The awards ceremony will be held on 2 November 2023, and will take place at the Fairmont Hotel in Singapore, where guests will have the opportunity to network with industry colleagues and celebrate the contributions of seafarers, shore staff, and shipping companies worldwide.

“We have moved the event to an even bigger venue this year,” says Jan Webber, Director of Development at The Mission to Seafarers, “as the event has grown considerably since its inception in 2018. It shows how the industry values the importance of crew welfare. If last year was anything to go by, this year will be even more popular and impactful as we have already secured bookings for 24 tables. We thank Shell and BHP for continuing their Gold Sponsorship of this important event”.

Some of last year’s memorable winners include Capt. Rohit Minocha of Hafnia, who took home the Seafarer’s Award, and Easter Pacific Shipping who were winners of the Secretary General Award.

Recognition of seafarers’ welfare initiatives is of vital importance to raise the standards across the board. We must not forget that seafarers continue to face unprecedented challenges and it is more important than ever to recognise those who go above and beyond to support their welfare. All are welcome to submit their nominations and help us honour those who have made significant contributions to seafarers’ wellbeing.

The Mission to Seafarers would like to thank Shell and BHP who continue as Gold Sponsors of this popular event. We also extend our gratitude to Pacific International Lines (PIL) who were Silver Sponsors at our 2022 event and have upgraded their support to Gold Sponsor this year. They are joined by Bureau Veritas, NorthStandard, West of England P&I Club, ASP Ships Group, Singapore Organisation of Seamen (SOS), and Singapore Maritime officers’ Union (SMOU), as Silver Sponsors and Holman Fenwick Willan (HFW) who continues to provide the Welcome Drinks Sponsorship. We thank them for their support and commitment to the Seafarers’ Awards event over the past six years.

Andrew Wright, Secretary General, The Mission to Seafarers, said:
“We are finding post-pandemic that seafarers continue to face challenges with access to shore-leave. We would like to take this opportunity to highlight the importance of shore-leave to mental health and wellbeing. Taking a short break from the harsh mechanisation of a ship to feel the grass beneath your feet, is unquestionably good for mental health. We urge more companies to prioritise the importance of shore leave. Seafarers have had to cope with many challenges over the past years and still the Ukrainian and Russian seafarers face a fraught and emotional future. We help them and hundreds of thousands of seafarers with whatever problems they have – 24/7 in 200 locations. The Seafarers Awards is an opportunity to raise awareness and show appreciation to the individuals and organisations who have made exceptional contributions to improving the welfare of seafarers.”

Nick Potter, Head of Shipping and Maritime for Shell in Asia Pacific and the Middle East, said:
“Shell is delighted to continue to be a sponsor of the awards which recognise the importance of the safety and wellbeing of seafarers, which is critical to the attraction and retention of talent in an essential industry which moves over 80% of world freight.”

Rashpal Singh Bhatti, Vice President, Maritime & Supply Chain Excellence at BHP, commented:
“BHP is delighted to continue its gold sponsorship of The Mission to Seafarers Awards, supporting the inimitable work that seafarers perform day and night to keep our economies moving.”