Nominations for the Merchant Navy Medal 2025

Nominations for the 2025 Merchant Navy Medal for Meritorious Service are currently open and close on 31 May 2025.

This will be the 10th year that awards will be made for the Merchant Navy Medal for Meritorious Service State Award. The Medal is awarded where an individual has shown devotion to duty, exemplary service and been an outstanding example to others. We can award up to 20 recipients each year.

The guidance and nomination form can be found here on the GOV.UK website.

You can nominate anyone who is serving, or has served, in the Merchant Navy or fishing fleets of the United Kingdom, Isle of Man, the Channel Islands or the British Overseas Territories.

If someone in your organisation meets these criteria and you feel they may make a worthy recipient, please nominate them!

Nominations are open to all, irrespective of gender, service or positions held. Awards have previously been made to ratings, officers, fishers, and ex-seafarers now serving in other parts of the sector. Awards are also open to all ages: we have had recipients in their early 20s through to their late 90s.

When completing a nomination form, the most important thing to highlight is what is meritorious about the nominee’s service and what they have done that is over and above the job they are paid to do. Make clear what added value have they shown. This might include ways they have mentored and supported others, inspired young people, helped companies, actively worked with charities, been an exceptional leader, provided an example to others, brought about positive changes, or improved safety, welfare, mental health, or diversity. This list is not exhaustive but will give you a feel for the range of meritorious service we are seeking to recognise with this medal. The nature of the nominee’s meritorious service should be clear and upfront in the nomination, allowing the board to easily understand what is exceptional about the nominee.

The person you are nominating must not be told that they are being considered as there is no guarantee of success. You can consult anyone you need to about the nomination to obtain the information that you need; simply explain to them that your conversations and correspondence are in confidence.

Please feel free to share this email with your colleagues, members, stakeholders, organisations that you work with, or anyone else who may be interested in putting forward a nomination.

If you have any questions, please contact us at  MerchantNavyMedal@dft.gov.uk.

If you wish to recognise someone exceptional who is not eligible for the Merchant Navy Medal but has truly gone above and beyond what would have been expected of them in their role, you could consider nominating them for an Honour. To find out more please contact dfthonours@dft.gov.uk. The Honours team will be able to advise on the suitability of the individual for an Honours nomination.

We look forward to seeing your nominations!