WAZA Awards
2026 WAZA Awards
We are pleased to announce that nominations for the 2026 WAZA Awards are now open. WAZA Voting Members (Association and Institution Members) are invited to nominate individuals and institutions whose work exemplifies leadership, excellence, and commitment across the global zoo and aquarium community.
The WAZA Awards recognise those who are not only advancing animal welfare, conservation, and environmental sustainability within their own organisations, but who are also helping shape the future direction and credibility of our profession worldwide.
The winners of the four awards will be honoured during the Gala Dinner at the 81st WAZA Annual Conference, taking place from 25–29 October 2026 in Cologne, Germany.
2026 WAZA Awards Categories
Heini Hediger Award
Established in 1996, the Heini Hediger Award is WAZA’s highest honour for individual professional excellence. Named after the Swiss biologist widely recognised as the “father of zoo biology”, this award recognises an individual who has demonstrated exceptional leadership and long-standing contributions to animal welfare, conservation, environmental sustainability, education, and the advancement of the zoo and aquarium profession.
WAZA Conservation Award
Established in 2016, the WAZA Conservation Award recognises an institution for an outstanding and comprehensive conservation programme that delivers measurable, positive outcomes for species, ecosystems, and people. The award reflects WAZA’s holistic approach to conservation, encompassing both in situ and ex situ contributions.
WAZA Environmental Sustainability Award
Established in 2018, this award honours institutions demonstrating outstanding and comprehensive environmental sustainability initiatives that advance responsible operations and long-term organisational commitment to sustainability.
WAZA Animal Welfare Award
Introduced in 2025, the WAZA Animal Welfare Award recognises an institution that demonstrates an outstanding, comprehensive, and holistic approach to positive animal welfare. The award celebrates organisations that exemplify science-based animal welfare leadership, embed welfare into organisational culture, and actively contribute to advancing positive animal welfare across the wider zoo and aquarium community.
2026 Nomination Process
To be eligible, nominations must be submitted by a WAZA Voting Member (Association or Institution Member) in good standing and seconded by at least one official representative of another WAZA Voting Member.
- The Heini Hediger Award does not permit self-nominations and must be submitted by another WAZA Voting Member.
- The WAZA Conservation Award and WAZA Environmental Sustainability Award permit self-nominations by WAZA Institution Members, provided they are seconded by another WAZA Voting Member.
- The WAZA Animal Welfare Award requires self-nomination by a WAZA Institution Member and must be seconded by both the organisation’s Director/CEO (or equivalent) and another WAZA Voting Member.
Key Information
Submission Deadline
15 July 2026, 23:59 CEST (GMT+2)
Late submissions will not be accepted, in fairness to all candidates.
Submission Contacts
• Heini Hediger Award: membership@waza.org
• WAZA Conservation Award: conservation@waza.org
• WAZA Environmental Sustainability Award: conservation@waza.org
• WAZA Animal Welfare Award: animalwelfare@waza.org
Nomination information packs and forms are available below:
Please click on each category to expand the list of past award recipients.
About the Heini Hediger Award
In 1996, WAZA established its highest award for professional excellence, named the Heini Hediger Award in honour of the Swiss biologist known as the “father of zoo biology”.
Only one individual can be honoured in any given year, and since the award criteria are lofty, it is anticipated that the award might not be given out every year.
