BLOOMINGTON – The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration Commission is seeking nominations for the 2027 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Award. Nominations will be accepted from November 1-30, 2026, through the online nomination form.
The award honors individuals, businesses, and advocacy groups that have made tangible, visible, and meaningful contributions to advancing race relations, justice, and/or human rights. To be eligible, nominees must have been a Monroe County resident, business, or advocacy group for at least one year. The award is presented annually at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration to the Monroe County resident, business, or advocacy group selected by the City of Bloomington Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration Commission. Learn more about the award at bloomington.in.gov/mlk-legacy-award.
This will be the 28th year the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Award has been presented. Recent recipients of this award include Ruth Aydt (2026), Beverly Calender-Anderson (2025), Sarah McCue (2024), Nancy Cross-Harris (2023), and Jeanetta Nelms (2022). A full list of all previous award recipients is available on the award’s City webpage.
The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Legacy Award is a program of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday Celebration Commission. Learn more about the commission at bloomington.in.gov/mlk.
