The Australian Cotton Industry Awards are now open for nominations for 2026.

The awards recognise people across the industry for their achievements, commitment to sustainability, and adoption of best practice, highlighting the work that keeps Australian cotton productive, efficient, and responsible.

From this year, the awards will be held every two years, giving the industry more time to celebrate recipients at the Australian Cotton Conference on the Gold Coast and deliver a bigger, bolder Grower of the Year Field Day in alternating years.

For Goondiwindi grower and agronomist and 2025 Young Achiever recipient Grace Griffiths, the awards are more than recognition – they’re an opportunity to share knowledge, learn from others and gain skills that will help shape her future as a leader in the industry.

“Among other fantastic networking opportunities, receiving the CRDC Chris Lehman Young Achiever Award has given me the opportunity to take part in a CRDC-funded position on the Australian Rural Leadership Program TRAIL program,” Ms Griffiths said.

“TRAIL is an outstanding program that I am incredibly excited to take part in, an opportunity I likely would not have had otherwise."

Cotton Australia CEO Adam Kay said the awards celebrate the people making a difference in Australian cotton.

“The awards recognise more than success on the farm,” Mr Kay said.

“They also celebrate researchers, service providers, and emerging leaders, and showcase innovations that benefit the industry as a whole.”

Nominations are open in five categories:

• Bayer Grower of the Year [nominate now]
• AgriRisk High Achiever of the Year [nominate now]
• CRDC Chris Lehmann Young Cotton Achiever of the Year [nominate now]
• Cotton Seed Distributors Researcher of the Year [nominate now]
• Service to Industry Award [nominate now]

Individuals and teams can be nominated, with entries closing on 2 April.

The 2025 Bayer Cotton Growers of the Year, Merrilong Agriculture, will host the Grower of the Year Field Day at Spring Ridge, NSW, on 18 March, where attendees can see first-hand the research trials, efficiency initiatives, and on-farm innovations that contributed to their award-winning practices.

“The Field Day is a great opportunity for Merrilong to showcase some of the key consults and strategies that have been implemented on this farm and hopefully everyone will be able to take something away from the day,” Merrilong Agriculture’s Jock Brownhill said.

The Field Day is a key component of the awards each year, aimed at showcasing the Grower of the Year’s winning farm, and providing the opportunity for people from across the industry to celebrate their success and learn from each other.

For more information on the awards and selection criteria, visit the Cotton Australia website.