Nominations are Now Open for the 2016 Pioneer Awards

Here's your chance to nominate your favorite digital rights luminary for a 2016 Pioneer Award! This year’s Pioneers will join an esteemed group of past award winners that includes the visionary activist Aaron Swartz, global human rights and security researchers The Citizen Lab, Tunisian citizen media community Nawaat.org, and open-source pioneer Limor "Ladyada" Fried, among many remarkable journalists, entrepreneurs, public interest attorneys, and others. Nominations will be open until 11:59pm PT on Tuesday, May 17, 2016.



What does it take to be a Pioneer? The nominees must have contributed substantially to the health, growth, accessibility, or freedom of computer-based communications. The contribution may be technical, social, economic, or cultural.

Who can submit a nomination? Anyone may nominate a potential Pioneer Award recipient, and you may nominate more than one recipient. You may also nominate yourself or your organization. Please submit separate forms for each nominee.

What fields are required? To be valid, all nominations must contain your reason, however brief, for nominating the individual or organization. Also, we strongly prefer that you include a means of contacting the nominee. If you don't have their personal email address or phone number, a link to their active social media account can be substituted. In addition, while anonymous nominations will be accepted, ideally we'd like to be able to contact the nominating parties in case we need further information.

Who is eligible for a Pioneer Award? Nominations may be of individuals, systems, or organizations in the private or public sectors.

Who is not eligible? Current members of EFF's staff and operating board and past Pioneer Award recipients are not eligible.

What happens for the nominees that win? Persons or representatives of organizations receiving an EFF Pioneer Award will be invited to attend the ceremony on September 21, 2016 at The Delancey Street Town Hall in San Francisco, at EFF's expense.