AAU Strength Sports is now accepting nominations for the AAU Strength Sports Hall of Fame, 2026 Brother Bennett Award, 2026 Athletes of the Year Awards, and 2026 AAU Meet Director of the Year Award, and the 2026 AAU Martin Drake Legend Award, which recognizes a long-serving AAU Strength Sports volunteer. 

The submission deadline for all national awards is JULY 1, 2026, and honorees and Hall of Fame inductees will be recognized at the AAU Strength Sports 3-Lift World Championships at Harrah’s Casino, Laughlin, NV, later in the year. 

Each year, recognition is given to AAU athletes, officials, and coaches who demonstrate the highest standards of athletic achievement, sportsmanship, and dedication to the ideals of AAU Strength Sports. The awards represent the highest recognition bestowed upon any AAU Strength Sports member, and because of the rigorous criteria involved, not all awards will be given in a specific year. This year, AAU Strength Sports will consider nomination packages for Athletes of the Year, Brother Bennett Award, Martin Drake Legend Award, and Meet Director of the Year from competitions held between July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026. Full criteria for the AAU Strength Sports awards follow below. 

2026 AWARDS SUBMISSION: DETAILED WRITE-UP SUBMISSIONS FOR ALL AAU STRENGTH SPORTS AWARD NOMINATIONS MUST BE IN A SINGLE PDF FORMAT DOCUMENT, TO INCLUDE A WRITTEN NARRATIVE AND BIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS OF THE CANDIDATE’S ACHIEVEMENTS. SUBMISSIONS MAY INCLUDE PHOTOGRAPHS AND NEWS CLIPPINGS, AND THERE IS NO LIMIT ON THE NUMBER OF PAGES AN APPLICATION SUBMISSION MAY HAVE, HOWEVER, ONLY A SINGLE PDF DOCUMENT SUBMISSION WILL BE ACCEPTED; IF MULTIPLE SCANNED DOCUMENTS ARE SUBMITTED, THEY WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCE IN OTHER STRENGTH SPORTS FEDERATIONS DOES NOT COUNT TOWARDS AAU STRENGTH SPORTS AWARDS; DO NOT LIST RECORDS HELD, CHAMPIONSHIPS WON OR OTHER ACCOLADES FROM ANY OTHER STRENGTH SPORTS FEDERATION.

ALL AWARD NOMINATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED TO AAUSTRENGTHSPORTS@YAHOO.COM,  BRYAN.BOWENS@TEAMJUANATAS-BOWENS.ORG AND ERNESTINA.SOTO@YMAIL.COM . NOMINATIONS THAT ARE NOT PROPERLY SUBMITTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROCESS DESCRIBED ABOVE WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. THE CUTOFF DATE FOR SUBMISSION IS JULY 1, 2026. 

AAU Strength Sports Hall of Fame

The AAU Strength Sports Hall of Fame celebrates the rich history of American leadership in the strength sports, beginning with AAU Olympic weightlifting in 1918, continuing with AAU bodybuilding in 1939 (with the emergence of the AAU Mr. America competition), the first AAU powerlifting meet in 1964, and continuing innovation with Strongman-style Feats of Strength competitions, the creation of the Combine, and addition of MAS Wrestling.

The criteria for election to the AAU Strength Sports Hall of Fame is significant, meaning only a few will be elected. Candidates must have demonstrated a minimum of seven years of active participation in AAU Weightlifting, Powerlifting, Feats of Strength/Combine/MAS Wrestling events, or a combination of all, to be eligible. Candidates must be at least 25 years of age to be elected to the Hall of Fame. Posthumous Candidates of any age will be considered. If elected, Candidates must attempt to be present for the induction ceremony. 

Hall of Fame application packages must detail the specific AAU Strength Sports accomplishments, including:
•    AAU titles won.
•    AAU records set (weight classes & age groups)
•    AAU meets directed.
•    AAU meets officiated.
•    AAU Strength Sports leadership positions
•    other AAU participation  

With the return of AAU Bodybuilding in 2017, Bodybuilding participants will be eligible for the AAU Strength Sports Hall of Fame commencing in 2020, however, all Hall of Fame nominees must have a minimum of seven years of active AAU Strength Sports participation.

