The theme for 2026 is “Small changes, big impact”. This year, we want to highlight initiatives that show how both large and smaller concrete actions can make a positive difference in everyday working life and contribute to more inclusive and well-functioning workplaces.

We therefore encourage nominations for both small and large efforts. What matters is not the scale of the initiative, but the positive impact it has on people in their day-to-day working lives.

We will place particular emphasis on efforts that:

• are concrete and rooted in practice
• have a positive impact on employees, with perceived impact weighed more highly than extensive documentation
• take into account the individual organisation’s context, resources and starting point
• have the potential to inspire others in the industry

You can nominate a person, a team or a member shipping company that has contributed to promoting diversity, equality and inclusion, both at sea and ashore.

👉 Read more about the criteria and nomination process here

Send your nomination to apk@danishshipping.dk no later than 29 May 2026.

Danish Shipping’s DEI Award was presented for the first time in 2022, when Hafnia won for its “Maritime Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Lab”. The lab was created together with RightShip, Wilhelmsen, Thome Group, Rio Tinto and Anglo American, and served as a kind of diversity think tank.

The following year, the award went to Trine Hoffmann from A.P. Moller – Maersk. The jury placed particular emphasis on Trine Hoffmann’s extraordinary drive, her high level of ambition, and the fact that she has helped take diversity to a new level in her organisation.

In 2024, the award once again went to Hafnia. The jury highlighted the shipping company’s carefully considered and broad approach to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion, which is continuously developed and expanded. This approach is supported by clear and ambitious targets and followed up with data.

Last year, the award went to DFDS for its strategic efforts, where DEI is integrated into KPIs, bonus schemes and processes such as recruitment, pay and leadership development. With its Waves of Talent programme, DFDS has, in less than two years, increased the proportion of female officers from 4.4% to 10%, with a target of 20% by 2030. DFDS was also praised for its openness about pay gaps and its inclusion of transgender people on social media.

Torsten Mathias Augustsen, Head of Department at SEA HEALTH AND WELFARE

Anja Rose, Head of Organisational Performance and Development, Welltec

Hannah Holst Kragelund, Regional Head of People and Culture Europe, Svitzer.

Heidi Heseltine, CEO, Halcyon Recruitment and Founder, Diversity Study Group

Nina Porst, Executive Director of Sustainable Ships and Skills at Danish Shipping