panel reaches decisions under the supervision of an independent auditor. Judges are required to sign confidentiality agreements and to step aside where a potential conflict of interest exists. When a conflict is identified, that judge does not access or take part in discussions on the affected submission. The panel is overseen by a presiding judge, and an external auditor is present on the judging day when the group meets. According to ANZIIF, procedures are in place to limit access to commercially sensitive information and to manage it throughout the assessment process.
Katrina Shanks, CEO of ANZIIF, said the awards continue to highlight work across the insurance value chain. “The 22nd ANZIIF Australian Insurance Industry Awards celebrate the individuals and organisations strengthening our profession through innovation, professionalism, and a deep commitment to supporting customers and communities. They recognise the achievements that build capability in our industry and inspire the next generation of insurance professionals,” Shanks said.
The Aug. 13 awards night forms part of ANZIIF’s 2026 events schedule across Australia, New Zealand, and selected regional markets, which includes conferences, dinners, and education-focused sessions for insurance professionals. Key dates this year include:
Technical and specialist events on the calendar comprise the New Zealand Liability Conference on June 24, the Reinsurance International Study Course in New South Wales from Aug. 4 to 7, the AICLA/ANZIIF Claims Convention on Sept. 9, and the Insurance Risk Management Program on Nov. 18 to 19. The year is scheduled to conclude with the General Insurance Breakfast in New South Wales on Dec. 2. In Australia, ANZIIF will introduce its Industry Connect series in 2026, replacing the previous Member Connect events. Industry Connect will provide a forum to discuss market developments and emerging issues, with sessions planned in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, and South Australia. ANZIIF will also run the ANZIIF Business School on June 18 in New South Wales. The program will be delivered through four structured sessions led by industry specialists and is targeted at practitioners working in underwriting, claims, broking, risk, and related functions.
