The NOGI Awards is an award presented annually by the Academy of Underwater Arts and Sciences (AUAS) to diving luminariesThe NOGI Award: Bert Kilbride and is "considered the Oscar of the ocean world."Obituary of Mike deGruy: 1951-2012"Two Santa Barbarans receive diving's highest honor" by Peter Howorth Selection of recipients is based on their record of accomplishments and excellence in the diving world. NOGI awards are given out to world-class standouts of the diving community who have distinguished themselves and made a global impact on diving in one or more of four general categories: Science, Arts, Sports/Education, and Environment. A fifth NOGI is given for Distinguished Service.
History The NOGI awards originally came into existence as part of the trophy system offered during the 1950s for the underwater division of the New Orleans Grand Isle Fishing Tournament. NOGI is the acronym for the first four words of the tournament's name. In its current form, the NOGI awards date back to 1960 when Jay Albeanese and Louis Cuccia of New Orleans approached the Underwater Society of America for its sanction of an "award to annually recognize leaders in the field of skin and SCUBA diving in four categories." Since 1993, the NOGI awards scheme has been the responsibility of the Academy of Underwater Arts and Sciences. In 2013, a fifth category "Environment" was added to the awards scheme.50th Annual NOGI Awards Gala
Academy of Underwater Arts and Sciences The Academy of Underwater Arts and Sciences (AUAS) was formed in 1993 for the purpose of administering the NOGI Awards. It has status as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Its mission is to be: a 501(c)3 non-profit, international, multi-disciplinary organization dedicated to recognizing pioneers and leaders who have had a significant impact on the exploration, enjoyment, safety, and preservation of the underwater world. The AUAS is committed to supporting its members as they pass on the stewardship of the sea to future generations.
NOGI categories There are five categories of NOGIs.
Science: Recipients in the Science category include renowned underwater archaeologists such as E. Lee Spence and George Bass, inventors like Edwin Link, undersea explorers like Sylvia Earle and Robert Ballard, doctors involved in hyperbaric medicine such as Joseph MacInnis, as well as marine biologists, and other marine scientists.
Arts: Awardees in the Arts category have included internationally known filmmakers such as James Cameron and Stan Waterman, marine artists like Guy Harvey, and photographers such as National Geographic's Emory Kristof.
Sports/education: The Sports & Education category recognizes distinguished diver athletes like Ron Taylor and Bret Gilliam (diver), educators like John Christopher Fine and even actors like Lloyd Bridges and Zale Parry who were pioneer scuba divers and portrayed divers on TV's Sea Hunt, and thus helped to encourage and grow the public's interest in diving.
Environment: The newest category of NOGI which was added in 2013 is for Environment and its first recipient is Dr. G. Carleton Ray. It is meant to recognize divers who, well beyond their normal employment, have led efforts to protect the world's underwater heritage.
Distinguished service: Distinguished Service recipients have typically included world-renowned divers like Captain Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Astronaut/Aquanaut Scott Carpenter but they have also included lesser known people whose professional, volunteer and/or private work has truly had a major impact on the diving industry and/or the global diving community in general.
The statuette The original NOGI statuettes were designed by New Orleans sculptor Vero Puccio, who hand carved them out of mahogany (one report says balsa) and later cast them out of polywood. Since 2005, when the statuette, which shows a pedestal mounted skin diver standing with upraised arms holding a plaque reading "NOGI," was updated by marine wildlife artist Wyland (who is also a NOGI winner), the statuettes have been made of cast lucite.50th Annual NOGI Awards Gala DressNOGI – History
NOGI Award recipients The following is a listing of all NOGI recipients since its creation in 1960.
