Award Nomination

Deadline to apply: April 1, 2025

Modern Military’s National Gala will kick off 2025 Pride events, honor modern military families for their service and sacrifice, and highlight the contributions of the LGBTQ+ military community through our annual awards and scholarships. This year’s awards include:

  • “Donna Johnson Equality and Valor Award”: Honors a service member who exemplifies courage, equality, and valor.
  • Advocate of the Year: Honors someone who has gone out of their way to advance LGBTQ+ inclusion in the Armed Forces or wider defense sector and advocate the overall value of creating an LGBTQ+ friendly culture and work environment.
  • Community Champion: Recognizes an organization or individual that has demonstrated exceptional dedication and leadership in advancing LGBTQ+ inclusion. Their tireless efforts, passion, and innovative approaches have significantly impacted the community, inspired others to get involved, and driven positive change.
  • Legislative Champion: Recognizes an elected official who drives positive change for the LGBTQ+ or HIV-positive community.
  • Lifetime Achievement: Celebrates an individual’s profound impact and enduring legacy of advancing LGBTQ+ equality and inclusion within the military and veteran community. Through their relentless advocacy, courage, and perseverance, they have shattered barriers, championed diversity, and created safer, more inclusive spaces for LGBTQ+ service members and veterans.
  • Next Generation Leader of the Year: Recognizes an LGBTQ+ cadet, recent graduate, or early career service member for their skills and leadership.
  • Rainbow Shield Award: Recognizes an LGBTQ+ network or employee resource group (ERG), or a specific program, network or initiative designed to advance LGBTQ+ inclusion in the workplace.
  • Role Model of the Year: Recognizes LGBTQ+ professionals who have been strong, visible, and effective role models to other LGBTQ+ people in their organization and the wider defense industry.

  • Shining Star Award: Recognizes an ally to the LGBTQ+ community who has committed significant effort to advocating, promoting, and supporting LGBTQ+ inclusion in the defense sector.

Please note: The nominator and nominee must be Modern Military members – subscribe for free to become a member.

Modern Military Award Nomination

The winners are decided by a nominations committee. Responses should align with the award area. For example, if applying for the Donna Johnson Equality and Valor Award, the response should focus on how the nominee exemplifies courage, equality, and valor.

Submissions should detail individual achievements and contributions to success. When possible, include qualitative and quantitative information, such as revenues, efficiency gains, productivity gains, returns on investment, organizational wins, or anything else that demonstrates the nominee's contributions to the Armed Forces or a company/organization within the defense or military service sector. Testimonials from colleagues, partners, or individuals impacted by their work can also enhance a nomination.

If you are nominating a group/organization for its work please identify one point of contact within the group as the nominee and enter their information and demographic details in the Nominee section.

The organization and nominations committee reserves the right to move submissions to different categories should they be better suited. Good luck!

*If you are unable to submit because of character limits, you can use the "Is there any additional information you would like to share?" question to include more information or attach a document in the upload field.

Are you a member of Modern Military? *
Award Category
Nominator Information

If self-nominating, write N/A in the nominator fields.

Nominee Information
Is the nominee a member of the LGBTQ+ community? *
Nominee Affiliation *
Branch of Service *
Demographic Information

Modern Military collects demographic information for grant purposes and organizational assessment.

Nominee's Gender Identity *
Nominee's Sexual Orientation *
Nominee's Racial Identity *
Is the nominee of Hispanic, Latine, or Spanish origin *
Nominee's Age Range *
By submitting this form, you and the nominee give permission to be featured on Modern Military's social media platforms and publications. Application responses (excluding contact information), images, and the nominee's name may be shared. *