“It isn’t just a job, it’s a lifestyle,” were the words that I opened last year’s Highliner ceremony with—and they’ve rung true for nearly five decades.
This year, National Fisherman is proud to mark the 50th anniversary of the Highliner Awards, a tradition that honors the heart, grit, and leadership that shape the commercial fishing industry.
Since 1975, the Highliner Awards have recognized career commercial fishermen who go above and beyond their jobs. These folks work the water and help sustain the industry's future, mentoring the next generation, fishing for fisheries' access and sustainability, and standing up for their communities. Being named a Highliner is more than a personal accolade—it’s a badge of honor that ties a fisherman to a legacy of lifelong service.
Now, for the 50th anniversary, nominations are officially open.
This milestone year is an opportunity to reflect on the generations of Highliners who’ve helped keep our working waterfronts alive and thriving. The National Fisherman team has decided not only to celebrate these individuals with speeches at this year’s Pacific Marine Expo but also to bring back the traditional Highliner dinner that allows the 2025 Highliners to be celebrated and brings together past Highliners all in one place to share stories. More details to come!
From Alaska’s icy salmon runs to the Atlantic lobster grounds, these individuals represent the best of us—not just for what they’ve caught but also for what they’ve given back.
At the 2024 ceremony, we heard from legends like Matt Alward, a 2023 Highliner winner and Alaska fisherman, who pointed to the folks that date back to 1975 and said, “We have a fishing industry because of all the people whose names you can see here that dedicated themselves to this industry.”
The sentiment was echoed by longtime Alaska fisherman Leonard Leach, who tipped his hat to the “dedication that makes this industry so special,” and by Oregon fisherman, Al Pazar, who reminded us that behind every successful fisherman stands a strong family- “the true Highliners are our wives and the mothers of our children.”
As we look ahead to this year’s ceremony, we’re calling on the fishing community to help us find the next year of Highliners. Do you know someone whose leadership, advocacy, and commitment to community make them a pillar of the industry? Someone who’s helped chart the course for others and continues to fight for the future of commercial fishing.
Nominate them here now.
Let’s celebrate 50 years of honoring the best of our industry and ensure the next generation of Highliners knows their work matters. The submission deadline is September XX, and winners will be recognized at the National Fisherman Highliner Award ceremony at the Pacific Marine Expo in the fall.
We encourage all past Highliners to join us this year to celebrate the 50th year.