2026 Brother Bennett Award

The Brother Bennett Award recognizes extraordinary, selfless service to AAU Strength Sports. It is named for a brother of the Sacred Heart at Saint Stanislaus College, who introduced powerlifting to youth and teens in Mississippi in the mid-1970s. Brother Bennett’s Mississippi Invitational attracted some of the biggest names in powerlifting, and it became one of the first drug-tested powerlifting competitions in the country, paving the way for drug-free competition in the United States.  Originally awarded to an AAU Powerlifting member, in the spirit of Brother Bennett, this award is given to the one individual annually in AAU Strength Sports who goes beyond the norm in supporting athletes, coaches, meet directors and strength sports in general.

2026 Martin Drake Legend Award

The Martin Drake Legend Award is AAU Strength Sports Highest Award for Volunteerism. It recognizes one AAU Strength Sports member annually who has volunteered support to AAU Strength Sports for 20 years or more. The award is named for longtime AAU Strength Sports competitor, meet director and national Chairman Martin Drake, who competed in and promoted national and international AAU Strength Sports competitions for six decades, introducing AAU strength sports to thousands of participants. 

2026 AAU Strength Sports Athletes of the Year

The AAU Strength Sports Athlete of the Year Award (Junior & Senior level) is awarded to the male and female athletes with the most successful competitive year, as defined by championship wins achieved and national and world records broken WITHIN AAU COMPETITION. Strength Sports Athletes of the Year are selected in all AAU Strength Sport disciplines. The period of consideration for this award is July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026.

Junior Athlete of the Year in each category is chosen from among youth and teen strength sports athletes in grades K through 12. Senior Athlete of the Year is chosen from among collegiate, open and masters division competitors. The junior and senior male and female Strength Sports Athletes of the Year will receive a custom award recognizing their accomplishments. NOMINATION INFORMATION FROM AAU MEETS OUTSIDE THE WINDOW OF JULY 1, 2025 – JUNE 30, 2026, WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS AWARD.

2026 AAU Strength Sports Athlete of the Year categories are:
•    Powerlifting Junior and Senior Athlete of the Year (Male and Female – 4 awards total)
•    Weightlifting Junior and Senior Athlete of the Year (Male and Female – 4 awards total)
•    Feats of Strength Junior and Senior Athlete of the Year (Male and Female – 4 awards total)
•    Combine Junior and Senior Athlete of the Year (Male and Female – 4 awards total)
•    MAS Wrestling Junior and Senior Athlete of the Year (Male and Female – 4 awards total)
•    Bodybuilding/Physique Junior and Senior Athlete of the Year (Male and Female – 4 awards total)
•    Overall Male and Female Strength Sports Athlete of the Year (2 awards). Competition in multiple AAU strength sports will be considered.

2026 Strength Sports Meet Director of the Year

This award recognizes an outstanding meet director who has introduced one or more of the AAU Strength Sports to a new region of the country that has not been represented in recent years. The period of consideration for this award is July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026. NOMINATION INFORMATION FROM AAU MEETS OUTSIDE THE WINDOW OF JULY 1, 2025 – JUNE 30, 2026, WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED FOR THE PURPOSE OF THIS AWARD.

Timelines

THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION FOR ALL AWARDS IS JULY 1, 2026. The competition period for AAU Strength Sports Athletes of the Year, Brother Bennett Award, Martin Drake Legend Award and Meet Director of the Year are July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026. AAU Strength Sports will present the awards at the AAU Strength Sports World Powerlifting, Weightlifting and Bodybuilding Championships at the AAU Strength Sports World Powerlifting, Weightlifting and Bodybuilding Championships at Harrah’s Casino, Laughlin, NV, later in the year. 

ALL AWARD NOMINATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED TO AAUSTRENGTHSPORTS@YAHOO.COM,  BRYAN.BOWENS@TEAMJUANATAS-BOWENS.ORG AND  ERNESTINA.SOTO@YMAIL.COM . NOMINATIONS THAT ARE NOT PROPERLY SUBMITTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROCESS DESCRIBED ABOVE WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED. THE CUTOFF DATE FOR SUBMISSION IS JULY 1, 2026.