Q Street Impact Awards
The Q Street Impact Awards honor outstanding LGBTQ+ professionals shaping government affairs, public policy, and politics. This initiative celebrates professionals whose leadership, integrity, and impact advance their fields and strengthen the community of LGBTQ+ professionals within them.
The recognition program reflects Q Street’s mission to promote visibility, professionalism, and community among LGBTQ+ professionals working across government affairs, public policy, and politics. The selection process will prioritize excellence, inclusivity, and integrity, with honorees collectively reflecting the diversity of roles, identities, experiences, and perspectives represented across Q Street’s membership and the broader LGBTQ+ professional community.
Q Street is pleased to have the Washington Blade, the nation’s oldest LGBTQ+ news outlet in circulation and a leading source for LGBTQ+ political news, supporting the program as a community partner, bringing an independent perspective to the review process and helping amplify the achievements of this year’s honorees.
Nominations for the Q Street Impact Awards will open on October 1, 2026, and close on October 15, 2026. Q Street will publish a form to submit nominations on this page.
Each nominee will be evaluated across the following categories:
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Impact on policy or public outcomes
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Innovation and leadership
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Community engagement and mentorship
A volunteer review committee, composed of Q Street Board members, members of the broader Q Street community, and representatives from the Washington Blade, will review and score nominations. Following the initial review and identification of finalists, the committee will convene to select the 2026 honorees.
Awardees will be announced and recognized in late 2026.
For more information about eligibility, submissions, and evaluation criteria, please see below:
Eligibility
Nominees must:
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Identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community.
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Work in or closely with the public policy, advocacy, political, or government affairs ecosystem.
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Government employees are not eligible.
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Be based in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area (DMV) and have a significant professional impact at the federal, state, or local level.
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Demonstrate professional achievement in at least one of the following areas represented within Q Street’s membership:
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Policy and Advocacy
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Lobbying
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Communications and Public Affairs
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Organizational Leadership
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Legal or Regulatory Affairs
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Campaigns and Fundraising
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Current Q Street Board Members are not eligible for nomination.
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Employees of organizations that sponsor Q Street are eligible for nomination. Sponsorship confers no advantage in the nomination, review, or selection process.
Nomination Eligibility and Submission
Who May Submit Nominations
Nominations may be submitted by Q Street members, colleagues, supervisors, or others within the policy, advocacy, and political community who can speak to a nominee’s professional impact. Non-members are welcome to submit nominations, though Q Street members are encouraged to do so when possible. Sponsor organizations and their employees may also submit nominations; sponsorship status has no bearing on evaluation.
Members of Q Street’s Board of Directors and individuals who sit on the Q Street Impact Awards Program’s review committee are prohibited from submitting nominations.
Self-Nominations
Self-nominations are permitted. Individuals nominating themselves should provide clear, evidence-based examples of their work and impact consistent with the evaluation criteria.
Nomination Limit
There will be no formal cap on the number of nominations an individual may submit. Q Street will encourage nominators to be intentional and focus on those who best exemplify the spirit, values, and purpose of this recognition program.
Evaluation Criteria
Each nominee will be evaluated on a 1 to 5 scale across the following weighted categories. Reviewers will consider evidence presented in the nomination narrative and supporting materials, assessing both measurable outcomes and alignment with Q Street’s mission and values.
Examples below are illustrative, not exhaustive or required. Nominees should be evaluated on the strength of the work described, recognizing that impact and leadership look different across roles, organizations, and career stages.
