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Important 2025 Program Update
In lieu of hosting our traditional Awards Program in 2025, we are excited to announce that the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation will be holding a gala celebration in the spring of 2025 to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States Marine Corps. This milestone event will honor the rich history and traditions of the Marine Corps and serve as a significant occasion for reflection and celebration.
The Awards Program will return in 2026, encompassing works of art from both the 2024 and 2025 calendar years. We look forward to showcasing the exceptional talent and creativity inspired by the Marine Corps during this extended period. Please check back in the fall of 2025 for more details on submissions for the 2026 Awards Program.
For questions about the awards program, please contact [email protected].
The Awards Program will return in 2026, encompassing works of art from both the 2024 and 2025 calendar years. We look forward to showcasing the exceptional talent and creativity inspired by the Marine Corps during this extended period. Please check back in the fall of 2025 for more details on submissions for the 2026 Awards Program.
For questions about the awards program, please contact [email protected].
About the Awards
The Marine Corps Heritage Foundation’s Annual Awards program recognizes exemplary work that furthers the understanding of Marine Corps history, traditions, culture and service. Judged by Marines and civilian experts, the Annual Awards are a mark of distinction and achievement for journalists, writers, photographers, artists and scholars.
Previous winners include best-selling authors, celebrated novelists, national columnists, network producers, and active Marines with extraordinary talent. The Foundation honors their work in recognition of the difficulty and importance of accurately telling the Marine Corps story. Many past recipients also put themselves in harm’s way to witness first-hand the dangerous work of Marines operating in the world’s most remote locations.
The Foundation presents awards to both Marines and civilians. Each winner receives a $2,000 cash prize (if applicable), a medallion and a commemorative brick along the Semper Fidelis Memorial Park pathway adjacent to the National Museum of the Marine Corps.
The Marine Corps Heritage Foundation’s Annual Awards program recognizes exemplary work that furthers the understanding of Marine Corps history, traditions, culture and service. Judged by Marines and civilian experts, the Annual Awards are a mark of distinction and achievement for journalists, writers, photographers, artists and scholars.
Previous winners include best-selling authors, celebrated novelists, national columnists, network producers, and active Marines with extraordinary talent. The Foundation honors their work in recognition of the difficulty and importance of accurately telling the Marine Corps story. Many past recipients also put themselves in harm’s way to witness first-hand the dangerous work of Marines operating in the world’s most remote locations.
The Foundation presents awards to both Marines and civilians. Each winner receives a $2,000 cash prize (if applicable), a medallion and a commemorative brick along the Semper Fidelis Memorial Park pathway adjacent to the National Museum of the Marine Corps.
Categories in Journalism
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The Major Megan McClung Award is named for the first female Marine Corps officer killed in combat in the Iraq War where she was serving as a public affairs officer and is given for a distinguished example of reporting by an individual covering United States Marines abroad.
Submission requirements: Submissions may be an article, blog, website, taped interview or documentary. The year of the reporting piece does not matter, though preferably in the calendar year 2023. Submission must include the full article/report, blog/website URL, taped interview or documentary, along with an overview (one page or less) detailing the reporting assignment, the reporter’s name, Marine Corps affiliation (if any), media outlet, publication/posting date, the subject being reported on and why the submission should be considered for the award. All written article/report submissions must be sent electronically as a PDF. Taped interviews and documentary submissions must be posted to an accessible website (i.e., Vimeo or YouTube) and the link provided with password(s) for multiple judges. |
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The General Roy S. Geiger Award was established by Colonel G.F. Robert Hanke, USMCR, in memory of his father, Wing Commander Ralph Hanke, Royal Air Force. It is named for General Geiger, the fifth designated naval aviator in Marine Corps history, who commanded both air and ground units during World War II. The award is given to the author of the best article published during the preceding year in the field of Marine Corps aviation.
Submission requirements: Submission must be a published article pertaining to Marine Corps aviation. Submission must include the full article along with an overview (one page or less) detailing the author’s name, Marine Corps affiliation (if any), the publication title, media outlet, publication/posting date and why the submission should be considered for the award. All article submissions must be sent electronically as a PDF. Submission must also include the name, Marine Corps affiliation (if any), mailing address, phone number and e-mail address of the person entering the submission. |
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The Master Sergeant Tom Bartlett Award, named for the late Managing Editor of Leatherneck magazine and leading Marine photojournalist, was previously given for the year’s best still photography related to a Marine Corps subject. The award is now given to the author, who must be an Enlisted Marine, of the best article pertinent to Marine Corps history published in a newspaper, magazine, journal or other periodical.
