NEWS RELEASE
Nov. 5, 2025
Mark your calendars: The Arizona Game and Fish Commission’s annual Commission Awards Banquet will be held Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, at the Hilton Phoenix Tapatio Cliffs Resort, Highland Plaza, 11111 N. 7th Street, Phoenix, Arizona 85020.
The awards recognize Arizonans who have contributed significantly to the conservation of the state’s wildlife, its outdoor heritage, and the mission of the Arizona Game and Fish Department. Fifteen award recipients chosen at the commission’s Sept. 5 meeting in Eagar, Ariz. will be honored at the banquet:
- Award of Excellence – Ed Sanchez and David Fernandez
- Youth Conservationist of the Year – Matthew Hong
- Media of the Year – Mike Russell
- Conservation Organization of the Year – Tom Hannagan, Desert Fence Busters
- Conservationist of the Year – Chuck Podolak
- Natural Resource Professional of the Year – Elvy Barton
- Volunteer of the Year – Cosimo Ingrande
- Educator of the Year – Vatsal Chikani
- Mentor of the Year – Jonathan Ochoa
- State Advocate of the Year – Senator T.J. Shope
- Business Partner of the Year – Rio Salado Sportsman’s Club
- Buck Appleby Hunter Education Instructor of the Year – Michael Zaccardi
- Wildlife Habitat Steward of the Year – Gail Steiger of the Spider Ranch
- North American Model Commissioner’s Award – Anne Justice Allen
To reserve your attendance or a sponsorship, use the 2026 Commission Awards Banquet Registration Form.
The banquet will begin with a social hour at 4 p.m. followed by dinner at 5:30 p.m. and the awards program starting at 6 p.m. The cost is $90 per person.
Sponsorships are available (scroll down the form). Sponsors receive logo placement in the event program and on-screen presentation, recognition on the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s website (which receives more than 1 million views annually), and exposure to an influential audience of conservation leaders, outdoor recreation supporters and state decision-makers. To be included in the printed event program, sponsorships must be confirmed by Dec. 26, 2025.
Your sponsorship not only helps celebrate Arizona’s conservationists but also ensures that this important event is possible, as all banquet costs are covered through ticket sales and sponsor contributions.
The Arizona Game and Fish Commission held its first annual awards banquet on Jan. 12, 1991. Since then, more than 400 recipients have been recognized with Commission Awards.