Call for Nominations
THE 2025 BROTHER BLUE AND RUTH HILL AWARD
Photo by Joseph Saunders
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his award is named in honor of its two original recipients, Brother Blue (a.k.a. Dr. Hugh Morgan Hill, who passed away in 2009) and Ruth Hill (who passed away in 2023). Both have long been recognized and honored as tireless in their promotion of storytelling and storytellers throughout the Northeast region.Each year at Sharing the Fire—Northeast Storytelling’s annual conference, the Board of Directors presents the award to a living storyteller (or organization) in recognition of their extraordinary commitment and efforts to promote a broader understanding of the art of storytelling and the support of storytellers in the development of their art. It serves, as Brother Blue has said, “to honor those who give their lives to storytelling to change the world.”
To be considered for this award, candidates must demonstrate dedication in creating and nurturing a strong storytelling community—be it by individual mentoring, guild, or event venues, serving on the governing board, or by fostering a greater public awareness of storytelling and its applications in all areas of society.
This year, NEST will present two awards, one for an individual, and one for an organization or group.
Past Honorees of the Brother Blue Ruth Hill Award
2022 - Nicolette Nordin Heavey
2021 - Bruce Marcus
2020 - Hope Lewis
2019 - Elisa Pearmain
2018 – Barbara Aliprantis
2017 – Lauretta Phillips
2016 – Judith Black
2015 – Kate Dudding and Joe Doolittle
2014 – Tony Toledo
2013 – Jo Radner
2012 – Laura Packer and Kevin Brooks
2011 – Robert Smyth
2010 – MASSMOUTH – Founders Andrea Lovett, Doria Hughes, Norah Dooley, and Stu Mendelson
2009 – Karen Chace
2008 – Ann Shapiro
2007 – Onawumi Jean Moss
2006 – Glenn Morrow
2005 – Peg O’Sullivan
2004 – Barbara Lipke
2003 – George Radcliffe
2002 – Brother Blue and Ruth Hill
Nominations for 2025 are DUE Tuesday, February 4, 2025 at 11:59pm ET
Any NEST member (or organization that includes NEST members) who meets the above criteria is eligible for nomination, but as this is a regional award, their work must primarily be of benefit to the Northeast region.
Any person may submit a nominee(s) for consideration by submitting:
- A letter of nomination,
- A detailed essay that spells out the candidate qualifications/accomplishments, and
- Two letters of support. (Additional letters of support are not required. Multiple people may sign or contribute to the same letter.)
Nominations and supporting materials for the 2025 Brother Blue and Ruth Hill Award should be sent to: nestorytelling@gmail.com by February 4, 2025. Please identify your submission by writing “BBRH Award Nomination” in the subject of the email, and attach all letters and essays to that email as word documents, pdfs, or (preferably) google docs. (You may also create a google drive folder with all the information, and send that link in an email. Note: if you are using google docs, make sure the permissions will allow anyone with the link to view the documents.) Late nominations will not be accepted.
NOTE: Please submit all material requested in a single email; since there are many worthy nominations, incomplete applications will not be considered. If you have questions concerning the application process or the nomination materials, please contact NEST Board President, Jezrie Marcano-Courtney at courtneyjmwriter@gmail.com
NEW THIS YEAR: Nomination packets submitted in 2025 will be considered for this year only. Any nominations that are not chosen for the award may be resubmitted in future years with updates.
Nominations submitted in 2024 and 2023 that were not chosen in those years will still be held and considered for three years each from the time of nomination. (If someone was nominated in 2023 or 2024 and did not receive the award, they will also be considered this year without the need to resubmit a nomination. If the nominators would like to update the nomination packet submitted, they are welcome to do so.)