Submission requirements: Submission must be an article, written by an Enlisted Marine, which appeared in a periodical, either in print, online or both. The year the piece was created does not matter, though preferably in the calendar year 2023. Submission must include the full article or website URL/blogpost link, along with an overview (one page or less) detailing the reporting assignment, the reporter’s name, Marine Corps affiliation, media outlet, publication/posting date, the subject being reported on and why the submission should be considered for the award. All article submissions must be sent electronically as a PDF. Submission must also include the name, Marine Corps affiliation (if any), mailing address, phone number and e-mail address of the person entering the submission. |
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The Colonel Robert Debs Heinl, Jr. Award is given in memory of the distinguished Marine Corps officer, journalist, and historian. He was a founder of the Heritage Foundation and author of Soldiers of the Sea. The award is given to the author of the best article pertinent to Marine Corps history published in a newspaper, magazine, journal, or other periodical during the preceding year.
Submission requirements: Submission must be an article which appeared in a periodical, either in print, online or both. The year the piece was created does not matter, though preferably in the calendar year 2023. Submission must include the full article, along with an overview (one page or less) detailing the reporting assignment, the author/reporter’s name, Marine Corps affiliation (if any), media outlet, publication/posting date, the subject being reported on and why the submission should be considered for the award. All article submissions must be sent electronically as a PDF. The submission must also include the name, Marine Corps affiliation (if any), mailing address, phone number and e-mail address of the person entering the submission. |
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The General Oliver P. Smith Award is named for the Commanding General of the First Marine Division in Korea who, through his steadfast leadership in the field, created the circumstances for future viability and growth of the Marine Corps. Prior to 2011, it was given in recognition of a special contribution to the preservation of the heritage of the Marine Corps. Beginning in 2011 it is given for a distinguished example of local news reporting by an individual that illuminates the U.S. Marine Corps relationship with local communities.
Submission requirements: Submission may be an article, blog, website, taped interview or documentary. The year of the reporting does not matter, though preferably in the calendar year 2023. Submission must include the full article/report, blog/website URL, taped interview or documentary, along with an overview (one page or less) detailing the reporting assignment, the reporter’s name, Marine Corps affiliation (if any), media outlet, publication/posting date, the subject being reported on and why the submission should be considered for the award. All written article submissions must be sent electronically as a PDF. Taped interviews and documentary submissions must be posted to an accessible website (i.e., Vimeo or YouTube) and the link provided with password(s) for multiple judges. The submission must also include the name, Marine Corps affiliation (if any), mailing address, phone number and e-mail address of the person entering the submission. |
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The Sergeant Major Dan Daly Award was established in memory of the legendary recipient of two Medals of Honor. Prior to 2011, the award was given for superior writing pertinent to Marine Corps history during the preceding year by an enlisted writer for a Marine Corps post or station periodical. Beginning in 2011, the award recognizes a distinguished example of still photography by an individual, in black and white or color, which consists of a collection of photographs capturing U.S. Marines or Marine Corps life.
Submission requirements: Submission must consist of a series of three or more photographs. The year that the photos were taken does not matter, though preferably in the calendar year 2023. Submission must include all three (or more) photographs, sent electronically as JPEG files, with an overview (one page or less) including the photographer’s name, Marine Corps affiliation (if any), title of the photos, publication location/outlet, publication date, photo assignment and why the submission should be considered for the award. Submission must also include the name, Marine Corps affiliation (if any), mailing address, phone number and e-mail address of the person entering the submission. |
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The Sergeant Major Bradley Kasal Award is named for the Marine awarded the Navy Cross for his heroic actions in the Battle for Fallujah and given for a distinguished example of a single still photograph by an individual which captures the character of the individual Marine or the core values of the U.S. Marine Corps.
Submission requirements: Submission must be a single still photograph, in black and white or color, sent electronically as a JPEG file with an overview (one page or less) including the photographer’s name, Marine Corps affiliation (if any), title of the photo, publication location/outlet, publication date, photo assignment and why the submission should be considered for the award. Submission must also include the name, Marine Corps affiliation (if any), mailing address, phone number and e-mail address of the person entering the submission. |
Categories in Letters and the Arts
Please note book categories require six (6) hard copies of the literature for our judges review. If you do not have copies, please share the publisher information so we can reach out. Contact [email protected] with any questions.
Books can be mailed to:
Marine Corps Heritage Foundation
ATTN: Awards Program
1775 Semper Fidelis Way
Triangle, Virginia 22172
Marine Corps Heritage Foundation
ATTN: Awards Program
1775 Semper Fidelis Way
Triangle, Virginia 22172
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The Colonel Joseph Alexander Award recognizes a distinguished work of biographical or autobiographical literature about a Marine and is given in memory of Colonel Joe Alexander, historian, author, and longtime friend of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation.
