Community Nominations

The Juneteenth NYC nominations process exists because great work deserves to be seen. Across New York City's five boroughs, there are thousands of Black men and women quietly transforming their neighborhoods — founding nonprofits, mentoring youth, building businesses, advocating for justice, creating art that moves souls, and providing care that sustains families. The nominations program is our commitment to making sure those contributions are never invisible.

When you submit a nomination, you are doing more than filling out a form. You are making a declaration: this person matters, their work matters, and our community is better because of what they do. Nominations submitted through our annual process are reviewed by a dedicated selection committee composed of past honorees, community leaders, and Juneteenth NYC board members. Each nominee receives careful consideration regardless of their public profile or institutional affiliation.

Since launching the formal nominations program, Juneteenth NYC has recognized honorees across a wide range of fields. Our honorees have included teachers who have spent decades in under-resourced schools, entrepreneurs who built their businesses from scratch in neighborhoods that needed economic investment, faith leaders who opened their doors to the homeless and the hungry, healthcare workers who brought services into communities long neglected by the medical establishment, and artists whose work has been exhibited at major cultural institutions while remaining deeply rooted in their home communities.

The connection between our nominations program and the Black Kings dinner gala is intentional and central to what Juneteenth NYC is about. The gala is not simply a fundraising event or a networking reception — it is an occasion of genuine recognition, where the people who have been nominated by their neighbors, students, patients, congregation members, and colleagues are brought to the center and celebrated before hundreds of their peers. Being honored at the Black Kings dinner carries real meaning because the nomination came from the community, not from a corporate sponsor or a self-promotional application.

We also recognize that nominations have an impact beyond the honorees themselves. Families attend the gala with pride. Children see what it looks like to be celebrated for service and excellence. Young men and women take note of who is being recognized and why. The nominations process is, in a very real sense, part of how Juneteenth NYC transmits values — showing in concrete, personal terms what we believe makes a life well-lived and a community well-served.

A Tradition Rooted in Community Voice

Unlike many award programs that rely on institutional nominations or industry insiders, the Juneteenth NYC nominations process is genuinely community-driven. Anyone can nominate anyone. A student can nominate a teacher. A customer can nominate a business owner. A neighbor can nominate the person next door who has spent years quietly organizing tenant associations and food drives. The breadth and diversity of the nominations we receive each year reflects the extraordinary depth of talent and service within New York City's Black communities.

Nominees do not need a professional publicist or a well-connected sponsor. They need someone — one person who believes in what they do — to take fifteen minutes and tell us who they are and why they deserve recognition. That is the entire threshold for entry into the process. What happens next is a careful, thoughtful review that honors both the nominee and the person who believed enough to make the nomination.

We encourage nominators to be specific, to tell us real stories, to share concrete examples of impact. A compelling nomination is not a generic list of accomplishments — it is a vivid picture of a person and their work in the world. When our selection committee reads a nomination and feels they know the nominee, understands what drives them, and can see the ripple effects of their contribution, that is a strong nomination. We provide guidance and prompts to help nominators craft submissions that do justice to the people they are honoring.

How Recognition Amplifies Impact

Many past honorees have told us that being recognized at Juneteenth NYC opened doors they had not previously been able to access. Recognition creates social proof. It tells funders that this organization is trusted in the community. It tells potential partners that this individual is respected and accomplished. It tells the people a nominee serves that their leader is seen and valued by the broader community. The ripple effects of recognition can last for years.

We document every nomination cycle and maintain an archive of past honorees that is accessible on our website and through our media partners. This archive becomes a living record of Black excellence in New York City — a resource for journalists, researchers, educators, and community members who want to know who the leaders are and what they have accomplished. Being part of this archive is itself a lasting form of recognition that extends well beyond any single gala evening.

Ready to nominate someone who deserves recognition? Visit our registration page to get started, or read on to learn more about the specific categories, eligibility requirements, and timeline for submissions.

Who Is Eligible to Be Nominated?

Any individual who self-identifies as Black or African American and who has made a demonstrable contribution to their community, profession, or field is eligible to be nominated for Juneteenth NYC recognition. Nominees must be at least 18 years of age at the time of nomination. There are no geographic restrictions within the nomination process, but preference is given to nominees with significant ties to the New York City area — including all five boroughs, as well as the broader tri-state region.

Nominees cannot submit their own nominations. Self-nominations are disqualified upon discovery, and the nominator may be prohibited from submitting in future cycles. This requirement is fundamental to the integrity of the process — we want to honor people who are recognized by their community, not people seeking personal recognition.

Organizations and institutions are not eligible for nomination — only individuals. However, an individual who founded or leads an organization can certainly be nominated on the basis of their personal leadership and impact. If you want to recognize a team or collective, we encourage you to nominate the leader or founder most responsible for the organization's impact and mission.

What to Include in Your Nomination

A complete nomination includes the following elements: the nominee's full name and contact information; the nominator's full name and relationship to the nominee; a written statement of at least 300 words describing the nominee's contributions, character, and community impact; and at least one supporting document such as a letter of support, a news article, or a link to work samples. Nominations without all required elements will be returned for completion before the deadline — we do not automatically disqualify incomplete nominations, but we do require nominators to complete their submissions before the window closes.

The written statement is the most important part of your nomination. We encourage nominators to focus on specific stories, concrete examples, and personal observations rather than general statements of praise. Tell us about a moment when you saw the nominee make a difference. Describe the conditions they were working in and the outcomes they achieved. Explain what makes this person irreplaceable to the community they serve. The more specific and personal your account, the more effectively it will convey the nominee's true impact to our selection committee.

Nomination Timeline

The nominations window typically opens in January and closes in late March, with selections announced in May ahead of the June celebration season. We announce exact dates at the start of each calendar year, so we encourage you to follow our social media channels and subscribe to our newsletter to receive updates. Late nominations are not accepted under any circumstances — the selection timeline is carefully structured to allow thorough review, and accepting late submissions would compromise the fairness of the process for all nominees.

After submitting your nomination, you will receive an automated confirmation within 24 hours. If you do not receive a confirmation, please check your spam folder and contact us at our official communications channels. You will receive a follow-up communication once the review process begins in April, and you will be notified of the outcome no later than the second week of May.

After the Nomination: What Happens Next

Whether or not your nominee is selected in a given year, the act of nominating has value. Many nominees who were not selected in their first nomination year are submitted again in subsequent years and ultimately honored. The selection committee maintains records of compelling nominations that did not make the final round, and these records inform future cycles. We are also actively working to expand our recognition programs so that more honorees can be celebrated each year.

Honorees selected for recognition receive formal notification in May. They are provided with details about the Black Kings dinner gala at which they will be recognized, including logistics, dress code, and guest arrangements. Honorees may invite family members and close colleagues to attend as their guests, and we work with honorees to create a recognition experience that is meaningful and personal. You can learn more about attending the gala by visiting our seats and tables page.

Once honored, Juneteenth NYC alumni are invited to participate in future activities including mentorship programs, panel discussions, and the selection committee for future nomination cycles. Being recognized at Juneteenth NYC is not a one-time event — it is an entry into an ongoing community of leaders who are committed to the ongoing work of building and sustaining Black excellence in New York City. To complete your registration for gala attendance or event participation, visit our registration page.