Award Details
NOMINATION PROCESS
Nominations are accepted from the general public during a 3-month open nomination period between January 1 and March 31 of each year. Nominations for the 2027 Aloha Award will open on January 1, 2027 and close on March 31, 2027. The call for nominations is publicized in the media and promoted by the judges, former Aloha Award recipients and nominees, partners and sponsors of the Aloha Award. You may submit a nomination by clicking on the Nomination Form on our website. Nominations should make the case for why the nominee deserves to receive the award (e.g., attitude in the water, community engagement outside the water) and typically include relevant links to websites and social media profiles. A nominee may receive multiple nominations, and may be nominated year-after-year, but that will not necessarily increase their chances of receiving the award.
AWARD CRITERIA
There are no strict eligibility criteria for the Aloha Award other than a demonstrated commitment to living a life consistent with the principles of the Aloha Spirit. However, successful nominees typically demonstrate:
• A deep commitment to sharing the joy of surfing or ocean sports with others;
• Meaningful and impactful service to their communities;
• A track record of creating positive social or environmental impact, typically through ocean-based therapy, adaptive surfing, ocean conservation, youth development, disability inclusion, mental health, ocean education, community development, indigenous leadership or other similar initiatives;
• Humility, kindness, perseverance and other qualities associated with the Aloha Spirit; and
• The potential to create even greater impact if provided with additional support and resources.
JUDGING PROCESS
At the end of the nomination period, nominations are submitted to our five-member judging panel, which, after a period of due diligence, narrows the list of nominees to the top five to ten candidates. Due diligence typically includes internet searches, social media reviews, reference checks and other research intended to better understand each nominee’s character, impact and suitability for the award.
Each of the top five to ten nominees is interviewed by at least one judge, who records and shares the interview with the remaining judges. In addition to questions aimed at determining each such nominee’s suitability for the award, the interviewing judge asks each interviewed nominee about the objectives and sustainability of the charitable endeavor or initiative to which they would apply the cash award, and how the proceeds of the award would be used to create positive impact.
The judges then select a winner, a runner-up, and three additional finalists. In exceptional circumstances, including tied scores or unusually close judging outcomes, the judges may elect to name joint runners-up or otherwise modify the distribution of awards in a manner they believe best reflects the strength of the finalist group.
The winner, runner(s)-up, and remaining finalists are typically announced within 60 to 90 days of the end of the nomination period.
AWARD
Winner
• $12,000 unrestricted donation to a charitable organization or initiative of their choice
• One-week, all-expenses-paid trip (i.e., flights and accommodation) to Namotu Island Resort in Fiji
• $2,500 unrestricted capacity-building stipend
• Complimentary registration for one annual International Surf Therapy Organization conference
• Personalized commemorative trophy
Runner(s)-Up
• $6,000 unrestricted donation to a charitable organization or initiative of their choice
• One-week, all-expenses-paid trip (i.e., flights and accommodation) to Namotu Island Resort in Fiji
• $2,500 unrestricted capacity-building stipend
• Complimentary registration for one annual International Surf Therapy Organization conference
• Personalized commemorative trophy
Remaining Finalists
• $3,000 unrestricted donation to a charitable organization or initiative of their choice
• $2,500 unrestricted capacity-building stipend
• Complimentary registration for one annual International Surf Therapy Organization conference
• Personalized commemorative trophy
The trips to Namotu Island for the winner and runner(s)-up take place in April of the year following receipt of the award in order to allow time for scheduling (e.g., the 2027 Aloha Award winner will go to Namotu in April, 2028).