Submission requirements: Submission must include an overview (one page or less) detailing the title of the book, author’s name, Marine Corps affiliation (if any), author’s contact information as well as the publisher’s name and contact information. Further, the overview should give a brief summary of the book and explain why the submission should be considered for the award. Submission must also include the name, Marine Corps affiliation (if any), mailing address, phone number and e-mail address of the person entering the submission. This category requires six (6) hard copies of the literature for our judges review. Learn more. |
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The General Wallace M. Greene, Jr. Award is named for the 23rd Commandant of the Marine Corps, who during his distinguished Marine Corps career gave stature to the historical program, as we know it today. He is a founding member of the Heritage Foundation. The Greene Award is given to the author of an outstanding nonfiction book pertinent to Marine Corps history published during the preceding three years.
Submission requirements: Submission must include an overview (one page or less) detailing the title of the book, author’s name, Marine Corps affiliation (if any), author’s contact information as well as the publisher’s name and contact information. Further, the overview should give a brief summary of the book and explain why the submission should be considered for the award. Submission must also include the name, Marine Corps affiliation (if any), mailing address, phone number and e-mail address of the person entering the submission. This category requires six (6) hard copies of the literature for our judges review. Learn more. |
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The Eugene Sledge Award is presented for the best memoir published during the preceding three years and named for the Marine Corporal, university professor and author of With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa.
Submission requirements: Submission must include an overview (one page or less) detailing the title of the book, author’s name, Marine Corps affiliation (if any), author’s contact information as well as the publisher’s name and contact information. Further, the overview should give a brief summary of the book and explain why the submission should be considered for the award. Submission must also include the name, Marine Corps affiliation (if any), mailing address, phone number and e-mail address of the person entering the submission. This category requires six (6) hard copies of the literature for our judges review. Learn more. |
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The James Webb Award is named for the Senator, author and Navy Cross recipient. It is given for distinguished fiction dealing with U.S. Marines or Marine Corps life.
Submission requirements: Submission must include an overview (one page or less) detailing the title of the book, author’s name, Marine Corps affiliation (if any), author’s contact information as well as the publisher’s name and contact information. Further, the overview should give a brief summary of the book and explain why the submission should be considered for the award. Submission must also include the name, Marine Corps affiliation (if any), mailing address, phone number and e-mail address of the person entering the submission. This category requires six (6) hard copies of the literature for our judges review. Learn more. |
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The Robert A. Gannon Award named after the noted poet, is given for a volume of original verse by a Marine poet dealing with Marine Corps life.
Submission requirements: Submission may be a collection of three or more poems or a book of poems written by a United States Marine. Submissions not in book form must be submitted electronically in PDF format. For a book of poems, the submission must include an overview (one page or less) detailing the title of the book, author’s name, Marine Corps affiliation, author’s contact information as well as the publisher’s name and contact information. Further, the overview should give a brief summary of the book and explain why the submission should be considered for the award. Submissions must also include the name, Marine Corps affiliation (if any), mailing address, phone number and e-mail address of the person entering the submission. This category requires six (6) hard copies of the literature for our judges review. Learn more. |
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A Marine Corps icon and longtime friend of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, Major Norman Hatch joined the Marine Corps in 1939 and served a total of 41 years, active and reserve, at the Marine Corps Institute, Leatherneck magazine and as Director of Photography for the Marine Corps. As a staff sergeant in the 2nd Marine Division, he assembled a team of Marines and created the division's motion picture and still photographers section. The footage his team shot on Tarawa became the documentary that won an Oscar in 1944. Another of his cameramen, Sergeant Bill Genaust, shot the famous footage of the flag raising atop Mt. Suribachi.
The Major Norman Hatch Award, named for the pioneer combat camera team leader whose color motion picture footage at Tarawa and Iwo Jima, among many other accomplishments, brought the Marine Corps story vividly to the American people, is given for the best documentary (longer than 40 minutes) videotape dealing with historical or current Marine Corps subjects. Submission requirements: Submission must be posted to an accessible website (i.e., Vimeo or YouTube) and the link provided with password(s) for multiple judges. In addition, the submission must be accompanied by an overview (one page or less) detailing the film’s title, a video summary, the producer’s name, producer’s Marine Corps affiliation (if any), producer’s contact information, production date and why the film should be considered for the award. Submission must also include the name, Marine Corps affiliation (if any), mailing address, phone number and e-mail address of the person entering the submission. |
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The Sergeant William Genaust Award is named for the motion picture cameraman who filmed the 1945 flag raising on Mount Suribachi shortly before he was killed in action on Iwo Jima. It is given for a producer of a documentary and short subject (motion pictures with a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all credits) dealing creatively with U.S. Marine Corps heritage or Marine Corps life. An eligible documentary film is defined as a non-fiction motion picture photographed in actual occurrence. The subject may also employ stock footage, stills, interviews, animation or other techniques, with emphasis on fact, not on fiction.
