About the Awards
The Kennedy Center Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability (LEAD®) Awards recognize outstanding arts administrators and cultural arts organizations whose leadership and work furthers the field of accessibility. The goal in granting these awards is to increase awareness and focus on the importance of accessibility in artistic venues, cultural institutions, and natural history settings.
For more information about the LEAD awards, please visit accesslead.org.
2025 LEAD Awards
Recipients will be celebrated at the 2025 LEAD Conference in Cleveland, OH August 20-22. Nominations are reviewed and selected by a committee along with members of the Accessibility Office.
There are three categories of awards celebrating different levels of arts and cultural accessibility work. Applicants can select the category
Awards for Emerging Leaders
The LEAD Award for Emerging Leaders acknowledges arts administrators who use what they learn at LEAD to advocate for accessibility within their own organizations and communities. These individuals successfully apply what they learn to open doors to and shape cultural arts opportunities that are inclusive of people with disabilities.
Recipients must have attended the 2023 or 2024 LEAD conference and implemented a new access initiative or project as a direct result of their attendance. These new initiatives may include any efforts to improve accessibility.
Community Asset Awards
The LEAD Community Asset Award recognizes the achievements of cultural arts administrators or organizations that continually demonstrate success with access initiatives, improving accessibility in their organization, city, state or region.
Recipients must be an individual or team on staff at a cultural arts organization or a cultural arts organization that has demonstrated success improving or providing access for individuals with disabilities for a minimum of 5 years. The body of work will be a comprehensive accessibility initiative that recognizes the diversity within the disability community.
Awards for Excellence in Accessibility Leadership
The LEAD Awards for Excellence in Accessibility Leadership recognize a lifetime of achievement in arts and accessibility.
Recipients are selected for having sustained accessibility efforts over a significant period, demonstrating either an individual or an institutional commitment to the inclusion of all people with disabilities. This pertains to incorporating accessibility into organizational programs, projects, and environments. Other factors considered in selecting award winners are the breadth of impact and how the person or entity has served as a role-model or leader within the cultural arts community and in areas such as business, social service, and government.
Nomination Form
There is one nomination form for all three awards. Answers to questions can be submitted via the form in writing, as videos, in an audio format or in combination. For written responses, bullet points and informal writing are welcome. Please note that there is a limit of 400 words for most questions.
All nominations must also include two letters, videos, or recordings of support from members of the community.
To review the questions in advance and learn more about what reviewers are looking for, please visit accesslead.org. Questions are required unless stated otherwise.
Questions?
If you have any questions about the form or would like to receive it in an alternate format, please contact us at lead@kennedy-center.org or 202-416-8727.
LEAD 2025 Awards Nomination
About the Awards
The Kennedy Center Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability (LEAD®) Awards recognize outstanding arts administrators and cultural arts organizations whose leadership and work furthers the field of accessibility. The goal in granting these awards is to increase awareness and focus on the importance of accessibility in artistic venues, cultural institutions, and natural history settings.
For more information about the LEAD awards, please visit accesslead.org.
2025 LEAD Awards
Recipients will be celebrated at the 2025 LEAD Conference in Cleveland, OH August 20-22. Nominations are reviewed and selected by a committee along with members of the Accessibility Office.
There are three categories of awards celebrating different levels of arts and cultural accessibility work. Applicants can select the category
Awards for Emerging Leaders
The LEAD Award for Emerging Leaders acknowledges arts administrators who use what they learn at LEAD to advocate for accessibility within their own organizations and communities. These individuals successfully apply what they learn to open doors to and shape cultural arts opportunities that are inclusive of people with disabilities.
Recipients must have attended the 2023 or 2024 LEAD conference and implemented a new access initiative or project as a direct result of their attendance. These new initiatives may include any efforts to improve accessibility.
Community Asset Awards
The LEAD Community Asset Award recognizes the achievements of cultural arts administrators or organizations that continually demonstrate success with access initiatives, improving accessibility in their organization, city, state or region.
Recipients must be an individual or team on staff at a cultural arts organization or a cultural arts organization that has demonstrated success improving or providing access for individuals with disabilities for a minimum of 5 years. The body of work will be a comprehensive accessibility initiative that recognizes the diversity within the disability community.
Awards for Excellence in Accessibility Leadership
The LEAD Awards for Excellence in Accessibility Leadership recognize a lifetime of achievement in arts and accessibility.
Recipients are selected for having sustained accessibility efforts over a significant period, demonstrating either an individual or an institutional commitment to the inclusion of all people with disabilities. This pertains to incorporating accessibility into organizational programs, projects, and environments. Other factors considered in selecting award winners are the breadth of impact and how the person or entity has served as a role-model or leader within the cultural arts community and in areas such as business, social service, and government.
Nomination Form
There is one nomination form for all three awards. Answers to questions can be submitted via the form in writing, as videos, in an audio format or in combination. For written responses, bullet points and informal writing are welcome. Please note that there is a limit of 400 words for most questions.
All nominations must also include two letters, videos, or recordings of support from members of the community.
To review the questions in advance and learn more about what reviewers are looking for, please visit accesslead.org. Questions are required unless stated otherwise.
Questions?
If you have any questions about the form or would like to receive it in an alternate format, please contact us at lead@kennedy-center.org or 202-416-8727.