ORACLE Awards

NSN is proud to annually recognize individuals and organizations for their outstanding contributions to storytelling. The members of the Awards Committee for 2025-2026 are: Mary Hamilton, Chair; Ray Christian; Drea Douglas; Cora Newcomb; Toni Simmons; and Nancy Tolson. Contact email:

Nomination Process

Submit nominations for the 2026 ORACLE Awards During the period November 10, 2025 through January 24, 2026. Results will be made known after the March Board Meeting.

Note: Persons may only receive an Award once. However, they may be nominated for other Awards. Please check the listings below to see if your nominee was an Award recipient in the past and in which category.

Nomination Form – the submission period ended January 24, 2026.

General Instructions – This is a digital nomination form. Please complete the form online and submit with the Nominating letter and 3 supporting letters as indicated. Please read award descriptions carefully. Your nominating letter and support letters should emphasize the nominee’s activities related to the specific award. Questions regarding submissions can be directed to the NSN staff at  or +1-651-703-8191.

Submitting Nominations – Please submit each nomination individually. All original copies will be kept on file by NSN. Upon notification of the award, the nominee receives copies of the nomination narrative and support letters. There is no carryover of nominations to the next year. The ORACLE committee only reviews the nominations submitted in the current year.

Format for Narrative and Support Letters – Nominating letter and the 3 Letters of Support: 8 ½” x 11”, with 1-inch margins and type font no smaller than 11pt. Please note that the maximum number of pages is five (5) for the narrative and two (2) for each of the 3 supporting letters. Please read award descriptions carefully. Your nominating letter and support letters should emphasize the nominee’s activities related to the specific award.

Categories

Note: Click the “Title in Red” to see photo listings of recipients since inception of ORACLE Awards

Lifetime Achievement Award – is presented to individuals in the storytelling community who have dedicated their lives to the art form of storytelling and who have demonstrated meritorious service to the National Storytelling Network, as well as to the community of storytellers at large. The individuals who are awarded are those who have expanded public awareness of the art of storytelling by virtue of their preservation of traditional art forms or the significant originality of their body of work.

Circle of Excellence Award – is presented to artists who are recognized by their peers to be master storytellers who set the standards for excellence and have demonstrated, over a significant period of time, a commitment and dedication to the art of storytelling.

Regional Excellence Award – recognized the creativity, professional integrity, and artistic contributions of tellers who greatly enriched the Storytelling culture of their region. This award was presented from 2011 – 2022. It has been discontinued. To nominate a storyteller, please use the Circle of Excellence Award.

Distinguished National Service Award – is presented to those individuals, members or groups who contribute their time and energy in an exemplary manner on the national level to forward the work of the National Storytelling Network.

Regional Service & Leadership Award – presented to individuals or organizations that have made a significant contribution to their local or regional Storytelling community and/or have used Storytelling to make a significant contribution to the larger community in which they live. For a directory of past recipients (1996-2021) please see these regions: Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, North Central, South Central, Western, Pacific.

Talking Leaves – is presented to those members of our community who have made outstanding contributions to the literary body of storytelling as authors, editors or collectors.

International StoryBridge Award – recognizes the exemplary work, dedication and spirit of those individuals or groups that promote the art of storytelling in their own country or promote the building of bridges between their country and other countries through the use of storytelling and/or storytelling events.

2025 Recipients

Regional Service and Leadership Award: Clinton Atwater, Meghna Bhat, Jim Brulé, Jo Ann Dadisman, Jennifer Pahl Otto
Talking Leaves Award: Sherry Norfolk
National Distinguished Service Award: Sara Armstrong, Trudy Hansen, Bob Johnson
Lifetime Achievement Award: Susan O’Connor