Scotty James OLY - Snowboarding
James’ pursuit: chasing a record fourth Award of Excellence
Scotty James’ career epitomises a relentless drive to push the halfpipe further, forged across five Olympic Games and more than a decade at the top of world snowboarding.
At the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, James continued to build his legacy securing another silver. The medal made him Australia’s most decorated Winter Olympian, adding to his bronze at PyeongChang 2018 and silver at Beijing 2022.
He further solidified his standing, claiming a fifth straight X Games title in the snowboard halfpipe, his eighth overall to equal Shaun White’s record for X Games snowboard gold.
James has won the VIS Award of Excellence three times, in 2018, 2019 and 2025, equalling the record of Cathy Freeman AC OLY. A fourth would be a distinction no athlete has held.
Danielle Scott OLY - Aerial skiing
Scott’s breakthrough season: A long-awaited Olympic silver
Danielle Scott’s 2026 season embodies persistence rewarded, delivering one of the biggest results of her aerial skiing career forged across four Olympic Games.
In Livigno, Scott ascended to the Olympic podium at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games. In a world-class field, Scott claimed silver behind China’s Xu Mengtao in what is being described as the highest-scoring women’s aerials final in Olympic history.
It was Australia’s sixth medal of the Games and a long-awaited breakthrough for the 35-year-old, whose best finish across her three previous Olympic Games was ninth. Three days later she helped Australia to fourth place in the mixed team aerials, the nation’s first appearance in the event.
Scott is Australia’s fourth Olympic aerial skiing medallist, joining Alisa Camplin AC, Lydia Lassila OLY and David Morris OLY. Her silver arrives 24 years after Camplin, a VIS alumna and Australia’s Chef de Mission in Milano Cortina, won the nation’s first gold in the sport at Salt Lake City 2002.
Dean Hewitt OLY - Curling
Hewitt’s resolve: from Olympic heartbreak to world champion
Dean Hewitt’s world title in Geneva epitomises a lifelong commitment to a sport Australians have had to pursue on the other side of the world.
Hewitt grew up in Melbourne, in a country without a dedicated curling rink, and has built his career training overseas. Alongside mixed doubles partner Tahli Gill OLY (QAS), he made history at Beijing 2022 as one of Australia’s first Olympic curlers. The pair won bronze at the 2025 World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship and climbed to world No. 1 in November 2025.
Whilst Milano Cortina qualification narrowly slipped away, five months later, they bounced back in Geneva. After losing just one round-robin match, they beat defending champions and Milano Cortina bronze medallists Italy before defeated Sweden 8-4 in the final to claim Australia’s first world title in curling. Hewitt also shared the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award.
His commitment extends well beyond the ice. Hewitt contributes to VIS community programs, takes on athlete leadership and mentoring roles, and advocates for the growth of curling in Australia.
Hewitt is also a finalist for the Sarah Tait Spirit Award.
Jaylen Brown PLY - Wheelchair basketball
Brown’s breakout year: world champion and tournament MVP
Jaylen Brown’s 2026 season marks the arrival of a new leader for the Australian Rollers, capped by a world title and the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award.
The 21-year-old built form towards the World Championships. In July he was part of the Rollers team that beat the United States 77-68 to win the Toronto Invitational, before being named in the 12-player squad for Ottawa.
On his World Championship run, Brown delivered on the biggest stage helping Australia take the crown for the first time since 2014. The Rollers went through all seven games unbeaten, and he saved his best for the knockout rounds. In an 84-83 overtime semi-final win over Germany, he played all 45 minutes and scored 37 points.
In the final against Italy, he scored 28 points on 13 from 18 shooting, with six rebounds and six assists, as the Rollers won 81-57. It secured Australia’s third world title, after 2010 and 2014, and the first in 12 years. Brown was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player.
The Paralympian is a finalist in three categories this year: the Award of Excellence, the Para Athlete Award and The Carbine Club Rising Star Award. With LA 2028 less than two years away, he has quickly become one to watch.
Sam Williamson OLY - Swimming
Williamson’s golden run: from crutches to the finest season of his career
Sam Williamson’s 2026 season epitomises one of swimming’s great comeback stories, forged through a recovery that began with him learning to walk again.
In 2025, he ruptured the patellar tendon in his left knee during a box jump while warming up. Williamson later recalled that his surgeon described it as one of the worst injuries he had seen in 25 years of practice.
Working with the VIS team, he found his way back to the world stage just over a year later lining up in the 100m breaststroke final at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. In an emotional race he powered home over the closing metres to touch, ahead of Jersey’s Filip Nowacki and England’s Adam Ramsay-Peaty, one of the greatest breaststrokers of all time.
He then claimed the 50m breaststroke and swam breaststroke for Australia in both the men’s and mixed 4x100m medley relays to leave Glasgow with four gold medals.
Williamson carried that form to the Pan Pacific Championships. He won gold in the 50m breaststroke, bronze in the 100m breaststroke and silver in the mixed medley relay.
From crutches to a haul of medals across the Commonwealth Games and Pan Pacific Championships, the Victorian has delivered a remarkable international season.
