He wasn't able to attend last night's awards dinner, so was presented with his legend jacket by US Global Investors chief investment officer Frank Holmes on Tuesday.
Previous recipients of the award include Mark Bennett, Sir Arvi Parbo and Andrew Forrest.
Core Resources and Glencore Technology received the inaugural METS Ignited Collaboration Award for their commercialisation of the Albion Process.
METS Ignited CEO Ric Gros said the project between Core Resources and Glencore Technology was an excellent example of business growth, new markets and export opportunities as the result of collaboration between an innovative Australian METS supplier and a global mining company.
"Companies mining gold are looking for efficient processes to treat lower grades and more complex refractory ore," Gros said.
"The Albion Process plant turns the problem into an opportunity."
Chris Cairns also inducted academic Professor Alban Lynch AO, researcher James Richard May and coal pioneer, the late Sir Leslie Thiess CBE, into the Australian Prospectors & Miners' Hall of Fame.
