Nominations are open for annual AAA awards.

Nominations are open for the annual American Alliance of Museums’ field-wide awards. are now open. Nominations for the three awards listed below are due January 20.

Nancy Hanks Memorial Award for Professional Excellence

The Nancy Hanks Memorial Award for Professional Excellence honors a museum professional with fewer than 10 years of experience in the museum field. The award recognizes a specific achievement that has benefited either the honoree’s home institution or the museum field in general.

The honoree’s work may be in any area of museum operations (administration, collections management, community engagement, curation, development, exhibitions, education, human resources, public relations, registration, etc.).

• Nominee should have less than 10 years’ experience in the museum field
• Nominee should be a currently active museum professional
• Nominee may be from or based in any country; award is not limited to US museum professionals or contributions to the US museum field
• Individuals may not self-nominate for this award.

Distinguished Service to Museums Award

The museum field is full of talented and inspiring individuals, many of whom have dedicated their lives to serving museums. Since 1980, the Award for Distinguished Service to Museums has recognized an individual’s significant and sustained contributions to the field over a career of 20+ years. The award is typically presented at the AAM Annual Meeting.

• Nominee should have at least 20 years’ experience in the museum or related fields
• Affiliation with museums should be long-term, sustained, and an integral part of the nominee’s career
• Nominee may be a currently active or retired museum professional or trustee
• Nominee may be from or based in any country; award is not limited to US museum professionals or contributions to the US museum field

Awards for Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion

Launched in 2016, the American Alliance of Museums’ Awards for Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion honor and celebrate individuals, organizations, and programs advancing the museum field in these areas, both internally through workplace culture, programs, and policies and externally through engagement with museum audiences and communities.

One award for individuals and one award for organizations may be presented each year to those who have accomplished the following in the workplace, the community, and/or the museum field:

• Demonstrated sustained support for advancing diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion
• Raised awareness of diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion, and/or
• Served as a catalyst for change in the areas of diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion

One award may also be presented for a single program or policy in any area of a museum’s structure (administration, collections management, community engagement, curation, development, exhibitions, education, human resources, public relations, registration, etc.) that advances diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion.

Nominations are due January 20. Please contact aamnominate@aam-us.org with questions.

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