Submit a celebrating excellence award nomination

February 21, 2025 – Defence Stories

Estimated read time – 1:30

It’s time to honour the individuals and teams who have made this past year exceptional. The Celebrating Excellence Awards (accessible only on the National Defence network) are now open for nominations, offering the highest form of recognition within the Department of National Defence (DND)!

The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and DND’s success stems from its dedicated and talented employees. The Defence Team’s unmatched leadership, creativity, and dedication empower us to attain impressive outcomes and redefine standards of excellence every year.

This is your chance to recognize colleagues, mentors, or peers who have made extraordinary contributions to the Defence Team. All CAF/DND employees and personnel are eligible to be nominated and can submit nominations.

The 2025 Celebrating Excellence Award categories are:

• Deputy Minister (DM) Award of Distinction
• DM John Forster Collaboration Award
• DM/Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Organizational Culture Award
• DM/CDS Excellence in Defence Awards
  • Rising Star Award
  • Leadership Excellence Award
  • Employment Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Reconciliation Award
  • Unsung Hero Award
• DM/CDS Modernization and Transformation Award

Follow these steps to submit a nomination:

• Read the instructions and guidelines (accessible only on the National Defence network) to ensure eligibility
• Complete and submit a nomination form (accessible only on the National Defence network)

Nominations will be accepted until April 30, 2025.

Related links

• Nomination tools (accessible only on the National Defence network)
• 2024 Celebrating Excellence Awards winners

Contact

• Reach out to the Corporate Awards and Recognition Secretariat at awards-recompenses@forces.gc.ca to find out which award is best suited for your nomination or for help with recognizing your employees.