Welcome to the Awards Gala Spotlight Series! Over the next few weeks, we’ll focus on some of the 2025 award recipients so you can learn more about the great audio description contributions our awardees are making.
Meet SOVAS
At the 2025 Audio Description Awards Gala, the ADP gave its first award for Talent Promotion to the Society of Voice Arts and Sciences (SOVAS). SOVAS trains and celebrates voice actors, but their mission is far more expansive. They strive to uplift a community, foster global inclusivity, and create meaningful connections between artists and the people their work serves.
Everything SOVAS offers, including education, mentorship, job development, and recognition through the Voice Arts Awards, is rooted in the belief that storytelling and communication have the power to improve lives. Their work took on an even deeper purpose when they learned about audio description.
SOVAS and AD
According to Rudy Gaskins, Chairman and CEO, and Joan Baker, Vice President, audio description “became our gateway into understanding the challenges faced by people who are blind or have low vision.” What began as an educational opportunity quickly grew into a calling. They realized how essential AD is and how perfectly aligned it is with the audience of passionate voice actors who want their work to have real impact.
Through audio description, SOVAS joined a community of individuals and organizations dedicated to creating a richer, more accessible life experience for people who are blind or have low vision. Gaskins and Baker note that we all share the responsibility of making the world more inclusive. “Serving this community,” they say, “is not only an honor, it also continues to deepen our commitment to building a voiceover industry that listens, learns, and lifts everyone.”
SOVAS is committed to spreading awareness of AD among voice actors as a pathway to meaningful employment, while ensuring that high-quality AD is created for the end users who depend on it. To further this mission, SOVAS developed an annual international contest for voice actors that provides four real-world, paid AD jobs in both Spanish and English. As part of their international awards show, the Voice Arts Awards®, they have implemented multiple award categories specific to a wide range of AD genres, including live theatre, film, television, museum tours, and more. This initiative is a powerful way to recognize the quality of the work and the importance of AD to the industry and end users.
Learning through Community
Interacting with blind and low-vision audiences is important to SOVAS. The community is invited to share their knowledge at the annual SOVAS career conference, and they are engaged to review and vet all materials SOVAS disseminates to blind and low-vision communities. SOVAS also offers paid speaker roles to blind and low-vision professionals in an online webinar series.
Additionally, the SOVAS International Ambassadors Committee (SIAC) brings together leaders in the field to help shape SOVAS’s approach. Dr. Joel Snyder, the founder of the ADP, serves on this committee. To get involved in the International Ambassadors, visit sovas.org/international-ambassadors/.
Learn more about SOVAS by visiting SOVAS.org, where you’ll find detailed information about programs, initiatives, events, and resources for the global voice acting community. You can also follow SOVAS on social media to stay updated and engaged:
• Facebook: SovasVoice
• Instagram: @societyvoicearts
• LinkedIn: Society of Voice Arts and Sciences
To access the Awards Gala, visit ADAwardsGala.org. And check back here soon for another Awards Gala spotlight!