Another stellar crop of nominations has been interrogated, and a shortlist has been agreed upon for the Mining Magazine Awards 2026.

Our panel of judges, chaired by editor Beth McLoughlin, has applied their acumen to over 100 entries across 13 categories.

Mining Magazine would like to extend our thanks to our tremendous independent judges, Professor Ismet Canbulat, Dr Kate Thornton, Kim Morrison, and Paul Freeman.

"The quality of entries this year was exceptionally high in many categories. We were looking for evidence-based innovation and achievement in mining, and we found plenty of it," McLoughlin said.

Category winners will be announced on Monday, September 7, and in the September print edition of Mining Magazine.

 

AI in action

• Mariana Minerals, for its AI-driven operational framework at Copper One in Utah and Lithium One in Texas

• PETRA Data Science, for its MAXTA platform

• Schneider Electric, for its fully integrated, industrial-grade data and analytics ecosystem that connects plant operations with AI

• VerAI Discoveries, for its proprietary AI-driven platform that identifies, generates, and secures high-probability mineral projects at scale

• VRIFY, for DORA, an AI prospectivity mapping software

Climate and environment

• CETOS Water, for its Temperature Swing Solvent Extraction (TSSE), a membrane-less, non-evaporative treatment platform that operates effectively at extreme salinities

• Cummins and First Mode, for the first commercially viable hybrid retrofit system for ultra-class haul trucks

• Hexagon, for its R-evolution division's Green Cubes technology that combines LiDAR, satellite imagery, AI-driven analytics, and environmental sensors

• Mineral Recovery Research Centre at Edith Cowan University, for its role in advancing membrane-enabled greener mineral processing

• Schneider Electric, for its EcoStruxure Resource Advisor platform, which provides mining companies with a unified view of their environmental footprint across all operations

Drill and blast (in collaboration with GeoDrilling International)

• PETRA Data Science, for its digital twin optimisation application

• OptiClino, for its vision-based navigation and drill alignment system that spatially positions underground drills relative to the mine grid

• Anglo American, for its Quantitative Flyrock Risk Management Framework

Exploration excellence

• Greatland Resources, for its exploration and drilling program at Telfer

• Hycroft Mining, for the discovery and exploration of two new high-grade silver systems at Brimstone and Vortex

• Lilac Solutions, for its campaign at Salar de Jama in Argentina

• Seequent, for its integrated exploration technologies

• VRIFY, for its AI prospectivity mapping software

Lifetime achievement

• Dr Sandra Close AM

• Peter Freissle, Polydeck

• Dave Goddard, Hexagon Mining

• Alan Seery

• R. Todd Swinderman, Martin Engineering

Mineral processing excellence

• Gold Fields, for its Agnew Gold Mine crushing and screening circuit upgrade

• Lilac Solutions, for its Gen 5 Lilac IX direct lithium extraction technology

• Momentum Technologies, for its Membrane Solvent Extraction (MSX) technology

• Major, for its OPTIMUMWIRE Thermo Screen

• RZOLV Technologies, for its water-based, non-cyanide leaching platform

• Sofi Filtration, for its Alchemist self-cleaning filtration technology

Partnership of the year

• Aclara and Virginia Tech, for their rare earth separation demonstration facility partnership

• Codelco and Hexagon, for their five-year strategic technology co-development partnership

• Kal Tire and Pitcrew AI, for their integrated tyre monitoring solution

• Selkirk Copper, for the Selkirk First Nation and Fiore Group partnership at Minto Mine

• Tahltan Central Government and Newmont Red Chris Mine

• United Nations Just Transitions Taskforce

Safety excellence

• Aris Mining, for its Vision Zero safety program across Colombian underground operations

• Austin Powder, for its remote/automated explosives manufacturing and lead-free detonator technology

• Fortescue, for its Collision Avoidance System (CAS)

• Harita Nickel, for its Zero Failure Framework (predictive process safety)

• Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company (SECMC), for its Goal Zero safety culture

• TATA Chemicals Soda Ash Partners, for its ISO 45001-certified safety management system

• Whitehaven Coal and Hexagon, for collision avoidance and operator alertness technology at Tarrawonga

Software excellence

• Hexagon, for the MinePlan Block Model Manager

• Mine Tech Services, for Haul Road Explorer (HRE)

• Schneider Electric, for EcoStruxure, AVEVA & ETAP integrated software ecosystem

• Seequent, for Leapfrog Geo / Evo, Driver and Imago

• VoltVision, for its ViViD real-time electrical network monitoring platform

• VRIFY Technology, for its DORA AI platform and VRIFY Present 3D visualisation

Surface and vehicle excellence

• Anglo American, for its Truck Speed and Performance Improvement Analysis

• Philippi-Hagenbuch, for the HiVol Water Tank

• Techking Tires, for the POWER A05 tyre for Australian road-train haulage

• Trimble (with Vermeer), for the SM55 surface miner and Trimble Earthworks 3D grade control integration

• Wallis Drilling, for the W400RC drill rig

Tailings innovation

• Bactech Environmental Corporation, for its Zero Tailings bioleaching and recovery process

• Fab5 GeoSolutions, for its lifecycle tailings governance and risk-management framework

• Harita Nickel, for using nickel slag as a soil ameliorant for post-mining land reclamation

Underground excellence

• Advanced Navigation, for its Chimera Laser Velocity Sensor (Chimera LVS), validated in partnership with BHP

• Emesent, for the Hovermap autonomous drone-based LiDAR mapping platform

• IBT Robotic Systems Group, for the OptiClino vision-based drill alignment system

• Major Drilling, for its semi-automated rod handling robot for underground exploration

• Micromine, for its Pitram implementation at Çayeli Bakır İşletmeleri (CBI)

• Mine Tech Services, for performance integration across MineStar, Newtrax, Pitram, Meglab and VANTAGE

Woman of the year

• Diane R. Garrett, Hycroft Mining chief executive

• Dr Maria Sinche Gonzalez, Founder/Coordinator, Erasmus Mundus Master Programme in Mineral Processing Engineering (EMJM-PROMISE)

• Julia Potter, Director, University of Arizona Geotechnical Center of Excellence and president of Women in Mining USA

• Giovanna Romero, Aris Mining SVP Corporate Affairs and Sustainability

• Riina Salmimies, Sofi Filtration chief executive