9 Jan 2026
Nominations are open for the 2026 GapOnly® Veterinary Awards (GOVAs), the premier industry event recognising excellence, leadership and innovation across the veterinary profession – with entries closing 18 January 2026.
Key Points
The 2026 GapOnly® Veterinary Awards (GOVAs) will be held on Friday 6 March 2026, hosted by Mark Humphries.
The GOVAs celebrate excellence, leadership and innovation across Australia’s veterinary sector.
Nominations are now open and close on 18 January 2026 — entries are free and open to veterinary professionals nationwide.
The 2026 program features new and refined categories, including Veterinary Mentor or Educator of the Year, Excellence in Metropolitan Veterinary Services and Excellence in Rural and Regional Veterinary Services.
Returning following a successful inaugural year, the 2026 GOVAs will be held on Friday 6 March 2026 at Doltone House, hosted by comedian Mark Humphries.
The awards celebrate excellence across every corner of Australia’s veterinary sector — from metropolitan and regional clinics to educators, mentors and frontline team members — recognising those delivering outstanding care, leadership and community impact.
Dr Maria Neale, General Manager of GapOnly®, said the annual awards have become a cornerstone event for the veterinary community.
“The 2025 GOVAs were an overwhelming success, with over one hundred entries shining a well-deserved spotlight on the compassion, innovation and teamwork that define our industry,” Dr Neale said.
“The 2026 awards continue this legacy by celebrating excellence across every corner of the industry. This year we’ve expanded and refined the categories to recognise clinics servicing both metro and rural areas, emerging leaders and mentors, those working behind the front desk or alongside veterinarians, and those clinics or individuals championing animal welfare.”
2026 award categories include:
Excellence in Metropolitan Veterinary Services
Excellence in Rural and Regional Veterinary Services
Woman Veterinarian of the Year
Team Member of the Year (non-veterinarian)
PetSafetyNet Welfare and Wellbeing Champion
Veterinary Mentor or Educator of the Year
Dr Neale said the judging criteria for the awards assessed factors including innovation in clinical practice, effectiveness, team support and community engagement.
“Each nomination is closely reviewed and scored by an expert judging panel of veterinary and animal health experts to determine a category winner,” she said.
Nominations close on 18 January 2026, with finalists announced in early February. To submit a free entry or register for the event, and to view Terms and Conditions, visit: gaponly.com.au/gova.
About GapOnly®
GapOnly® is a pet insurance claims payment solution designed to make veterinary care more accessible. It enables pet owners to claim eligible insurance benefits on the spot at participating clinics, paying only the difference between the vet’s invoice and the covered amount. GapOnly® is available in over 1,200 veterinary clinics and specialist hospitals across Australia and is powered by PetSure, Australia’s largest pet insurance administrator. For more information, visit gaponly.com.au.
GapOnly® is a trademark owned by PetSure (Australia) Pty Ltd ABN 95 075 949 923, AFSL 420183 (PetSure).