Australian Institute of Sport Awards


Australian Institute of Sport was opened in 1981. AIS Sports Star of the Year was first established in 1983/84 with the first winner being swimmer Karen Phillips. In 1995, AIS Junior Athlete of the Year was established. Other major awards include AIS Team of The Year, AIS Coach of the Year and AIS Program of the Year.
Other awards included: Sport Achievement Awards, Vocation Awards and Education Awards. There were several memorial scholarship awards that recognise the contribution of deceased AIS athletes, coaches and administrators - Brent Harding Memorial Award for Swimming, Nathan Meade Memorial Award for Diving, Gary Knoke Memorial Award for Athletics, Darren Smith Memorial Award for Road Cycling, Ben Mitchell Medal for AFL and Bob Staunton Memorial Award for Basketball.
The awards were broadened in 2013 to include Direct Athlete Assistance recipients as well as AIS scholarship holders as part of the AIS Winning Edge Strategy. The awards were renamed the AIS Sport Performance Awards in 2014 with several new awards - Sport Personality of the Year, Para Performance of the Year, Community Club Award and Volunteer/Administrator Award. In 2019, two awards - Sport Personality of the Year and Sporting Moment of the Year are decided by public vote. There were no awards in 2020 and 2021 due to impact of COVID-19.

AIS Best of the Best

In 2002 as part of the AIS 21st birthday celebrations, 21 athletes were inducted into the AIS 'Best of the Best' hall of Fame. In 2006, four athletes were added and in 2011 another five athletes.
YearAthletes
2002Alisa Camplin, Robert De Castella, John Eales, Simon Fairweather, Neil Fuller, Bridgette Gusterson, Rechelle Hawkes, Shane Kelly, Luc Longley, Michelle Martin, Glenn McGrath, Michael Klim, Michael Milton, Clint Robinson, Louise Sauvage, Kate Slatter, Zali Steggall, Petria Thomas, Mark Viduka, Vicki Wilson, Todd Woodbridge
2006Kerry Saxby-Junna, Lauren Jackson, Chantelle Newbery
2011Jamie Dwyer, Anna Meares, Malcolm Page, Ricky Ponting and Matthew Cowdrey

AIS Emerging Athlete of the Year

This award recognises a talented junior athletes performances during the year. Previously AIS Junior Athlete of the Year.
YearAthlete
1995World Junior Men's Basketball Silver Medallists -
Frank Drimic, Scott McGregor, Phil Doherty, Brad McKinnon
1996Victoria Roberts
1997Michael Rogers
1998Lauren Jackson
1999Lauren Jackson
Ben Kersten
Jobie Dajka
2000Siobhan Paton
2001Luke Schenscher
2002Todd Reid
2003David Barnes
2004Tim Cuddihy
2005Renae Camino
2006Robert Crowther
2007Gemma Beadsworth
2008Evan O'Hanlon
2009Jack Bobridge
Amy Steel
2010Lauren Mitchell
2011Luke Durbridge
2012Sam Willoughby
2013Dante Exum
2014Amy Cure
2015Ben Simmons
2016Curtis Luck
2017Kelland O'Brien
2018Luke Plapp
2019Amy Lawton
2020-2021Not held
2022Donnell Wallam
2023Alexa Leary
2024 Arisa Trew

AIS Team of the Year

YearTeam
2000Australian Women's Water Polo Team
2001Women's Coxless Four -
Victoria Roberts, Jane Robinson, Jo Lutz & Julia Wilson
2002Darren Bundock & John Forbes
2003Australian Women's Quad Scull -
Amber Bradley, Dana Faletic, Kerry Hore, Jane Robinson
2004Australian Men's Hockey Team
2005Malcolm Page & Nathan Wilmot
2006Australian Women's Water Polo Team
2007Malcolm Page & Nathan Wilmot
2008Nathan Wilmot & Malcolm Page
Elise Rechichi & Tessa Parkinson
2009Nathan Outteridge & Iain Jensen
2010Australian Men's Hockey Team
2011Women's Team Sprint Team - Anna Meares & Kaarle McCulloch
2012Men's K4 1000 -
Jacob Clear, David Smith, Tate Smith, Murray Stewart
2013Mathew Belcher & Will Ryan
2014Australian Men's Hockey Team
2015Australian Diamonds and Women's Team Pursuit
2016Australian Women's Sevens Rugby
2017Australian Freestyle Skiing and Snowboard
2018Australian Men's Hockey Team
2019Mathew Belcher & Will Ryan
2020-2021Not held
2022Australian Women's Sevens Rugby
2023BC3 Pairs (Daniel Michel and Jamieson Leeson.Boccia Australia
2024Men’s Team Pursuit at 2024 Parais Olympics
Oliver Bleddyn, Sam Welsford, Conor Leahy, Kelland O'Brien

