Australian brand Outland Denim has been shortlisted for the Stop Slavery Award in the small and medium business category. The brand, founded in 2011, is committed to fighting human trafficking and modern slavery. The founder of the brand was inspired by the film Taken, in which an ex-CIA agent races to rescue his daughter from a human trafficking operation. He was so moved by the plot that he set out to combat the practice with his own business. Outland has an emphasis on hiring workers who have been affected by slavery and human trafficking—each paid a living wage.

Since its founding in 2015, the Stop Slavery Awards have expanded, with six new categories announced for 2020 that awards journalists, grassroots organizations and NGOs for their work in the field of human trafficking and slavery prevention. Previous award winners include companies like Apple, Intel, Adidas and Unilever. The award identifies industry leaders in corporate reporting, performance management, business partner engagement, risk assessment, investigation and remediation. The ultimate winner for each category of the Stop Slavery Award will be determined by a panel of judges including human rights activists, Nobel Peace Prize laureates, criminal lawyers and industry experts. These winners will be announced on February 20.