Nominations Open for the 2026 Tzedek Brilliance Awards
Investing in local leaders who consistently show up to dismantle systemic oppression or further racial justice.
Nominations for the 2026 Brilliance Awards opened on May 11 and close on June 22, 2026; awards will be distributed in September 2026.
The Tzedek Brilliance Awards are a one-time no-strings-attached grant of $50,000 given to leaders who have consistently shown up to dismantle systemic oppression in the Asheville region.
The Tzedek Brilliance Awards honor Asheville’s leaders who are engaged in impactful, intersectional efforts to further racial justice, LGBTQ equality, and/or to dismantle antisemitism.
As opposed to the majority of Tzedek’s grantmaking that funds organizational work, Brilliance Awards are designed to cultivate the well-being of individual brilliant community leaders by investing in their spaciousness, autonomy, and wisdom.
Tzedek grants two Brilliance Awards each year, the Pauli Murray Brilliance Award and the Ella Baker Brilliance Award.
The Ella Baker Brilliance Award
This award is offered in honor of the civil rights legend, community organizer, and strategist, Ella Baker, who co-founded the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in 1960. The award recognizes individuals who embody the spirit and legacy of Ella Baker through their commitment to social justice, human rights, and advocacy, centering racial justice, inclusive of women’s+ voices in their work.
The Pauli Murray Brilliance Award
This award is bestowed in honor of Pauli Murray, a brilliant Black legal scholar, priest, and activist, who fully embodied the concept of intersectional activism. Their legal work was the inspiration for Thurgood Marshall’s victory in Brown v Board of Education and Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s victory in securing employment rights for women.
The award recognizes individuals who embody the spirit and legacy of Pauli Murray through their commitment to social justice, human rights, and advocacy, with an intersectional approach that considers gender, race, and sexuality in their work.
All nominees for the Tzedek Brilliance Awards must be full-time residents of the Asheville area for at least five years and must not hold an elected office or advanced government position.
Application advocates are available to support you throughout any aspect of the nomination process. If you would prefer to have a conversation with an application advocate, please contact [email protected].
Tzedek encourages nominations from people of color, LGBTQ individuals, and Jewish individuals.
For more information, and to access the nomination form, please visit tzedeksocialjusticefund.org/tzedek-brilliance-awards.
