Award of Excellence Nominations

The Washington Museum Association continues to recognize outstanding achievements in museum work by bestowing Awards of Excellence at the Annual Meeting.

Awards of Excellence are presented in the following categories:

• Exhibits – can be a new, temporary, traveling, or permanent exhibit
• Projects – can be a project in education, collections management, public program, website, etc.
• Publications – can be a book, poster, newsletter, catalog, exhibit invitation, film, video, etc.
• Individual – nominees must exhibit the ability to set standards of leadership through outstanding service, establishing precedent, fulfilling mission and purpose, showing marked improvement, and/or providing an extended level of service to the community served.
• Creative Economy (New in 2026!) – recognizes outstanding individuals, organizations, and businesses whose creative work advances Washington’s museum, heritage, arts, science, and cultural sector.

The eligibility period runs 23 months, from December 2024 through October 2026.

The submission deadline has been extended to Friday, August 14, 2026. 

Award recipients will be honored during the Awards Banquet on Tuesday, October 20th, at the 2026 WaMA Annual Conference.

Questions or need technical assistance? Email contact@washingtonmuseumassociation.org. We are here to support you in writing a strong proposal and submitting it successfully.