CPA Parliamentary Academy
What we do

Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year Awards - Find out more

The Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year Awards aim to recognise and highlight inspirational and active Parliamentarians for excelling in their field.

The awards are open to nominees who are current Parliamentarians across the Commonwealth.* There are four award categories:

  • Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year Award:
    This award recognises an outstanding Parliamentarian who has demonstrated exceptional leadership, dedication and commitment to advancing parliamentary democracy and good governance across the Commonwealth.
  • Parliamentary Equality and Diversity Award:
    This award honours a Parliamentarian who has shown significant leadership in promoting equality, diversity and inclusion within their legislature and broader community.
  • New Parliamentarian Award:
    This award is presented to a Commonwealth Parliamentarian in their first term who has demonstrated an impressive record of achievement in their first years as a Parliamentarian and has promoted democracy and good governance within their jurisdiction
  • Parliamentarian Lifetime Achievement Award:
    This award is given to a long-serving Parliamentarian who has made a lasting and significant contribution to parliamentary democracy, demonstrating sustained commitment, leadership and integrity over the course of their career.

*Parliamentarian Lifetime Achievement Award winners can be a former Commonwealth Parliamentarian if they ceased their final term up to one year before the nomination was submitted.


Nominations for the 2026 Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year Awards are now open!

The winners of the 2026 Awards will be announced at the 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference due to be held in Cape Town, South Africa in September 2026.

To nominate a Parliamentarian, email hq.sec@cpahq.org outlining how the candidate meets the nomination criteria, found below.
The deadline for nominations is 10 July 2026.

 

Parliamentarian of the Year 2026: Information Sheet

Latest Issue:

Parliamentarian of the Year 2026: Information Sheet:

Find the full criteria and application instructions for the 2026 Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year Awards. Nominations should be sent to hq.sec@cpahq.org outlining how the candidate meets the nomination criteria by Friday 10 July 2026.

Hear from previous winners in episodes of our CPA Podcast 'Parliamentary Conversations in the Commonwealth'

Hon. Kate Doust and Hon. Khurram Ijaz Chattha, overall winners of the Parliamentarian of the Year Award in 2022 and 2024

Media mentions

Mentions of the Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year Awards in International media

Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year Awards

CPA Chairperson Hon. Dr Christopher Kalila MP with 2025 overall winner Hon. Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan

Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year Awards

2023 Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year Hon. Nelly Mutti with 2022 winner Hon. Kate Doust and former CPA Chairperson Ian Liddell-Grainger.

Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year Awards

Speaker of the House of Keys, Juan Watterson SHK with New Parliamentarian of the Year Tanya August-Hanson MLC.

Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year Awards

Hon. Nelly Mutti, winner of the 2023 Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year Award.

Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year Awards

New Parliamentarian of the Year Hon. Raluca Kovacs, Jersey.

Previous winners

A full list of all previous winners of the Parliamentarian of the Year Awards

Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year Award:

  • 2025: Hon. Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan, MPA, Provincial Assembly of Punjab
  • 2024: Hon. Khurram Ijaz Chattha, MPA, Provincial Assembly of Punjab
  • 2023: Hon. Nelly Mutti, MP, Speaker of the National Assembly of Zambia
  • 2022: Hon. Kate Doust, MLC, Parliament of Western Australia

Parliamentary Equality and Diversity Award:

  • 2025: Hon. Olivia Grange, MP, Parliament of Jamaica
  • 2024: Hon. Alex Greenwich, MP, Parliament of New South Wales
  • 2023: Hon. Ntombi Lentheng Mekgwe, MPL, Gauteng Provincial Legislature in South Africa

New Parliamentarian Award:

  • 2025: Hon. James Evans, MS, Senedd Cymru/Welsh Parliament
  • 2024: Deputy Raluca Kovacs, States Assembly in Jersey
  • 2023: Hon. Tanya August-Hanson, MLC, Isle of Man Legislative Council

Parliamentarian Lifetime Achievement Award:

  • 2025: Hon. Ted Arnott, former Speaker and MP, Ontario Legislature
  • 2024: Hon. Gail Teixeira, MP, Parliament of Guyana
  • 2023: Hon. Myrna Driedger, MLA, Former Speaker, Legislative Assembly of Manitoba

Latest Awards News

2025 CPA Awards announced at 68th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference
News

2025 CPA Awards announced at 68th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference

Parliamentarians from Pakistan, Ontario, Jamaica and Wales recognised at Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year 2025 Awards at 68th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Barbados

2024 CPA Awards announced at 67th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference
News

2024 CPA Awards announced at 67th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference

Parliamentarians from Pakistan, Jersey, Guyana and New South Wales recognised at Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year 2024 Awards at 67th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in New South Wales

Parliamentarian of the Year Awards 2023 announced at CPA annual conference
News

Parliamentarian of the Year Awards 2023 announced at CPA annual conference

Speaker of Zambia receives Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year 2023 Award at 66th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Ghana

CPA Award at 65th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference
News

CPA Award at 65th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference

Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year Award announced at 65th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Canada