The New Mexico Secretary of State’s office is accepting nominations for the 2025 John Lewis Youth Leadership Award, which recognizes young leaders under the age of 25 who have made significant contributions to civil rights and community improvement in New Mexico.
To be eligible, nominees must be 25 years old or younger at the time the award is presented. Candidates should be recognized within their communities for being civic-minded and working to improve quality of life locally. The award specifically seeks individuals who have demonstrated a strong commitment to addressing civil rights issues, such as voting rights, and who have contributed to positive change through leadership, advocacy, or creative projects.
The nomination deadline is November 3, 2025, at 5 p.m. According to the Secretary of State’s office, “Please fill out this short form by 5pm November 3rd, 2025. Our office will communicate to the successful candidate by November 13rd, 2025.”
Nominators are encouraged but not required to submit a photo of the nominee and up to ten pages of supporting materials—such as news releases, articles, or social media posts—as part of their submission. These materials must be digitized. “These submissions are optional and will definitely be helpful for us to make our final selection,” according to the call for nominations.
Those with questions can write them in the nomination form; responses will be provided via email. Multiple youth leaders may be nominated using separate forms for each candidate.
A video featuring recipients from last year’s awards is available for those interested in learning more about past honorees.
