The NATA Excellence Award is created to celebrate the people and organisations whose commitment to quality, innovation and accredited excellence strengthens confidence across Australia.
This year, PathWest Forensic Biology, Laboratory Medicine WA, was named the recipient of the 2026 NATA Excellence Award.
But every winning moment has a story.
For this year’s finalists, the journey began long before the awards ceremony. It started with a nomination and became something far more meaningful—an opportunity to reflect on years of achievement, recognise the people behind their success and celebrate work that is often carried out beyond the public eye.
This year’s NATA Excellence Awards attracted an exceptional calibre of submissions from organisations spanning diverse sectors, each demonstrating excellence in different ways. The breadth and strength of the entries made the evaluation process both rigorous and highly considered. Becoming a finalist was, in itself, a remarkable achievement, recognising organisations whose work stood among the very best. From there, the task became selecting one recipient from an outstanding field.
This is the story behind this year’s winner and finalists—and the journey that led to one unforgettable moment.
WINNER
PathWest – Science in the Service of Justice
For PathWest Forensic Biology, the award arrived at a significant milestone—25 years of NATA accreditation. The nomination became an opportunity to celebrate a journey shaped by innovation, scientific excellence and service to the community. It also brought together leaders, scientists and stakeholders to reflect on achievements that continue to strengthen forensic science in Australia.
Today, PathWest processes more than 100,000 forensic samples and delivers over 20,000 DNA reports each year in support of the Western Australia Police Force. The team also became Australia’s first agency accredited to the new international forensic science standard, reinforcing its commitment to international best practice. During the filming of Everyday Heroes, the team reflected on how seeing their workplace through fresh eyes reminded them that the work they do every day is anything but ordinary.
That journey reached its defining moment at the 2026 NATA Excellence Award, where PathWest Forensic Biology was announced as the recipient of this year’s NATA Excellence Award, becoming only the third organisation to receive this prestigious honour.
FINALIST
VIDRL – Protecting Public Health
For the Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory (VIDRL), the nomination followed a landmark achievement: becoming Australia’s first World Health Organization-certified poliovirus containment facility. It represented years of technical expertise, collaboration and quality governance, making the awards the ideal opportunity to share an achievement with national and international significance while recognising the team behind it.
The nomination process itself became a valuable exercise, bringing together contributions from across the organisation and providing time to reflect on how accreditation had supported such a complex program. When NATA announced VIDRL as a finalist, the excitement was shared across the organisation, recognising years of dedication that often take place quietly behind the scenes. Through the Everyday Heroes campaign, the team also embraced the opportunity to showcase the people behind the science and communicate their work in a way that connects with a broader audience.
FINALIST
Jensen Hughes – Building Confidence Through Fire Testing
When the NATA Excellence Awards were introduced in 2024, Jensen Hughes immediately saw the value of recognising accredited work that often goes unseen. Encouraged by clients who supported their nomination, the team entered the awards to celebrate the expertise behind their fire testing laboratory and the role it plays in helping make Australia’s built environment safer.
Becoming a finalist acknowledged more than technical capability. It recognised the dedicated professionals whose testing provides confidence that products and systems perform as intended when safety matters most. Opening the laboratory as part of the Everyday Heroes campaign allowed the team to share a world rarely seen by the public and highlight the people behind every test. Their message to future nominees is simple—share your story, celebrate your team and be proud of the contribution you make every day.