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The ICON Awards are one of the longest-standing traditions to celebrate Black LGBTQIA+ Pride Month in Baltimore.
We invite you to join us at the Parkway Theatre on October 9th, 2026, at 6 PM, for an evening of honoring our local icons, drinks, a silent auction, music, and performances! Come honor Baltimore's Icons. Come be dazzled. Come be part of the wonder.
Dress Code: Think formal meets fantastical. Think Avant-garde, imaginative, and fantasy-driven. Bring your most iconic interpretation of WONDALAND to life. This is your invitation to dream bigger, dress bolder, and show up as the most iconic version of yourself.
Selection Process & Nomination Ballot
Here’s everything you need to know about submitting nominations and how honorees are selected.
KEY DATES
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Nominations Open: August 9, 2026
Nominations Close: September 9, 2026 -
Selection Notification: September 15, 2026
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ICON Awards Gala: October 9, 2026
HOW TO NOMINATE
You’ll be asked to provide:
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The nominee’s full name
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Their email address or phone number
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A detailed reason why you're nominating them — tell us what makes them Iconic.
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Missing nomination information will render the award submission invalid.
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You can nominate yourself or someone else.
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Nominees should self-identify as Black LGBTQIA+ individuals with a connection to Baltimore City.
Previous winners are ineligible from receiving the same award.
SELECTION & PRESENTATION
Top nominations and winners are selected using the following criteria, on a 1-5 scale:
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Quality of Nominations
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Number of Nominations
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Level of Discernible Impact
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Level of Known Recognition
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Category Fit
The BLAQ Equity Board and ICON Awards committee will select a winner from the top three scored nominations submitted in each category. All top nominees will be announced in September. The winner will be publicly announced live at the Icon Awards Gala.
Awards will be presented at the Icon Awards Gala on October 9, 2026, at the Parkway Theatre during the Red Carpet Reception or on the Main Stage.
Overview of Categories
THE COMMUNITY KEEPER
For the ones who are always there, even when no one’s watching. This award honors everyday folks who aren’t in the spotlight or leadership positions, but who carry community on their backs: the auntie opening her home to youth, the neighbor always showing up with a ride, a meal, or a helping hand. Their impact isn’t in titles — it’s in trust, presence, and care.
THE TORCHBEARER (Youth Award)
For the next generation who are already leading. This award celebrates youth and young adults (age 24 and under) who are blazing trails, whether through organizing, art, entrepreneurship, or everyday acts of courage and care.
THE PEOPLE'S ADVOCATE
For those on the frontlines of policy, protection, and justice. This award honors lawyers, social workers, elected officials, or systems navigators who fight for us in courtrooms, city halls, clinics, and community offices. They’re not just in the work — they’re with the people.
THE CHANGE MAKER
For those building power at the grassroots. This award recognizes grassroots activists and community organizers who move bodies and policies. These are the folks who rally, canvas, coordinate, strategize, and never stop pushing to shift culture and change lives.
COMMUNITY IMPACT (Organization OTY)
For an organization, collective, or small business that puts the people first. This award honors those who actively change lives, create jobs, offer resources, and build structures rooted in equity, joy, and justice. Their impact isn’t just measurable. It’s felt.
THE VIBE ARCHITECT (DJ OTY)
For DJs who do more than play music — they build atmosphere. This award goes to a selector who reads the room, sets the vibe, and keeps the community moving not just on the dance floor, but in spirit.
THE PLAYMAKER (Athlete OTY)
For athletes whose strength extends beyond the field. This award celebrates sports figures, from players to coaches, who show up with excellence, visibility, and pride, challenging norms and breaking barriers for Black LGBTQ+ representation in sports.
THE SANKOFA AWARD (Educator OTY)
For those lighting the way through knowledge and mentorship. The educators, mentors, and teaching artists who don’t just inform — they empower. This award honors those who pass down wisdom, create liberatory classrooms, and see teaching as a revolutionary act. They make space for us to know ourselves.
THE CULTURAL CATALYST (Event OTY)
For the gathering that shifted the energy. This award goes to the event of the year (since September 1, 2025), large or grassroots, that brought people together, sparked joy, stirred dialogue, and reflected our community’s boldness, brilliance, and care. The night you didn't forget.
THE CROWNED JEWEL (Drag OTY)
For a drag artist whose stage presence is undeniable. This award honors queens, kings, and genderbending performers who bring style, storytelling, and soul to every look, every lip sync, and every room they arrive in.
THE SPOKEN FLAME
For a poet or spoken word artist whose words ignite something real. This award honors writers who turn language into liberation, survival into stanza, and who speak a truth that sticks with audiences.
THE CREATOR'S TOUCH
For painters, muralists, designers, and visual storytellers, capturing Black queer life in all its texture. This award honors an artist whose work gives us new ways to see ourselves, our struggles, and our joy.
STORYTELLER HONORS
For journalists, documentarians, and media creators who tell the stories that matter. This award honors someone who amplifies our voices, challenges narratives, and ensures we are documented, not erased.
THE SPOTLIGHT
For a performer (comedian, dancer, actor, vocalist, instrumentalist, or variety artist), who owns every stage they step on. This award honors those who entertain with presence, passion, and purpose.
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