Awards and Recognition

The Awards of Excellence were introduced in 2011 as a way to recognise and honour outstanding achievements in sonography and reward their excellence, best practice and contributions to sonography.  All recipients are inspirations, shining lights of our profession for others to look up to and hopefully what future sonographers aspire to. 

The ASA Fellowship program was established in 2016 to recognise members whose outstanding level of sustained commitment has made a significant contribution to the sonography profession and the ASA. Fellowship is the highest grade of membership for professional associations. The titles of 'Fellow' and 'Associate Fellow' are conferred upon ASA Accredited Medical Sonographer Members who meet the entry requirements.

In 2019, the prestigious Pru Pratten Memorial Award was renamed to The Pru Pratten Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award, and recognises a member's significant contributions to the profession and the ASA over their entire career.

Pru Pratten Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award

The esteemed Pru Pratten Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award (PPMLAA) celebrates and acknowledges a sonographer who has made outstanding contributions to both the profession and the ASA throughout their career. 


PPMLAA nominees will display a desire for excellence, demonstrate outstanding achievements and through their personal efforts have helped to advance the sonography profession. Each year, the PPMLAA Award recipient is announced and honoured at the Gala Dinner held at the ASA’s Annual International Conference. 


In 2023, the ASA Board made the decision to grant all past and future Pru Pratten Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award recipients with Honorary ASA Lifetime Membership, in recognition of their invaluable contributions to the sonography profession and to the ASA. 

Nomination criteria and eligibility 

The nomination criteria includes three categories: 


• Service to the ASA – includes presenting at ASA events, writing for Sonography journal, and being active on ASA committees/branches, 

• Mentoring and training – includes being actively involved in the training of others to more formal positions of clinical supervisors or educators, 

• Service to humanity and innovation – includes research, volunteering to outreach communities or the creation of new ways of educating and training sonographers. 

To be eligible for nomination: 

• The nominee must be a financial and continuous member of the ASA for a minimum of 15 years

• Nominees cannot have previously received the ASA Sonographer of the Year or Pru Pratten Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award 

• Nominees cannot be a current ASA Board member or ASA staff  

• Nominees may also be put forward for the Awards of Excellence in the same year, however separate applications will need to be submitted.

Download Nomination Criteria

Awards of Excellence 2025

Each year, the ASA Awards of Excellence recognise outstanding contributions to the sonography profession across clinical practice, education, research, and professional leadership. The Sonographer of the Year awards celebrate exceptional professionals from each Australian state and New Zealand, honouring those who go above and beyond to advance patient care, lead innovation, support their peers, and strengthen the profession. 

Discover the 2025 Award recipients

Employer Awards


Each year, employers from across Australia and New Zealand recognise those who continue to enhance their learning and sonography best practices through the review of clinical cases and processes. 

The ASA is proud to support these awards by granting each award recipient full free registration to the upcoming ASA Annual International Conference, along with the opportunity to present their case studies as an abstract at the conference, or submit a manuscript for publication in the ASA’s Sonography Journal.

Student Awards


Each year, participating sonography course providers recognise those students who continue to expand their learning and sonography clinical practices to the highest standards. The ASA Student Awards support and encourage outstanding students via the Academic Excellence and Clinical Practice award categories.

Academic Excellence Award - recipients receive a Certificate of Recognition plus free ASA AMS Membership (including insurance) for the following year.

Clinical Practice Award - recipients receive a Certificate of Recognition plus free registration to the ASA Annual International Conference (to be taken within two years).

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