Resourcing Tomorrow shortlists nominees for prestigious Outstanding Achievement Awards

• 2 October 2026

• 
• by Resourcing Tomorrow

Resourcing Tomorrow has unveiled the shortlisted nominees for the 2026 Outstanding Achievement Awards, shining a spotlight on the individuals, companies and initiatives making a defining contribution to the resources industry.

Returning for another year, the awards celebrate the contributions driving the industry forward, recognising the individuals and organisations pushing boundaries and setting new benchmarks for excellence. This year’s shortlist once again demonstrates the depth and diversity of talent across the sector, underlining the breadth of innovation and activity helping to build a more resilient, responsible and future-ready industry. 

An evening of celebration and appreciation for a triumphant year across the industry, the awards ceremony will bring Resourcing Tomorrow London to a fitting close, following three days of industry-leading discussion and collaboration from 1-3 December 2026, marking the final major industry event of the year. 

Sustainably powering the energy transition

As the industry works to build a more sustainable future, recognising those spearheading this transition is more important than ever. 

The Best Sustainability Initiative by a Mining Company, sponsored by McCarthy Tétrault, embodies this principle, celebrating the companies implementing innovative and impactful sustainability initiatives. The shortlist is: 

• AGM/Zijin Mining, for the Aurora Renewable Energy and Climate Resilience Initiative in Guyana
• Boliden and Anglo American, for their deployment of electric haul trucks
• Fortescue, for its Pilbara green energy hub in Western Australia
• Hudbay Minerals, for deployment of its community-embedded operating model at Snow Lake in Manitoba, Canada
• Rio Tinto, for advancing its diesel transition program in the USA and Australia
• Zijin Mining, for its global leadership in new energy mining truck applications

The Best Sustainability Initiative award highlights the importance of innovative solutions to address the industry’s most enduring challenges. The shortlist is: 

• The Consolidated Mining Standard Initiative (CMSI), incorporating four recognised industry standards into a single, inclusive governance and consultation framework
• The Global Battery Alliance, for establishing a global framework for transparent and resilient battery value chains
• Global Tailings Management Institute, for its five-year strategy to become a fully operational institution overseeing Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM) independent auditing and certification
• Hexagon R-evolution, for its Green Cubes technology-driven environmental program that creates advanced digital twins of natural ecosystems to measure, sponsor and protect biodiversity on a cubic-meter basis
• Mining Association of Canada, for its Towards Sustainable Mining framework and specifically its Indigenous and Community Relations Protocol

New for this year, the Operational Transformation of the Year Award, sponsored by Granger Reis, recognises the companies delivering significant operational improvements and pioneering new approaches to enhance efficiency and long-term value. The shortlist is:  

• Agnico Eagle, for its comprehensive, site-wide operational transformation at the Kittilӓ gold mine in Finland
• EQR, for building a global, integrated tungsten business platform
• Gunnison Copper, for strengthening its US copper production base through balance sheet, operational and marketing improvements
• NTWIST, for its application of probabilistic modelling and AI to transform stockpile and mill-feed planning at Gold Fields’ Cerro Corona gold and copper mine in Peru
• Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC), for a major digital and operational transformation supporting production growth in Pakistan

Exploration and dealmaking sit at the heart of the sector, driving discovery, unlocking new opportunities and forging partnerships that shape the industry’s future. These awards honour those pushing the boundaries while strengthening the foundations on which the sector is built. 

The shortlist for the Exploration Discovery of the Year award, sponsored by TM Partners, is:

• Empire Metals, for the Pitfield titanium project in Western Australia
• NGEx Minerals, for the Lunahuasi copper-gold-silver discovery in Argentina
• Rupert Resources, for the Ikkari gold deposit in Finland
• Snowline Gold, for the Valley gold deposit in Canada
• Southern Cross Gold, for the Sunday Creek gold-antimony discovery in Australia

The nominees for the Mining Deal of the Year award, sponsored by Pinsent Masons, are:

• Agnico Eagle’s acquisition of Aurion Resources to expand its exploration profile in the Central Lapland Greenstone Belt in Finland
• Alcoa and South32’s cross-border bauxite-alumina-aluminium portfolio consolidation
• Anglo American and Codelco’s Los Bronces-Andina Coordination Agreement to optimise their respective copper operations
• Anglo American and Teck Resources’ proposed merger, creating Anglo Teck
• Equinox Gold and Orla Mining’s combination, creating a leading producer in North and Central America
• Wheaton Precious Metals for the BHP Antamina silver stream 

The individuals that inspire

The mining sector continues to be shaped by exceptional individuals whose ambition, innovation and leadership are leaving a lasting mark on the industry and those who work within it.  

The Mining Leader of the Year award, sponsored by Stratum International, celebrates the individuals who demonstrate outstanding leadership and an unwavering commitment to advancing the industry. The shortlist is: 

• Amanda Lacaze, former CEO and Managing Director of Lynas Rare Earths
• Ammar Al-Joundi, CEO of Agnico Eagle Mines
• Kathleen Quirk, President and CEO of Freeport-McMoRan
• Michael Steinmann, President and CEO of Pan American Silver
• Natascha Viljoen, CEO of Newmont
• Stuart McDonald, president and CEO of Trekor Metals

Returning for a second year, the Women in Mining Award, sponsored by PKF and Women in Mining UK, celebrates the women making outstanding contributions to the sector. The shortlist is:

• Carol Plummer, Chair of The Mining Association of Canada and Executive Vice President of Agnico Eagle
• Dianne Garrett, CEO of Hycroft Mining
• Djaria Traore, Executive Vice President, Operations and ESG, of Endeavour Mining
• Dr Gillian Davidson, Chair of the Board of Global Battery Alliance
• Laura Tyler, Non-Executive Director of Hudbay Minerals and Partner at Oryx Global Partners 

The Rising Star of the Year award, sponsored by Peel Hunt, showcases the next generation of industry talent, recognising the individuals already demonstrating exceptional promise, impact and leadership potential. The shortlisted nominees are:

• Alexander Zolata Juarez, Founder and Host, Trailheads & Titans
• Gracelin Baskeran, Director, Critical Minerals Security Program at CSIS
• Marley Palin, Acting Vice President Innovation at BHP
• Nahomie Tshikadi, Senior Geologist and Mining Inclusion Leader, Tenke Fungurume Mining
• Scott Berdhal, Co-founder and CEO, Snowline Gold
• Ashley Kirwan, President and CEO, Orix Geoscience

Last but certainly not least, the Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by SLR, has no shortlist of nominees, with the winner to be announced on the evening of the Awards. 

Judged by an independent panel of sector experts, the Outstanding Achievement Awards celebrate the people, organisations and achievements raising the bar across the industry. 

Join us on the 3rd December 2026 at Lindley Hall to celebrate excellence in the sector. Learn more at Resourcingtomorrow.com/awards