The Martin Luther King Jr. Spirit Awards

Nominations to Ceremony Timeline

• Oct 27 - Nov 26, 2025

  Call for Nominations

  U-M Ann Arbor faculty, staff, and students may nominate individual students or student groups who have distinguished themselves by one or more of the following: building inclusive communities and equitable spaces, pursuing social justice by challenging oppressive norms, engaging with diverse communities to promote cross-cultural collaboration, confronting systemic injustice(s), and commitment to racial justice. Nomination Deadline Extended: Wednesday, November 26, 2025.

  Eligibility - Eligible students must be enrolled full-time in a central campus program, including: Business, Dentistry, Education, Information, Kinesiology, Literature, Science, and the Arts, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health, Public Policy, and Social Work. Students nominated for the individual award must also be in good academic standing. Student groups must be affiliated with a central campus school or college or be a campus-wide activist organization. Groups do not need to be a sponsored student organization or a voluntary student organization to be recognized for the award.

• Dec 1 - Dec 15, 2025

  Accepting Nominations

  Individual students or student groups who are nominated will need to accept their nomination by filling out the nominee information form by the deadline stated to be considered for the award. Nomination Acceptance Deadline: Friday, December 15, 2025

• Jan 9 - Jan 16, 2026

  Awardee Selection

  The Central Campus MLK Spirit Awards Selection Committee will review all award applications and select individual students or student groups who have distinguished themselves by one or more of the following: building inclusive communities and equitable spaces, pursuing social justice by challenging oppressive norms, engaging with diverse communities to promote cross-cultural collaboration, confronting systemic injustice(s), and commitment to racial justice. Selection is based on the nomination letters received as well as the nominee’s submitted resume and additional information. The committee does not review outside materials such as transcripts or social media profiles. All awards are given based on the information received at the time of the selection meeting.

• Jan 24, 2026

  Awards Ceremony

  2:00-3:30 p.m. | Weiser Hall, 10th Floor
  Nominees and awardees will be recognized at the Awards Ceremony, which will also highlight the various ways in which our students have worked to carry on the spirit of Dr. King.