Award YearScienceArtsSports/EducationDistinguished ServiceEnvironment 1960 Eugene J.D. Vezzani, Ph.D. Jim Auxier / Chuck Blakeslee George Youmans Carl H. Hauber x 1961 Jim Christiansen / Jack Faver x x C.B. "Ben" Davis x 1962 David M. Owen James Dugan Gustav Dalla Valle John J. McAniff x 1963 Edward Lanphier, M.D. Luis Marden Mary Edith "Mel" Lillis Joseph D. Albanese, Jr. x 1964 Capt. George Bond Coles Phinizy William "Bill" High Albert Tillman x 1965 Edwin Link Eugenie Clark, M.D. John Ernst Pablo Bush Romero x 1966 Robert Workman, M.D. Dimitri Rebikoff Ron Taylor Capt. Jacques-Yves Cousteau x 1967 Hon. Jacques Piccard, Ph.D. Bill Barada Ralph Davis Louis R. Cuccia x 1968 Andreas B. Rechnitzer, Ph.D. Stanton A. Waterman Terry Lintz David R. Stith x 1969 Albert Behnke, M.D. Paul Tzimoulis James R. Stewart Glen H. Egstrom, Ph.D. x 1970 Harold Edgerton, Ph.D. Richard Anderson T.F. "Duke" Pawlowicz Oscar Asturias x 1971 Christian J. Lambertsen, M.D. Peter Gimbel Harold Drake Walter Feinberg x 1972 Joseph MacInnis, M.D. Al Giddings Harold Drake Frank Scalli x 1973 Arthur J. Bachrach, Ph.D. Ron Church Bernard "Bernie" Empleton Zale Parry x 1974 George Bass, Ph.D. Lamar Boren Wheeler North, Ph.D. Nick Icorn x 1975 Robert D. Ballard, Ph.D. Ernest H. Brooks, II Ellis E.R. Cross / Charles Nicklin Melvin Grosvenor, Ph.D. x 1976 Sylvia A. Earle, Ph.D. Bates Littlehales Arthur H. Ulrich Robert F. Marx x 1977 Robert Dill, Ph.D. Phillippe Pierre Cousteau Dewey Bergman Jack McKenny x 1978 Conrad Limbaugh David N. Doubilet Mel Fisher George Benjamin, Ph.D. x 1979 Roger W. Cook Lee Tepley, Ph.D. Jim Brown Charles Wesley Shilling, M.D. x 1980 Peter B. Bennett, Ph.D. Valerie Taylor Louis M. Fead Harry Shanks x 1981 Glen H. Egstrom, Ph.D. Rick Freshee Jefferson Davis, M.D. / John Geiszler Nixon Griffis x 1982 Richard A Cooper, Ph.D. Genaro Hurtado Lloyd Bridges Dick Bonin x 1983 Capt. Otto Van Der Aue, M.D. Mendel L. Peterson Helen Turcotte Davis Elliott Finkle, Ph.D. x 1984 Gene Shinn Nancy Sefton J. Morgan Wells, Ph.D. Ralph Osterhout x 1985 George Ruggieri Cathy Church/Jim Church Walt Hendrick, Sr. John Cronin x 1986 James W. Miller, Ph.D. Charles Nicklin x John H. Perry, Jr. x 1987 Eugenie Clark, Ph.D. Emory Kristof Bert Kilbride Richard M. Sammon x 1988 Richard A. Slater, Ph.D. Jack McKenny Jon Hardy Andre Galerne x 1989 Don Walsh, Ph.D. Ivan Tors Jon Gaffney Andreas B. Rechnitzer, Ph.D. x 1990 Robert I. Wicklund Bev Morgan Dennis K. Graver Ian G. Koblick x 1991 William "Bill" High Jordan Klein, Sr. Richard W. Long E.B. "Teddy" Tucker, M.B.E. x 1992 Christopher Nicholson Ralph White Frank Fennell Ellis E.R. Cross x 1993 Jean-Michel Cousteau Howard W. Hall John Christopher Fine Gov. Lowell P. Weicker, Ph.D. x 1994 Alfred Bove, M.D., Ph.D. Flip Nicklin Lee H. Somers, Ph.D. Mary Edith "Mel" Lillis x 1995 R.W. Bill Hamilton, Ph.D. Bob Talbet Bev Morgan Scott Carpenter x 1996 Kathryn D. Sullivan, Ph.D. Ricou Browning Dan Orr Surgeon Vice Admiral John Rawlins x 1997 Phil Nuytten, Ph.D. Lt. Col. John D. Craig Robert Clark Capt. Phillippe Tailliez x 1998 Hans Hass, Ph.D. Wyland Richard Murphy, Ph.D. Hans Hass, Ph.D. x 1999 Richard W. Grigg, Ph.D. James Cameron Andreas B. Rechnitzer, Ph.D. Albert Falco x 2000 John E. Randall, Ph.D. Ada Rebikoff Tom Mount Frederic Dumas x 2001 Bob Hollis Geri Murphy John Cronin Hillary Viders, Ph.D. x 2002 Anatoly M. Sagalevitch, Ph.D. John Stoneman Edward C. Cargile Émile Gagnan x 2003 Jim Cahill Chris Newbert / Birgitte Wilms Leslie Leaney x 2004 Richard Pyle, Ph.D. Guy C. Harvey, Ph.D. Armand Zigahn Henri G. Delauze x 2005 Paul Dayton, Ph.D. Peter Benchley Bob Evans Lee Selisky x 2006 Paul S. Auerbach, M.D. Bill Curtsinger Bill Meistrell / Bob Meistrell William "Bill" High x 2007 Charles Birkeland, Ph.D. Wes Skiles Carl Roessler Dee Scarr x 2008 Hannes Keller Bonnie Cardone Walt "Butch" Hendrick Mike Gower x 2009 Michael Lang Michele Hall Paul Humann Hillary Hauser x 2010 Patrick Colin, Ph.D. Bernie Campoli William Hamner / Peggy Hamner Frank K. Butler Jr., M.D. x 2011 Phillip Lobel, Ph.D. Nick Caloyianis Ed Stetson Mike deGruy x 2012–2013 E. Lee Spence, M.H.D. Michael Aw Bret Gilliam Dave Parker G. Carleton Ray, Ph.D. 2014 Richard D. Vann, Ph.D. Richard Ellis Mike Hollis Lad Handelman Bill Macdonald 2015 Dr Richard A. Lutz Clive Cussler Bob Kirby Rodney Fox Dr Gregory S. Stone 2016 Mike Cochran Stephen Frink Bob Croft Bonnie Toth Hardy Jones 2017 Dr Gerald R Allen Chuck Davis Jill Heinerth Tom Ingram Dr. Eric Sala 2018 Dr. Michael L. Gernhardt Marty Snyderman Sally E. Bauer, M.D. Peter A Hughes John C. Ogden, Ph.D. 2019 Dr Tom Neuman Brian Skerry Eric Hanauer Jerry Greenberg Dr Wallace Nichols 2020 Laurence Madin Paul Nicklen Don Barthelmess Carol Rose Wolcot Henry 2022 John R. Clarke Adam Ravetch Jack and Sue Drafahl Dr. Albert Jones Harry Robbin 2023 James R. Holm M.D Amos Nachoum Dr. Drew Richardson Abdulmoshen Abdulmalik Al Lynn Funkhouser 2024 Shirley A. Pomponi, PhD. Louis Prézelin Jeffery Bozanic, Ph.D. Jim Gatacre Lad Atkins 2025 Richard Moon, Dr. Becky Kagan Schott LeRoy French Dick Rutkowski Georgienne BradleyAward YearScienceArtsSports/EducationDistinguished ServiceEnvironment
References
External links Academy of Underwater Arts and Sciences