The AAU Strength Sports National Executive Committee will accept submissions through July 1, 2021 for the 2021 AAU Strength Sports Hall of Fame, 2021 AAU Brother Bennett Award, 2021 AAU Athletes of the Year, and 2021 AAU Meet Director of the Year.  Honorees and Hall of Fame inductees will be recognized at the AAU Strength Sports International Powerlifting, Weightlifting and Bodybuilding Championships at the Plaza Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, NV, September 24-26, 2021.

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 may be given in a specific year.  Because of the challenges created by the restrictions related to Covid-19, AAU Strength Sports will consider nomination packages for Athletes of the Year, Brother Bennett Award and Meet Director of the Year from competitions held July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2021. Full criteria for the AAU strength sports awards is detailed below. 

Class of 2021 AAU Strength Sports Hall of Fame
The class of 2021 AAU Strength Sports Hall of Fame inductees will be honored at the 2021 AAU Strength Sports International Powerlifting, Weightlifting and Bodybuilding Championships at the Plaza Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, NV, September 24-26, 2021.  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 select few will be admitted. 

• 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 considered.

 

• 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.

 

• 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
  • other AAU participation.  

 

• Exceptional performance in other strength sports federations does not count towards election to the AAU Strength Sports Hall of Fame or recognition as Athlete of the Year.  DO NOT LIST RECORDS HELD, CHAMPIONSHIPS WON OR OTHER ACCOLADES FROM ANY OTHER STRENGTH SPORTS FEDERATION.

  

• Service as an AAU meet director, judge, and in AAU Strength Sports leadership positions will be considered.  With the return of AAU Bodybuilding in 2017, Bodybuilding participants will be considered for the Strength Sports Hall of Fame, commencing in 2020.  Participants must have a minimum of seven years of active AAU Strength Sports participation.

 

• Submission:  To be considered, the submission must be in a single pdf format document, to include a written narrative and biographical details of the Candidate’s achievements, and may include photographs and news clippings.  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. 

 

• Election Process:  The Strength Sports Board of Directors will endeavor to select at least one individual to the Hall of Fame on an annual basis.  Candidates applying for selection to the AAU Strength Sports Hall of Fame must submit a single submission in pdf format, including a detailed resume, as described above, to aaustrengthsports@yahoo.com and fultzkaren@gmail.com, cc:  naturalpower@earthlink.net.  The cutoff date for submission is July 1st of each year.  A panel of AAU judges will review nominations and select the award winner(s). 

 
2021 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 above and beyond the norm in supporting athletes, coaches, meet directors and the strength sports in general.

Submission:  To be considered, nominators must email a detailed write-up in pdf format, as described above, to aaustrengthsports@yahoo.com and fultzkaren@gmail.com, cc:  naturalpower@earthlink.net.  While the write-up cannot exceed 2 pages, news articles and other supporting documentation can accompany the write-up in the single pdf document. The cutoff date for submission is July 1st of each year.  A panel of AAU judges will review nominations and select the award winner.  Because of the challenges created by the restrictions related to Covid-19, AAU Strength Sports will consider nomination packages for the Brother Bennett Award from competitions held July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2021.  
 
2021 AAU Strength Sports Athlete of the Year
The AAU Strength Sports Athlete of the Year Award (Junior & Senior level) is earned by 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 will be nominated from all AAU Strength Sport disciplines.  Because of the challenges created by the restrictions related to Covid-19, AAU Strength Sports will consider nomination packages for Athletes of the Year from competitions held July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2021.

Junior Athlete of the Year in each category will be chosen from among youth and teen strength sports athletes in grades K through 12.  Senior Athlete of the Year will be 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.

2021 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.

Submission: To be considered, nominators must submit a detailed write-up in pdf format (2 pages maximum), as described above, to aaustrengthsports@yahoo.com and fultzkaren@gmail.com, cc:  naturalpower@earthlink.net.  While the write-up cannot exceed 2 pages, news articles and other supporting documentation can accompany the write up in the single pdf document.  The cutoff date for submission is July 1st of each year.  A panel of AAU judges will review nominations and select the award winners.

2021 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. Because of the challenges created by the restrictions related to Covid-19, AAU Strength Sports will consider nomination packages for Meet Director of the Year from competitions held July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2021.

Submission:  To be considered, nominators must submit a detailed write-up in pdf format (2 pages maximum), as described above, to aaustrengthsports@yahoo.com and fultzkaren@gmail.com, cc:  naturalpower@earthlink.net.  While the write-up cannot exceed 2 pages, news articles and other supporting documentation can accompany the write up in the single pdf document. The cutoff date for submission is July 1st of each year.  A panel of AAU judges will review nominations and select the award winner.

Deadlines
The deadline for submission for all awards is July 1, 2021.  Because of the challenges created by the restrictions related to Covid-19, AAU Strength Sports will consider nomination packages for Athletes of the Year, Brother Bennett Award and Meet Director of the Year from competitions held July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2021.  AAU Strength Sports will announce all award winners at the AAU Strength Sports International Powerlifting, Weightlifting and Bodybuilding Championships at the Plaza Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, NV, September 24-26, 2021.