AIS Coach of the Year

Yearcoach
2002Martin Barras
2003Lyall McCarthy
2004Martin Barras
2005Lyall McCarthy
2006Greg McFadden
2007Craig Hilliard
2008Victor Kovalenko
2009Craig Walton
2010Richard Charlesworth
2011Ben Wordsworth
2012Australian Sailing Team Coaching Group
2013Simon Cusack
2014Lisa Alexander
2015Michael Bohl
2016Michael Blackburn
2017Alen Stajcic
2018Myriam Fox-Jerusalmi
2019Michael Blackburn
2020-2021Not held
2022Peter McNiel and Kate Blamey
2023Rohan Taylor
2024Dean Boxall

ABC">Australian Broadcasting Corporation">ABC Sport Personality of the Year

Voted for by the general public.
YearAthlete
2014Kurt Fearnley
2015David Pocock
2016Chloe Esposito
2017Sam Kerr
2018Craig Lowndes
2019Ash Barty

Team of the Year

Voted for by the general public.
YearAthlete
2015Australian Diamonds
2016Western Bulldogs
2017Matildas

No longer awarded

ABC">Australian Broadcasting Corporation">ABC Best Sporting Moment of The Year

Voted for by the media. Previously called Sport Performance of the Year Award.
YearAthlete
2013Alex Pullin
2014South Sydney Rabbitohs
2015Michelle Payne
2016Kyle Chalmers
2017Jeff Horn
2018Kurt Fearnley and para-sport integration
at 2018 Commonwealth Games
2019Ash Barty winning 2019 French Open

AIS Para Performance of the Year

YearAthlete
2014Australian Para Rugby Team
2015Alistair Donohue
2016Australian Steelers
2017Mitchell Gourley
2018Simon Patmore

Discontinued and replaced by Male and Female Para-athlete of the Year

High Performance Program of the Year

YearAthlete
2018Australian Cycling Program
2019Rowing Australia High Performance Program
2020-2021Not held
2022Athletics Australia
2023The Dolphins, Swimming Australia
2024Paddle Australia

AIS Leadership Award

YearPerson
2013Geoff Lipshut Olympic Winter Institute of Australia
2014Damien Marangon and Kate Palmer
2015Mark Anderson
2016Kate McLoughlin
2017Susan Alberti
2018Craig Phillips
2019Lynne Anderson
2020-2021Not held
2022Petria Thomas
2023Jessica Corones, Swimming Australia

Sport Australia">Australian Sports Commission">Sport Australia Award

Award highlighting integrity and sportsmanship in Australian sport.
YearPerson
2018Celia Sullohern, Madeline Hills, Eloise Wellings who waited at the finish to cheer on the last-placed athlete, Lineo Chaka in the 10000m at 2018 Commonwealth Games, Gold Coast, Queensland
2019Hockeyroos in match against Belgium

AIS World's Best Award

This award may not be awarded annually.
YearPerson
2014Ric Charlesworth, Australian Hockey Coach
2016Gary West, Australian Track Cycling Coach

AIS Service Award

This award may not be awarded annually.
YearPerson
2016Danielle Woodward
2017Glenn Tasker
2018Dick Telford
2019Tim Oberg and Robyn Smith
2024Phil Jones, Paddle Australia

Discontinued Awards

AIS Athlete of the Year

Replaced in 2015 by Male and Female Athletes of the Year.
YearAthlete
1983/84Karen Phillips
1984/85Michele Pearson
1985/86James Galloway
1986/87Kerry Saxby
1988/89Kerry Saxby
1989Kerry Saxby
1990Steve McGlede
1991Linley Frame
1992Clint Robinson
1993World Junior Female Basketball Team
Men's Track Cycling Pursuit Team
1994Australian Women's Hockey Team
1995Shane Kelly
1996Megan Still & Kate Slatter
1997Louise Sauvage
1998Michael Klim
1999Michael Klim
2000Simon Fairweather
2001Petria Thomas & Philippe Rizzo
2002Petria Thomas
2003Nathan Baggaley
2004Petria Thomas & Ryan Bayley
2005Peter Robinson & Robin Bell
2006Philippe Rizzo
2007Nathan Deakes & Anna Meares
2008Ken Wallace & Heath Francis
2009Brenton Rickard & Emma Moffatt
2010Lydia Lassila
2011Anna Meares
2012Alicia Coutts & Tom Slingsby
2013Caroline Buchanan and Kim Crow
2014Jessica Fox

AIS Program of the Year

Discontinued as AIS no longer operates sports scholarship programs.
Yearcoach
2003AIS Diving
2004AIS Diving
2005AIS Triathlon
2006AIS/South Australia.com Men's U23 Road Cycling
2007AIS Sailing
2008Australian/AIS Sailing Team
2009AIS Under-23 Track Endurance/Road Cycling
2010AIS Sailing
2011AIS Track Cycling
2012Australian Sailing Team Coaching Group

AIS Award - ACT Sports Star of the Year

From 1984 to 2013, ACTSPORT included an AIS Athlete of the Year for athletes on scholarship at the AIS Canberra campus.