NextGen Public Service Awards

Now Accepting Nominations for the 2025 NextGen Public Service Awards

GovLoop is proud to host the NextGen Public Service Awards, recognizing superior public service and achievement, each year at the NextGen Government Training Virtual Summit. The awards recognize deserving individuals selected from the public service community for their intelligence, exuberance and dedication to improving and invigorating government.
General Information
Nominations will be accepted from now through Aug. 1, 2025. Award winners will be notified on Aug. 22, 2025, and the category winners will be announced at the NextGen Government Training Virtual Summit on Oct. 22, 2025. Please read more about the award categories and their specific attributes. The selection committee will determine and assign categories based on the information submitted via the nomination form. Nominations can be submitted for individuals only. We understand that it takes a village to make change happen. However, we limit the award recognition to one person representing the larger team and their achievements.

Nominator Eligibility 
Nominators can come from a range of people —govie, non-govie, colleague, or supervisor. However, we do not accept self-nominations.

Nominee Eligibility 
While nominators are not required to be government employees, nominees must be current government employees working at any level of government. When submitting the nomination form, please provide accomplishments within the last two years. We want to ensure the finalists are being recognized for recent achievements taking place in government.

Please read on below for more information.

Award Categories


Manager of the Year

This category recognizes a manager or supervisor who goes above and beyond for their team and individual contributors. They care about their team, show up for them, listen to their ideas, and advocate for them to upper management on their behalf.
Innovator of the Year

This category recognizes an individual who has identified and improved their organization innovatively, through remote/hybrid work, brought a process up-to-date, or found a way to enhance virtual culture at your agency.
Communicator of the Year

This category recognizes an individual who demonstrates strategic communication, internally and externally, at their agency. This person will push the envelope to find innovative ways to share their message while keeping employees and stakeholders engaged.
Outstanding Colleague

This category recognizes an individual who consistently exceeds expectations. Whether they offer to run meetings, contribute ideas, or help out colleagues in times of need, you can always count on them to pull their weight and more.
Advancing Tech Champion

This category recognizes a forward thinker who has utilized technology as part of their approach to transformation. This individual is an innovative thinker who is trying to move their agency to tools like artificial intelligence or machine learning, so employees can focus more on their mission-critical work.
Selection Process

Two award winners are selected for each category. For each category, nominees must:
  • Be dedicated to public service at the local, state, or federal level.
  • Have made an impact on their work or their colleagues.
  • Continue to strive for excellence and positively advance their organization’s mission.
Each nominee will be thoughtfully considered for the award by a selection committee. Award winners will be notified on August 22, 2025, and will be announced at the NextGen Virtual Summit on October 22, 2025.

The selection committee will score each nominee based solely on what is provided via the nomination form, and finalists will be selected based on:
  • The impact they have made on their work or their colleagues.
  • Their leadership qualities. Their commitment to continuously improving government.
  • Their ability to make positive change happen.
Frequently Asked Questions

How do I submit a nomination?
Complete the form on this page by 11:59 p.m. ET on Aug. 1, 2025.

I can’t access or submit the online nomination form. What do I do?
Send an email to [email protected], and we’ll help you find a way to submit the form.

Who can submit a nomination?
Anyone can submit a nomination, but the nominator needs to be very familiar with the nominee’s work and accomplishments as they are directly related to public service.

Can I nominate myself?
No, but you can ask someone else to nominate you!

Can I nominate a team?
We only accept individual nominations. You can nominate multiple people individually.

Who is eligible for a NextGen Public Service Award?
Please see the eligibility requirements in the respective section above. All government employees, at any level, are eligible for nomination.

Which awards category should I select?
There is a dropdown to select which category you think your nominee best fits. The selection committee will designate the final categories based on information provided on the nomination form.

Is there a limit to the number of nominations I can submit?
Nope! The more, the merrier.

Does NextGen require agency/office approval before accepting the nomination?
No. While some agencies or divisions may conduct their own internal review process, we do not require advance approval by any particular office.

Who chooses the finalists and winners?
The selection committee determines the award winners following careful review of the nominations.

I just submitted a nomination! When can I expect to hear from you?
Nominators and nominees will receive emails on Aug. 22, 2025, letting them know the status of the nomination.

I still have questions. Who can I contact?
For additional information, contact Leah Anderson at [email protected].