The National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) has been recognising outstanding contributions in science, engineering, technology and innovation for the past 25 years, with awards provided in 14 categories. At a prestigious ceremony, dubbed the “Science Oscars”, which was held simultaneously in Johannesburg and Cape Town on the 13th of July, the Centre for Water Resources Research (CWRR) won the NSTF Water Research Commission (WRC) award. The CWRR was recognised as a centre of excellence and for their cutting-edge applied and interdisciplinary research, including postgraduate training in water resources related research and capacity building.