The NEWIEE Awards honor and celebrate the achievements of women+ leaders in the energy and environmental fields, as well as those uplifting underrepresented voices. Our 15th annual awards gala will take place on Thursday, May 7, 2026, and we anticipate close to 700 people.

NEWIEE’s mission is to elevate the voices of underrepresented members of its community and drive greater diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in the fields of energy and environment. Our vision is a future where women+ in the energy and environmental sectors lead and contribute at all levels of the industry, bringing more diverse perspectives to inform decision-making and generating broadly beneficial outcomes.  NEWIEE aims to ensure underrepresented populations have opportunities to meet, and share ideas, learn from one another, develop their careers, and advance the industry as part of a diverse workforce that is ready to tackle the biggest challenges in the region, country, and beyond. 

For more details, please see our Awards Guideline Document.

The deadline to submit nominations is February 13, 2026.

2026 AWARDS: 

DEI Founders’ Award honors the founders of our organization, a group of women who came together in 2008 to exchange ideas and experiences with others in energy and environmental professions. This award, created in 2023, recognizes the spirit of the NEWIEE founders - uplifting underrepresented voices and creating a space for like-minded individuals to come together. We honor both an individual and an organization here.

Leadership Award: The Leadership Award recognizes a woman+ leader who demonstrates excellence and leadership in their career and showcases industry impact, while creating pathways for others to advance in energy and environmental fields. This leader demonstrates professional excellence while actively championing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging through mentorship, sponsorship, policy advocacy, or organizational change. Their leadership amplifies underrepresented voices and creates lasting impact beyond their individual achievements. Ideal nominees demonstrate:
  • Professional excellence with proven industry impact
  • Active mentorship, sponsorship, or creation of advancement opportunities for women+ and underrepresented groups
  • Leadership within their organization or sector
  • Influence at local, regional, or national level

Rising Star Award: Created in 2016 to honor Allison Smith, the Rising Star Award celebrates a woman+ with less than ten years of professional experience who demonstrates exceptional promise and commitment to building a more inclusive energy and environmental sector. This emerging leader shows professional growth while actively lifting others, challenging inequitable practices, or creating innovative solutions that benefit underrepresented communities. Ideal nominees demonstrate:
  • Less than 10 years of energy/environment industry experience
  • Strong professional trajectory and growing influence
  • Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging
  • Innovation or fresh approaches to sector challenges
  • Peer leadership or community building among emerging professionals
The complete list of past awardees can be found here.

If you have questions, contact newiee@newiee.org.
 
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