Submission requirements: Submission must be posted to an accessible website (i.e., Vimeo or YouTube) and the link provided with password(s) for multiple judges. In addition, the submission must be accompanied by an overview (one page or less) which includes the film’s title, a video summary, the producer’s name, producer’s Marine Corps affiliation (if any), producer’s contact information, production date and why the film should be considered for the award. Submission must also include the name, Marine Corps affiliation (if any), mailing address, phone number and e-mail address of the person entering the submission. |
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The Colonel John W. Thomason Jr. Award was established in memory of this decorated combat officer, known for his artwork illustrating Marines in World War I, China, and Latin America. It is given for excellence in the fine or applied arts, including photography, in depicting the historic or contemporary Marine Corps.
Media may include sculpture, paintings, drawings and illustrations in color or black and white. Computer graphics will be considered, but art used must be original work. Submission requirements: Applicant may submit photographs of the combat art rather than the original work of art, electronically as a JPEG file. Submission must include a brief overview (one page or less) which includes the artist’s name, Marine Corps affiliation (if any) and contact information, the subject of the piece, a description of the material used, date of creation, current location of the piece and why it should be considered for the award. Submission must also include the name, Marine Corps affiliation (if any), mailing address, phone number and e-mail address of the person entering the submission. |
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The Lieutenant William Broyles Award is named for the Vietnam veteran and screenwriter of Flags of Our Fathers, Jarhead, Apollo 13, Castaway and Khe Sanh. It is given to a playwright or screenwriter for a dramatic work dealing with U.S. Marine Corps heritage or Marine Corps life.
Submission requirements: Applicant must submit a copy of the play or screenplay electronically as a PDF and must include a brief synopsis of the work, as well as the playwright or screenwriter’s name, Marine Corps affiliation (if any), contact information, date of production and why the submission should be considered for the award. Submission must also include the name, Marine Corps affiliation (if any), mailing address, phone number and e-mail address of the person entering the submission. |
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The Corporal Jan Bender Award was created in tribute to the generation of Marines who fought in the Global War on Terror in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere around the world, and were instrumental in the first, extensive coverage of war using digital media. Named for leading combat correspondent and contributor to the international, digital coverage of Operation Al Fajr, the Second Battle of Fallujah, Iraq, in 2004, the award is open to all military and civilians who have produced and/or published digital media about subjects related to U.S. Marine Corps history, heritage, legacy, traditions, its culture and daily life.
Submission requirements: Submissions may be, but not limited to: podcasts or audio productions, blogs, websites, video series, mobile apps and content marketing. The year the piece was created does not matter, though preferably in the calendar year 2023. Submission must include access to the digital work of art, along with an overview (one page or less) detailing the media type and summary of the subject, the creator’s name, Marine Corps affiliation, digital platform, publication/posting date, audience reach, and why the submission should be considered for the award. |
The Colonel John H. Magruder III Award
Exhibit and Historical Display
Exhibit and Historical Display
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The Colonel John H. Magruder III Award is named for the first director of the Marine Corps Museum. It is given to an individual or an organization that makes available to the public an exhibit pertaining to Marine Corps history. The exhibit portrays panels, text, art and/or artifacts at a traveling or fixed location. The exhibits must be displayed in the previous calendar year and be available to the public for a period of at least six months.
Submission requirements: Video submissions must be posted to an accessible website (i.e., Vimeo or YouTube) and the link provided with password(s) for multiple judges; photos or diagrams must be sent electronically as JPEG files. In additional, the submission must include a brief overview (one page or less) which includes the exhibit creator’s name, Marine Corps affiliation (if any) and contact information, the purpose of the exhibit, a description of what made the exhibit unique and instructive for the specific period of Marine Corps history it is depicting, date of creation, where/when the exhibit is/was displayed and why it should be considered for the award. Submission must also include the name, Marine Corps affiliation (if any), mailing address, phone number and e-mail address of the person entering the submission. |
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1775 Semper Fidelis Way
Triangle, VA 22172 view map Toll Free: 800.397.7585 Local: 703.640.7965 Email: [email protected] Museum Store: 1.888.315.1775 |
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