Provided by Marine Corps Heritage Foundation
The Marine Corps Heritage Foundation (MCHF) has opened nominations for its 2026 Annual Awards, recognizing exceptional work in 18 categories that deepen public understanding of Marine Corps history, traditions, and service. Judged by Marines and civilian experts, the Annual Awards are a mark of distinction and achievement for journalists, writers, photographers, artists, and scholars.
Winners of the Annual Awards program will be honored during a ceremony at the National Museum of the Marine Corps with active and retired Marine Corps leaders. Recipients will also receive a gold medallion, a commemorative brick in Semper Fidelis Memorial Park, and, in select categories, a $2,000 cash prize. Previous winners include amateur artists and active-duty Marines, as well as best-selling authors, renowned historians, and the works of NPR, The Washington Post and HBO.
Online nominations are free and open through Jan. 15. Submissions will be accepted for a wide range of works from poetry to fiction writing to photography. Works created in calendar years 2024 and 2025 are eligible. For complete category descriptions and entry details, visit the Foundation’s website.
“As we’ve seen throughout the 250th anniversary celebration this year, there are so many incredible, creative ways that people are persevering and advancing the story of the Marine Corps and its history,” said retired Marine Major General James Lukeman, President and CEO of MCHF. “We’re eager to see how creators — from active-duty Marines to civilian artists — continue to bring the Marine Corps story to life, and we invite everyone inspired by the Corps’ legacy to share their work.”
This year’s Annual Awards build upon the ongoing, nationwide celebration of the Marines’ 250th anniversary, which has featured the Marines Across America program spotlighting notable Marines and will include cake-cutting ceremonies throughout November in every state to mark the official birthday.
About the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation
Dedicated to the preservation and promulgation of Marine Corps history, the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation was established in 1979 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. The Foundation supports the historical programs of the Marine Corps in ways not possible through government funds. The Foundation provides grants and scholarships for research and the renovation, restoration and commissioning of historical Marine Corps artifacts and landmarks. The Foundation secured the necessary funding for the construction of the National Museum of the Marine Corps and Heritage Center, located in Triangle, Virginia, and continues to expand programs at the National Museum of the Marine Corps and beyond its walls. For more information, visit MarineHeritage.org.
