The ADP sponsors several awards and contests to encourage engagement with the creation and enjoyment of high-quality audio description.
AD Awards Gala
Since 2021, the ADP has held a virtual gala to celebrate achievement in audio description within the media industry. With celebrity guests, the People’s Choice awards, open audio description and captions, Spanish dubbing, and ASL translation, the Awards Gala continues to set new standards for inclusion.
For more details and to access recordings of all previous galas, visit the Awards Gala website: https://adawardsgala.org/.
ADP Awards
The ADP Awards recognize individuals and organizations for their outstanding contributions to audio description. Award recipients are selected by a committee of AD consumers and creators, after an open call for nominations early each year.
2024
- Media. Jehovah’s Witnesses
- Performing Arts (Individual): Beth Crabb
- Performing (Organization): Audio-Description Learning Network
- Special Achievement in the Performing Arts: Think Outside the Vox
- Public Sector: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
- Dr. Margaret Pfanstiehl Memorial Award for Audio Description Research and Development: Kyle Sisk, CTO at the Described and Captioned Media Program
2023
- Media (Individual): Debra Erickson, Executive Chef and Founder of The Blind Kitchen
- Museums (Individual): Karen Bergman, Guggenheim Museum in New York
- Museums (Organization): The North Carolina Museum of Art and its "Sensory Journey through Art" program
- Special Achievement in Museums: Dr. Michelle Edwards of the National Museum of African American History and Culture
- Performing Arts (Individual): Bonnie Barlow
- Performing Arts (Organization): The Smith Center for the Performing Arts
- Public Sector: The Space Telescope Science Institute
- International: MovieReading
- Barry Levine Memorial Award for Career Achievement: Dr. Joshua Miele
2022
- Media (Individual): Norma Jean Wick and Tony Ambrosio, Descriptive Video Works
- Museums (Individual): Holly Griesemer, National Park Service Midwest Region/Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance and Accessibility Programs
- Museums (Organization): Wright Brothers National Memorial
- Performing Arts (Individual): Maryfrances Evans, Executive Director, Iowa Radio Reading Information Service
- Performing Arts (Organization): Prime Stage Theatre with Nathan Ruggles, Audio Describer
- Public Sector: Centers for Disease Control Accessibility Program and Office of the Associate Director for Communications
- International: World Blind Union
- Dr. Margaret R. Pfanstiehl Memorial Award for Research and Development: Dr. Elisa Perego and Dr. Christopher Taylor, University of Trieste, Italy
- Barry Levine Memorial Award for Career Achievement: Mark Turits, Vice President, Captioning and Audio Description/Access Services, Paramount Global
2021
- Media (Individual): Roy Samuelson, Voiceover Artist
- Media (Organization): International Digital Centre, Audio Description Department
- Special Recognition, Media (Individual): Talk Description to Me Podcast with Christine Malec and JJ Hunt
- Special Recognition, Media (Organization): Imagination Videobooks, Inc.
- Museums (Individual): Stasha Boyd, QMedia Productions
- Museums (Organization): U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum
- Performing Arts (Individual): Magan Harms, Mind's Eye Radio
- International: Association of Blind Citizens of New Zealand
- Dr. Margaret R. Pfanstiehl Memorial Award for Research and Development: Dr. Anna Matamala, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain
- Barry Levine Memorial Award for Career Achievement: Thomas Wlodkowski, Vice President of Accessibility and Assistive Technologies, Comcast, Inc.