| Past recipients of the Heini Hediger Award | Year | WAZA Conference |
| Professor Theo B. Pagel, Director, Cologne Zoo, Germany | 2025 | Colombia |
| Jenny Gray, CEO, Royal Melbourne Zoological Gardens, Australia | 2024 | Australia |
| Lee Ehmke, President & CEO, Houston Zoo, United States | 2023 | San Diego |
| Radosław Ratajszcak, Director Emeritus of Zoo Wrocław, Poland | 2022 | Tenerife |
| Simon Tonge, Executive Director Emeritus of Paignton Zoo, United Kingdom | 2021 | Virtual conference |
| Jörg Junhold, Director of Zoo Leipzig, Germany | 2020 | Virtual conference |
| Kris Vehrs, Former Executive Director of Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), United States of America | 2019 | Argentina |
| Mark Reed, Former Director of Sedgwick County Zoo, United States of America | 2018 | Bangkok |
| Anna Croukamp, Founder of Parque das Aves, Brazil | 2017 | Berlin |
| Rick Barongi, Former Director at Houston Zoo, United States of America | 2016 | Puebla |
| Lena Linden, Director at Nordens Ark, Sweden | 2015 | Al Ain |
| Anne Marie Baker, Former Director at Toledo Zoo, United States of America | 2014 | India |
| Miranda Stevenson, Former Executive Director of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA), United Kingdom | 2013 | USA |
| Alex Rübel, Director of Zoo Zürich, Switzerland | 2012 | Melbourne |
| Gordon McGregor Reid, Former President of WAZA | 2011 | Prague |
| Bert de Boer, National Foundation for Research in Zoological Gardens | 2010 | Cologne |
| Karen Sausman, Former Director of The Living Desert, United States of America | 2009 | St.Louis |
| Peter Dollinger, Former WAZA Executive Director | 2008 | Adelaide |
| Willie Labuschagne, Former Director of National Zoological Gardens of South Africa, South Africa | 2007 | Budapest |
| Gunther Nogge, Former Director of Cologne Zoo*, Germany | 2006 | Leipzig |
| Sally Walker, Secretary and Founder of Zoo Outreach Organisation | 2004 | Taipei |
| Roger Wheater OBE FRSE FIBiol, Former Director of Edinburgh Zoo, United Kingdom | 2001 | Perth |
| William Conway, Former President of the Wildlife Conservation Society, New York, United States of America | 1999 | Pretoria |
| Jeremy Mallinson OBE, Former Director of Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Jersey, United Kingdom | 1998 | Nagoya |
| Ulysses Seal, President Conservation Breeding Specialist Group of IUCN-SSC | 1996 | Denver |
| George Rabb, Former President of Brookfield Zoo, United States of America | 1996 | Denver |
About the WAZA Conservation Award
In 2016, WAZA established its highest award for institutional commitment towards conservation, named the WAZA Conservation Award.
This award is granted to an institution for an outstanding, comprehensive specific conservation programme that has clear objectives and excellent conservation outcomes.
| Past recipients of the WAZA Conservation Award | Year | WAZA Conference |
| Fundación Temaikèn, Argentina | 2025 | Colombia |
| The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, United Kingdom | 2024 | Sydney |
| Marwell Wildlife, United Kingdom | 2023 | San Diego |
| Saint Louis Zoo, United States of America | 2022 | Tenerife |
| Prague Zoo, Czech Republic | 2021 | Virtual conference |
| Georgia Aquarium, United States of America | 2020 | Virtual conference |
| Zoo Zürich, Switzerland | 2019 | Buenos Aires |
| Taronga Zoo, Australia | 2018 | Bangkok |
| Monterey Bay Aquarium, United States of America | 2017 | Berlin |
| Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, United Kingdom | 2016 | Puebla |
About the WAZA Environmental Sustainability Award
In 2018, WAZA established its highest award for institutional commitment towards environmental sustainability, named the WAZA Environmental Sustainability Award.
This award is granted to an institution for outstanding, comprehensive environmental sustainability initiatives that advances its commitment and efforts towards environmental sustainability.
| Past recipients of the WAZA Environmental Sustainability Award | Year | WAZA Conference |
| Seattle Aquarium, United States of America | 2025 | Colombia |
| Mandai Wildlife Group, Singapore | 2024 | Sydney |
| Loro Parque, Spain | 2023 | San Diego |
| Marwell Wildlife, United Kingdom | 2022 | Tenerife |
| North Carolina Zoo, United States of America | 2021 | Virtual conference |
| Detroit Zoological Society, United States of America | 2020 | Virtual conference |
| Taronga Zoo, Australia | 2019 | Buenos Aires |
| Wellington Zoo, New Zealand | 2018 | Bangkok |
About the WAZA Animal Welfare Award
In 2025, WAZA established the WAZA Animal Welfare Award, the highest recognition for institutional leadership in animal welfare.
The WAZA Animal Welfare Award will be granted to one institution that demonstrates:
- A holistic, science-based animal welfare strategy, embedded in its organisational culture
- Animal welfare leadership within the global zoo and aquarium community
| Past recipients of the WAZA Environmental Sustainability Award | Year | WAZA Conference |
| The Toronto Zoo, Canada | 2025 | Colombia |
The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA) is the global alliance of regional associations, national federations, zoos and aquariums, dedicated to the care and conservation of animals and their habitats around the world.
