Australian Agriculture Awards unveil 2026 judging panel

The Australian Agriculture Awards, launched earlier this year by ACM Agri and the National Farmers Federation, have announced their 2026 judging panel. The awards, sponsored by Westpac, Nutrien and Toyota, aim to recognise innovation, wellbeing and safety in the sector across five categories – Women in Agriculture, Nutrien NextGen Leader, Sustainability in Agriculture, Westpac Innovation in Agriculture and Toyota Wellbeing and Safety in Agriculture.

The inaugural Australian Agriculture Medallist will receive a Toyota Tundra Platinum worth $181,000. The judging panel includes National Farmers Federation director Georgie Somerset, Westpac regional commercial and agribusiness managing director Peta Ward, Nutrien Ag Solutions managing director Adrian Capogreco, ACM Agri editorial director Penelope Arthur and national agribusiness writer Andrew Marshall, with Westpac regional managers Mandy Hehir and Greg Holman representing the bank in state‑level judging.

Penelope Arthur said, “Right from the start it was our intention to build an awards platform that had a lot of integrity,” adding that the panel will apply rigorous criteria to ensure fair assessment. Nominations have been strong across all states, with the closing date set for 2 August.