2020
- Media: Disney+ / The Walt Disney Company
- Museums: Michele Hartley
- Performing Arts: Broadway Sacramento
- Special Recognition, Performing Arts: Mary Hanks
- International: VocalEyes (UK)
- International: Audio Described Aotearoa Ltd. (New Zealand)
- Dr. Margaret R. Pfanstiehl Memorial Award for Research and Development: United Airlines
- Barry Levine Memorial Award for Career Achievement: Matthew J. Kaplowitz
2019
- Media: Microsoft/Xbox
- Museums: Hannah Goodwin, Museum of Fine Arts
- International: Vera Arma, ARTIS Project, Viterbo Area, Italy
- Performing Arts: Hunter Gullickson, The Guthrie Theater
- Special Recognition: Montclair State University
- Dr. Margaret R. Pfanstiehl Memorial Award for Research and Development: Dr. Brett Oppegaard, The UniDescription Project, University of Hawaii
- Barry Levine Memorial Award for Career Achievement: Jon P. Skaalen
2018
- Media: Rooted in Rights
- Museums: Tennessee School for the Blind and Julia Cawthon
- Performing Arts: MindsEye Radio/Marjorie Moore
- International: Amos Be'er, CEO, The Central Library for the Blind and Visually Impaired People, Israel
- Special Recognition, International: Antonio Vazquez Martin, Aristia Producciones, SLU-Madrid, Spain
- Dr. Margaret R. Pfanstiehl Memorial Award for Research and Development: Dr. Francisco Lima-Recife, Brazil
- Barry Levine Memorial Award for Career Achievement: The Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family National Center for Accessible Media at WGBH (NCAM)
2017
- Media: ABC Digital
- Performing Arts: Lori Ward, Tennessee Performing Arts Center
- International: ABLE, New Zealand
- International: Dr. Anna Jankowska, Poland
- Special Recognitionn: Timothy Wynn
- Dr. Margaret R. Pfanstiehl Memorial Award for Research and Development: Actiview
- Barry Levine Memorial Award for Career Achievement: Diane Johnson, Descriptive Video Works
2016
- Media: Fred Brack
- Museums: Dole Institute of Politics / Audio-Reader Network
- Performing Arts: Arts Access
- International: Bos Soluções e Serviços Ltda, Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Special Recognition: Alice Austin
- Special Recognition: Mark Messersmith, The Visual Voice
- Dr. Margaret R. Pfanstiehl Memorial Award for Research and Development: Disney / Pixar "Disney Movies Anywhere” app
- Barry Levine Memorial Award for Career Achievement: Dr. Francisco Lima
2015
- Media: Netflix
- Museums: Meadows Museum of Art / Southern Methodist University
Performing Arts: Jesse Minkert, Arts and Visually Impaired Audiences
International: Anne Hornsby, Mind’s Eye, UK
Special Recognition: Sebastian Andrade-Miles
Dr. Margaret R. Pfanstiehl Memorial Award for Research and Development: Accessible Media, Inc. “AMI Player”
Barry Levine Memorial Award for Career Achievement: Dr. Pilar Orero
2014
Media: Diane Johnson and Descriptive Video Works
Museums: Sandy Malmquist and the Connecticut Children's Museum
Performing Arts: Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts
International: Steph Kirkland and the VocalEye Descriptive Arts Society
Dr. Margaret R. Pfanstiehl Memorial Award for Research and Development: Dr. Louise Fryer
Barry Levine Memorial Award for Career Achievement: Dr. Joel Snyder
2013
Media: Hollywood Access Services
Museums: The White House
Performing Arts: Steppenwolf Theatre Company
International: Accessible Media, Inc.
Dr. Margaret R. Pfanstiehl Memorial Award for Research and Development: Ryerson University and Dr. Deborah Fels
Barry Levine Memorial Award for Career Achievement: Rick Boggs
2012
Media: Described and Captioned Media Program
Museums: National Park Service
Performing Arts: Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts
International: Track One Communications, New Delhi, India
Dr. Margaret R. Pfanstiehl Memorial Award for Research and Development: Dr. Philip Piety
Barry Levine Memorial Award for Career Achievement: Alan Woods
2011
Media: Harry A. Jessell, TV News Check
Museums: Rebecca McGinniss, Metropolitan Museum of Art
Performing Arts: Mimi Smith, Amaryllis Theater Company
International: 20th Century Fox International, London, England
Dr. Margaret R. Pfanstiehl Memorial Award for Research and Development: Dr. Joshua A. Miele, Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute
Barry Levine Memorial Award for Career Achievement: Dr. Barry Cronin
2010
Media: WGBH and the Media Access Group
Museums: Smithsonian Institution and Beth Ziebarth
Performing Arts: Paper Mill Playhouse
International: Bernd Benecke and Bayerischer Rundfunk, Munich, Germany
Dr. Margaret R. Pfanstiehl Memorial Award for Research and Development: American Foundation for the Blind
Barry Levine Memorial Award for Career Achievement: Gregory Frazier (posthumous) and Audio Vision
2009
Media: Maria Diaz and Closed Caption Latina
Performing Arts: Lisa Helen Hoffman and Geva Theatre
Museums: Elisabeth Axel and Art Education for the Blind
International: Joan Greening and the Royal National Institute of Blind People, UK
Barry Levine Memorial Award for Career Achievement: Jim Stovall, Narrative Television Network
BADIE - Benefits of Audio Description in Education
The ADP and the Described and Captioned Media Program (DCMP) sponsor a blog and an essay contest for young people (ages 7 to 21) who are blind or have low vision. It’s a great chance for students to engage with accessible learning materials, unleash their inner film critic, and compete for fun prizes. Award-winning essays, guidelines, and entry information can be found on the BADIE blog.