George Brown Polytechnic is located on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and other Indigenous peoples who have lived here over time. We are grateful to share this land as treaty people who learn, work and live in the community with each other.
One of the auxiliary awards presented by George Brown Polytechnic, in partnership with Canadian Women & Sport and TSN & RDS, to honour Nathalie Cook (GB ‘91, Recipient of the Alumni Achievement Award 2015) who is recognized as an advocate and pioneer of advancing the female sport agenda in Canada.
This award will annually celebrate and recognize an individual and/or individuals who has/have demonstrated significant achievement(s) as a courageous ‘gender equity’ agent(s) of change in their sports business career, for the greater good of the sport community.
Student Bursary Support:
TSN & RDS will make a financial contribution to support a series of bursaries to be awarded in conjunction with the GBC Foundation.
Award Details
Award Criteria
- The award is based on the change that the nominee has achieved in their sports business career, for the greater good of the sport community.
- The primary consideration will be whether the nominee has driven identifiable change, as evidenced by the leadership of decisions, programs and/or plans, or broader sport advocacy, which has driven positive change for gender equity in sport.
- Nominee and/or their accomplishments need not have been completed in conjunction with George Brown Polytechnic or the Sport and Event Marketing Program.
- A Selection Committee will choose the award recipient, comprised of industry leaders and past 5 To Watch Award winners.
Eligibility
The award is open to sports business professionals from all sectors of the industry. Candidates must be Canadian citizens and have been employed in the business of sport for a minimum of three (3) years. Canadians working internationally are also eligible.
Candidate(s) can only be selected from the following segments of the sports industry:
- Sports Properties
- Amateur sports bodies including National/Provincial Sports Organizations and Educational Institutions
- Media Outlets
- Event/Promotional/Sports marketing agencies
- Advertisers, Licensees, Sponsors
- Large Sports Events
Candidates must work on the business side of their sports operation (vs. on-field performance roles like a coach). General management roles are acceptable considering the commercial requirements of their job.
Nominees are strongly encouraged to attend the 5 to Watch Awards Ceremony in person, which will be held at George Brown Polytechnic’s Waterfront Campus in Toronto on Thursday, October 23, 2025.
Nomination Period
Nominations will be open from June 24 - July 22.
The candidates may be contacted directly and asked to submit a nomination application that highlights both their professional and volunteer accomplishments as they relate to the world of sport.
All decisions on candidate eligibility and selection will be made at the sole discretion of the Nathalie Cook/Canadian Women in Sport Disruptor Award Committee.
Voting Process
Final nomination info will be circulated to members of the Nathalie Cook/Canadian Women & Sport Disruptor Award Committee for review. Each committee member will vote for their top candidate. In the event of a first-place tie, committee members who voted for the third-place candidate will be asked to vote again for the remaining two eligible candidates. The Committee will have an odd number of members to eventually ensure a clear winner.