BSAVA opens nominations for eight awards in its 65th year

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) opened nominations for eight awards in its 65th year, with entries due 8 January and winners scheduled for announcement in February 2027.

BSAVA describes the intake window as lasting two months. Its announcement opens the process to both association members and non-members, and nominations can be submitted through the BSAVA awards website. The program recognizes professional and community contributions; it does not announce a new clinical protocol, diagnostic requirement, medicine authorization or practice standard.

Which awards are accepting nominations?

• The Bourgelat Award recognizes an outstanding international contribution to small animal practice or science.
• The Simon Award recognizes contributions to the advancement of small animal surgery.
• The Woodrow Award recognizes significant contributions to the advancement of small animal medicine.
• The Des Thompson Award honors individuals who have had a significant impact on general practice and/or their community.
• The Blaine Award, sponsored by Royal Canin, recognizes contributions to the advancement of all aspects of non-client-facing small animal veterinary medicine.
• The BSAVA Veterinary Nurse Award recognizes outstanding contributions to the advancement of small animal veterinary nursing.
• The Ray Butcher Award honors a non-veterinary individual who has made a significant contribution to animal welfare in the community.
• The JA Wight Memorial Award honors a veterinarian who has made an outstanding contribution to the welfare of companion animals.

Across the first six categories, BSAVA separates international service to practice or science, surgical advancement, medical advancement, general-practice or community impact, non-client-facing medicine, and veterinary nursing. The final two focus on welfare: one for a non-veterinary individual and one for a veterinarian serving companion animals.

That structure gives the awards practical reach across clinical, support and community roles, although BSAVA does not define “non-client facing” further in the announcement. The distinction remains in the official category wording, allowing nominators to select the award that most closely matches the contribution described.

BSAVA member trustee Adam Gow said: “Every veterinary professional knows someone whose commitment and passion have inspired those around them. The BSAVA Awards are an opportunity to celebrate these individuals and the difference they make every day. If someone has had a positive impact on your profession, practice, or community, we encourage you to nominate them.”

Gow’s statement sets the nomination test in practical terms: a person’s positive effect on the profession, practice or community. BSAVA places no membership condition on who may submit the nomination.

What does the nomination round change?

At the exam table, nothing changes clinically from this announcement. For companion-animal practices and teams, the immediate effect is access to a professional-recognition process. The eight categories provide routes to acknowledge work in small animal science, surgery, medicine, general practice, veterinary nursing and companion-animal welfare, as well as community service and non-client-facing medicine.

For food-animal practice, the source identifies no dedicated award category. It announces no recognition program specifically for food-animal veterinarians and no change to work in that sector.

For public health, the announcement identifies no public-health award category. It does not describe an initiative involving disease surveillance, population health or veterinary public-health administration.

Regulatory status is unchanged because the announcement contains no drug or vaccine information and reports no FDA CVM, EMA or USDA action. It creates no new prescribing authorization, vaccination recommendation or regulatory requirement for veterinarians.

What happens after 8 January?

Nominations must reach the BSAVA awards website by 8 January. BSAVA says winners are due in February, which its announcement identifies as early 2027. The source does not publish a separate schedule for shortlisting, judging or notification before the final announcement.

The next concrete checkpoint is the 8 January deadline. BSAVA then plans to name winners in February 2027 across categories spanning clinical science, surgery, medicine, general practice, nursing, non-client-facing work and community animal welfare.