IMO Honours for Exceptional Bravery at sea

IMO is currently accepting nominations for exceptional acts of bravery performed at sea during the period 1 March 2024 to 28 February 2025. Nominations may also involve displays of extraordinary seamanship skills in very difficult conditions or any other acts of outstanding courage at sea. The nomination form can be submitted by any IMO Member State, intergovernmental organization in cooperation with IMO and non-governmental organization in consultative status with IMO. Please note the deadline for submission is 15 April 2025. Further information, including the Guidelines and the nomination form in Word format, can be found in the links below in the three working languages of the Organization: 

Background information

Following the Council’s decision, at its 125th session, the Guidelines for the IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea were revised to reflect the establishment of the three categories of honour: the Award, Certificates of Commendation and Letters of Commendation. Subsequently, the Council approved the revised Guidelines at its 127th session in July 2022 and, as a result, the name of the scheme became the “IMO Honours for Exceptional Bravery at Sea”.

The honours are awarded annually and were established by the Organization to provide international recognition for those who, at the risk of losing their own life, perform acts of exceptional bravery, displaying outstanding courage in attempting to save life at sea or in  attempting to prevent or mitigate damage to the marine environment. Such acts of bravery may also involve extraordinary seamanship skills in very difficult conditions or any other display of outstanding courage.

Nominations are scrutinized by an Assessment Panel made up of members of non-governmental organizations in consultative status with IMO, under the Chairship of the Secretary-General or his nominee. Subsequently, a Panel of Judges meets (under the Chairship of  the Chair of the Council, with the participation of the Chairs of the Maritime Safety Committee, Marine Environment Protection Committee, the Legal Committee, the Technical Co-operation Committee and the Facilitation Committee) to consider the recommendations of the Assessment Panel and to select the recipient of the Award.

The recipients of the Award and Certificates of Commendation will be invited to attend the IMO Awards Ceremony to receive their accolades in person. Recipients of Letters of Commendation may also attend the ceremony, if they wish – however, their letters will be posted to the nominating authorities, which will be responsible for forwarding/presenting the accolade to the recipients. 

Previous recipients of the Award

2024 Captain Avhilash Rawat and the crew of the oil tanker Marlin Luanda, nominated by the Marshall Islands; and Captain Jorge Fernando Galaviz Fuentes and the crew of the tugboat Pemex Maya, nominated by Mexico, received the 2024 MO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea Video – Photos – Press Briefing – Programme	2023 Petty Officer Caleb Halle, a rescue swimmer with the United States Coast Guard, nominated by the United States of America, received the 2023 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea Video – Photos – Press Briefing – Programme
2022 Mr. Bo Xu, Chief Officer of the M/T Jian Qiao 502, nominated by China, received the 2022 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea. Video – Photos – Press Briefing – Programme	2021Mr. Tran Van Khoi, Search and Rescue Officer of the Regional Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center No.II, Viet Nam Maritime Administration, nominated by Viet Nam, received the 2021 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea. Video – Photos – Press Briefing – Programme
2020
Mr. Marcio Santos Teixeira and Mr. Fabio Rodrigues Alves de Abreu, members of the São Paulo Pilots (left), nominated by Brazil; and Petty Officer Second Class Ralph Ofalla Barajan of the Philippine Coast Guard (right), nominated by the Philippines, received the 2020 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea. Video – Press Briefing
2019 Petty Officer Michael Kelly, a rescue swimmer with the United States Coast Guard, nominated by the United States of America, received the 2019 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea Video – Photos – Press Briefing – Programme	2018 Mr. Zhong Haifeng, Senior Diver of the Engineering Team of Guangzhou Salvage, nominated by China, received the 2018 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery At Sea. Video – Photos – Press Briefing – Programme
2017 Captain Michael G. McGee and Captain Michael C. Phillips, members of the Houston Pilots, nominated by the United States of America, received the 2017 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea. Video – Photos – Press Briefing – Programme	2016 Captain Radhika Menon, Master of the M/T Sampurna Swarajya, nominated by India, received the 2016 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea. Video – Photos – Press Briefing – Programme
2015 Aviation Survival Technician Christopher Leon of the United States Coast Guard, nominated by the United States of America, received the 2015 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea. Video – Photos – Press Briefing – Programme	2014 Captain Andreas Kristensen and his crew of the Britannia Seaways, nominated by Denmark, received the 2014 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea. Video – Photos – Press Briefing – Programme
2013 Mr. Yang Jinguo, a crewmember on the ferry Tong Chang Qi Du 11, nominated (posthumously) by China, as well as Aviation Survival Technician Second Class Randy J. Haba and Aviation Survival Technician Second Class Daniel J. Todd, nominated by the United States of America, received the 2013 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea. Video – Photos – Press Briefing – Programme	2012 Sergeant Janick Gilbert (posthumously), Master Corporal Max Lahaye Lemay and Master Corporal Marco Journeyman, crew members of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s 424 (Transport and Rescue) Squadron, nominated by Canada; and Able Seaman César Flores, a rescue swimmer in the aerial detachment of the Chilean Navy, nominated by Chile, received the 2012 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea. Video – Photos – Press Briefing – Programme
2011 Captain Seog Hae-gyun, Master of the M/V Samho Jewelry, nominated by the Republic of Korea, received the 2011 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea.  Video – Photos – Press Briefing	2010  Mr. James Fanifau, Fourth Engineer of the general cargo ship Scarlett Lucy, nominated by Australia, received the 2010 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravey at Sea. Programme
2009 Mr. Maurice Conti and Mrs. Sophie Conti of the sailing vessel Ocealys, nominated by New Zealand; and Aviation Survival Technician Second Class Abram A. Heller, nominated by the United States of America, received the 2009 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravey at Sea.	2008 Mr. Rodolpho Fonseca da Silva Rigueira of the drill ship Noble Roger Eason, nominated by Brazil, received the 2008 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea.
2007 Second Officer Mustafa Topiwala of the oil/bulk ore carrier Searose G and Captain Zvonimir Ostric, nominated by the Bahamas and the International Federation of Shipmasters’ Association (IFSMA), received the 2007 Inaugural IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea.

source : imo