Honours & Awards

A chance to recognise outstanding achievement

The public expects veterinary professionals to meet high standards. Sometimes, however, individuals far exceed expectation, and we feel this ought to be recognised.

Ready to make a nomination?

The nomination period for RCVS Awards 2026 has now opened with a deadline of 5pm on Wednesday 7 January 2026, and with the launch of a new Collaboration Award, joining our suite of existing awards recognising the breadth of veterinary endeavour. 

Background

Our Honours & Awards recognise and celebrate a breadth of achievement across the veterinary world and encompass, for example, veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and laypeople who have contributed to the health and welfare of animals, to the veterinary profession as a whole or public health.

If you know someone whose achievements are outstanding and who has worked above-and-beyond the call of duty in the fields of veterinary medicine or science, or related areas, you can use the RCVS Honours & Awards to try and ensure that they are considered for wider recognition.

Below is a video featuring footage of and interviews with some of the 2023 Honours & Awards recipients at Royal College Day. 

How to nominate

Nomination template forms are available to download in PDF form from each of the award pages listed above.

As well as completing the nominee and nominator information, please ensure that you include two additional supporting statements within the nomination form.

Once you have completed the PDF form please submit it on our Honours & Awards web form where you will also be asked to add your nominee and nominator information. 

Please note

It is important to remember that:

• Nominees should not know about their nomination, to avoid disappointment in the event that their nomination is unsuccessful.
• Nominators and supporters should only be involved in one nomination per year.
• No correspondence will be entered into following Council’s decision on the nominations and Council’s decision is final.

Self-nominations

We now welcome self-nominations for our Honours & Awards, with the exception of the Queen’s Medal, Honorary Associateship and the VN Golden Jubilee Award, which must still involve a third-party nomination.

Self-nominators must fulfil all the same criteria for the award in question as those who are being nominated by a third party and must also produce at least two supporting statements for their nomination.

Self-nominators must fill out the form in the third person in order to avoid bias,and refer to themselves by their own name and pronouns rather than using 'I', 'me', etc.

Supporting statements can be from MsRCVS, RVNs or laypeople, but these cannot be close relatives, including spouses.