The AICCM Awards are held once a year, with nominations taken from the AICCM membership. The awards acknowledge and celebrate excellence, ingenuity, and dedication to the profession. Awards are given to practicing Australian conservators, conservation volunteers, and those who actively promote conservation.
All applications must be sent to the General Manager. Award selection criteria can be found in each nomination form. 2026 nominations and applications closed 31 July 2026.
The AICCM Medal
This award recognises career-long contributions to Conservation, acknowledging skills-sharing across the profession, especially honouring members who actively mentor and transfer their skills and knowledge.
The AICCM Conservator of the Year
This award recognises and rewards individuals whose recent extraordinary efforts have directly contributed to the raising of standards in their workplace or within their conservation field, whilst being an exemplary member and advocate of the AICCM.
The AICCM Student Conservator of the Year—sponsored by ArtsNational
This award recognises outstanding students studying conservation practice at a tertiary level in Australia who have contributed significantly to the activities of the AICCM and have begun to develop their careers by becoming actively involved in the profession. This award carries a bursary of $2500, kindly supported by ArtsNational.
Recipients of this award must be nominated by their University representative.
Outstanding Service to the Profession Award
This award recognises a significant and long-term professional service to the conservation profession; exemplified by knowledge-sharing, mentorship, and a sustained contribution to and promotion of the AICCM.
The Colin Pearson Outstanding Research in the Field of Material Conservation Award
This award acknowledges an AICCM member or research team who has undertaken substantial research in the field of material conservation, and who has shared this information within the national and/or international material conservation profession by publication in the AICCM Bulletin. This award carries a bursary of $300 for the recipient, possible by the sponsorship of Professor Emeritus Colin Pearson.
Outstanding Conservation Volunteer Award
This award acknowledges a volunteering project, either by a group or an individual. Special consideration is given to the transfer of rare and unusual skills, and extraordinary commitment to conservation.
Outstanding Conservation Treatment of the Year
This award recognises a conservator or group of conservators that have undertaken a significant, collaborative, and innovative conservation treatment that has significantly contributed to the conservation and promoted the profession to the wider community.
Outstanding Conservation Project of the Year
This award recognises conservation projects including those not focused on treatment, that demonstrate a level of complexity, skill, innovation, collaboration and benefit to cultural heritage.
The Patricia Robertson Fund Mid-Career scholarship – sponsored by ArtsNational
This award recognises a mid-career conservator that has demonstrated significant dedication to the conservation profession and to the AICCM. Recipients of the Patricia Robertson receive a $5000 scholarship.