2025 AME Awards Recognize Mineral Exploration Excellence
Press Release
Vancouver, B.C. — November 18, 2025 — Ten exceptional individuals and teams are being recognized for their mineral exploration work with 2025 Association for Mineral Exploration (AME) Awards.
The annual AME Awards celebrate remarkable individual and team achievements, contributions and innovation in mineral exploration, and recognize excellence in geoscience, prospecting, financing, social and environmental responsibility, health and safety, innovation and outstanding service to AME and the mineral exploration and development community.
AME President and CEO Todd Stone said: “On behalf of the AME Board of Directors and the entire mineral exploration community, we congratulate and thank all 2025 AME Award recipients. Their passion, commitment and leadership exemplify the spirit of mineral exploration, and our community’s drive to continuously improve how we search for, discover and develop the minerals that are essential to our future.”
The AME Awards are presented at the annual AME Awards Gala – A Celebration of Excellence, which takes place on January 28, 2026. at the Vancouver Convention Centre West. Tickets for the event can be purchased with AME Roundup 2026 registration. Early Bird pricing for AME Roundup is in effect until December 5, 2025.
This year’s award recipients are as follows:
- Thomas Mumford is the recipient of the 2025 AME H.H. “Spud” Huestis Award for excellence in prospecting and mineral exploration in B.C. and/or Yukon for his leadership in the discovery of Scottie Resources’ Blueberry Contact Zone in Northwest B.C.
- Brandon Macdonald is the recipient of the 2025 AME Murray Pezim Award for perseverance and success in financing mineral exploration for work to successfully finance Fireweed Metals Corp’s critical minerals projects in the Yukon in challenging market conditions.
- Foran Mining Corporation is the recipient of the 2025 AME Colin Spence Award for excellence in global mineral exploration for new discoveries at the McIlvenna Bay volcanic-hosted massive sulfite (VHMS) system in Saskatchewan. Foran’s Geoscience & Discovery team is led by VP Exploration Erin Carswell, Exploration Manager Terry Croteau and Principal Orebody Knowledge Geologist Johan Krebs. They are supported by Head of Geoscience Marcus Tomkinson and Head of Geophysics Roland Hill.
- Christy Smith is the recipient of the 2025 AME Robert R. Hedley Award for Excellence in Social and Environmental Responsibility, sponsored by ERM, for her leadership in building positive and constructive relationships between companies and Indigenous communities in B.C. and across Canada.
- Jean-Philippe (JP) Paiement is the recipient of the 2025 AME Innovation Award, sponsored by ALS Global, for innovations beneficial to mineral explorers for his work bridging traditional geoscience expertise with cutting-edge artificial intelligence as Chief Technical Officer of VRIFY.
- Barry W. Smee is acknowledged with an AME Special Tribute for pioneering work in advancing geochemistry that has improved the detection of concealed ore bodies in B.C. and Yukon.
- KSM Mining ULC is recognized with the AME David Barr Award for excellence in leadership and innovation in mineral exploration health and safety for leadership in developing a collaborative approach to health and safety unifying companies and communities in the Golden Triangle area of Northwest B.C.
- Sean Kingsley is recognized with the AME Frank Woodside Gold Pan Award for contributions to the mineral exploration and development community through service to AME as a member of the Member and Public Outreach Committee and volunteer work to create platforms to tell the mineral exploration story, educate stakeholders, and strengthen AME’s profile with both industry and the public.
- Britannia Mine Museum and MineralsEd are each recipients of AME’s Outreach Education Fund to support the public’s appreciation and understanding of B.C.’s mineral exploration and development industry through the advancement of public education and community programs.
- The Safe Day Every Day Gold Award, recognized by AME, the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada and the Canadian Diamond Drilling Association, is awarded to Foraco Canada Ltd. for 1,091,972 hours without a lost-time injury, and Rio Tinto Exploration Canada for achieving 153,854 hours without a reportable injury.
If you are interested in nominating someone for next year’s AME Awards, let us know here.
About AME
The Association for Mineral Exploration (AME) is the lead association for the mineral exploration and development industry based in British Columbia. Established in 1912, AME represents, advocates and promotes the interests of more than 6,000 members who are engaged in mineral exploration and development in BC and globally. AME encourages a safe, economically strong and environmentally responsible industry by providing clear initiatives, policies, events and tools to support its membership in delivering responsible projects that advance reconciliation and provide benefit to all British Columbians.
AME Contact:
Richard Truman
Senior Director, External Affairs
Association for Mineral Exploration
604-404-1031
rtruman@amebc.ca
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