Industry excellence was on display as Australia’s leading women took centre stage last night at the 2026 Women in Industry Awards. Bringing together innovators, trailblazers and change-makers from across the nation at Doltone House Darling Island Wharf in Sydney, the awards recognised the remarkable achievements of women who are breaking barriers, driving innovation and shaping the future of Australia’s industrial sectors.
Following a record number of nominations and attendance of more than 350 industry professionals, supporters, and guests at the gala dinner, the 2026 Awards marked the largest event since the program’s inception.
In her opening address, Molly Hancock, Head of Events Marketing at Prime Creative Media, praised the high calibre of this year’s nominations and reflected on the growing influence of the awards in championing achievement, leadership, and innovation across the industry.
“The quality of nominations received this year has once again been exceptional. Every nominee and finalist has demonstrated excellence in their field, a commitment to delivering outstanding results, and a determination to make a positive difference within their organisation, industry and community,” she said.
The 2026 Awards featured 15 categories celebrating outstanding achievement across leadership, emerging talent, workplace safety, and excellence in a diverse range of industries. This year’s program introduced four new award categories including Women in Leadership, Marketer of the Year, Excellence in Health and Medicine, and Tradeswoman of the Year, further expanding recognition of women’s contributions across these key sectors.
The 2026 Women in Industry Awards winners:
- Tradeswoman of the Year – Shannen Jeffery, Newmont
- Women in Leadership- Karlie Zec, Tiny Tins
- Mentor of the Year – Laura Canning, Komatsu
- Excellence in Transport – True Ross, Ross Transport
- Excellence in Mining – Brooke Adamson, Newmont
- Industry Advocacy Award – Tatiana Delendik, Grundfos Pumps
- Rising Star of the Year – 30 years and under – Caitlin Barlow, JATEC Transport
- Business Development Success of the Year – Yuan Yuan, Sykes Group
- Excellence in Health and Medicine – Dr Sarah Crowe, OOXii
- Marketer of the Year – Caroline Luczynski, SMEC
- Excellence in Energy – Louise Bishop, Zinfra Operations
- Excellence in Construction – Alysse Reedy, Fulton Hogan
- Excellence in Manufacturing – Charline Siccardi, Argon & Co
- Safety Advocacy Award – Sarah Barnbrook, Away from Keyboard Inc.
- Excellence in Engineering – Hoda Ehsani, Fortescue.
The evening culminated with the presentation of the program’s highest honour, the Woman of the Year Award, which is chosen from the winners of the 15 nominated award categories. Taking home the premier award this year was Brooke Adamson, Manager Process Operations at Newmont.
In her speech, Brooke spoke about how honoured she was to receive the award and reflected on the support that paid a pivotal role in her journey.
“Like other people have said tonight, there are so many phenomenal women, and also men, that play a key role in mining and industry in general that support women. And without a lot of those sponsors and advocates for myself, giving me the confidence to put my name forward and know I can do it, I wouldn’t be here tonight. So, thank you for this. I am incredibly honoured.”
Although the winner of the ‘Excellence in Energy’ award category, Louise Bishop from Zinfra Operations, was not able to make the event, a representative from Zinfra Operations shared inspiring remarks on her behalf recognising her efforts in the renewables workforce.
“It’s my pleasure to accept this award on behalf of Louise. Firstly, I’d like to congratulate all the women nominated in this category. The energy sector is undergoing significant change, and it is inspiring to see so many women contributing to and leading that transformation,” said a reperesentative from Zinfra Operations.
“At Zinfra, we’re incredibly fortunate to have Louise. She leads a team of more than 100 field workers and is an exceptional leader and role model. Beyond her operational responsibilities, she’s deeply committed to developing our people, investing significant time in mentoring and growing emerging talent, and creating pathways for more women to succeed within our organisation. Congratulations Louise! This recognition is well deserved.”
Beyond recognising outstanding achievements, the Women in Industry Awards serve as an important platform for fostering connection, collaboration and progress across Australia’s industrial sectors. The event brings together women from different industries and career stages, creating valuable opportunities to build networks, share experiences and inspire future leaders.
To learn more about the evebnt and to see the full list of winners, visit the Women in Industry Awards website.
