Judging has commenced on the highly coveted Contribution to Industry awards for the 2021 Australian Drinks Awards as the Drinks Association continues to plan for a return to ‘normal programming’ with a full slate of awards planned for the evening. This is in contrast to last year’s pared back virtual awards presentation.
Three Contribution to Industry awards will be presented on the night: the Corporate Social Responsibility Award, Inclusive & Diverse Workplace Award and the Most Improved Gender Equity Award.
“In a year like no other, we have received a record number of submissions for these awards. Gender equity, D&I, and environmental and social responsibility are now entirely embedded within the day to day operations of Australian drinks businesses,” said Drinks Association CEO Georgia Lennon.
“It has been a transformational year and our judging panels certainly have their work cut out for them given the exciting and inspiring initiatives that have been implemented over the past year by our member organisations.”
The return of these awards is welcome, and they are always one of the highlights of the awards’ evening.
The Corporate Social Responsibility Award recognises an organisation's unique initiatives and strategies demonstrating a commitment to socially responsible principles, such as responsible drinking, environmental sustainability or community, charity and corporate values. The award is sponsored by Endeavour Group and will be presented by Julie Ryan, Head of External Affairs and Sustainability at Endeavour Group.
Inclusive & Diverse Workplace Award: recognises organisations that prioritise diversity and recognise the value of an inclusive workplace for individuals and their organisations. The award is sponsored by Coles Liquor again this year as it was in 2019 and will be presented by Tim O’Meara, Legal Counsel.
Most Improved Gender Equity Award: The gender equity award has changed this year and been renamed. This has been done for greater clarity and to ensure that large and small companies can be considered alongside each other.
Chair of the Embrace Difference Council, Campari’s Simon Durrant said, “The creation of the Embrace Difference Scorecard and the latest iteration allows us to track progress and bring rigour towards our goals. It also allows us to bring facts to our awards and the Most Improved Equity award is based upon real tangible improvements from member companies.”
Pernod Ricard’s HRD, Christian Campanella explained, “This new award measures progress in D&I using measurable data points based on the WGEA model. So, it’s not about where you are at but rather the progress you have made.”
Awards will be presented on Thursday, 5 August at the Ivy Ballroom in Sydney. Forty-two awards in all will be distributed across Brand, Supplier and Contribution to Industry categories.