ABOUT THE AWARD
Nominations are now open for the 2025 William S. Dixon First Amendment Freedom Awards, which recognizes individuals and organizations in New Mexico that champion government transparency and accountability.
For 23 years, the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government (NMFOG) has presented these awards to individuals who best embody the principles of the late William S. Dixon — a First Amendment advocate, attorney, and co-founder of the nonprofit.
Nominees may work or advocate in any field, including — but not limited to — business, law, education, government, health, science, technology, the arts, media, and citizen advocacy.
The deadline for nominations is July 31, 2025.
HOW TO MAKE A NOMINATION
To be considered for a Dixon Award, a nominee must have worked to defend, protect, or investigate government transparency, the First Amendment, and/or New Mexico’s Sunshine Laws, which include the Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA) and the Open Meetings Act (OMA).
To nominate someone for a Dixon Award, please complete a Nomination Form, which is available in several formats:
- A digital version of the form — which can be filled out and submitted through our online system — is available here.
- A PDF version of the form — which can be downloaded and either filled out electronically or printed and completed by hand — can be found here.
- If you would like a form sent to you directly, please email us at info@nmfog.org or call/text (505) 764-3750.
If filling it out Nomination Form by hand, please print your responses clearly to ensure legibility.
ABOUT THE NOMINATION FORM
The Nomination Form requests the name and contact information of both the individual or organization being nominated and the person submitting the nomination. Self-nominations are not permitted. Additionally, the form asks for the name of someone who can serve as a reference and speak to the nominee’s work in promoting government transparency. This may be the same person who is submitting the nomination.
A photo of the nominee (either candid or professional) should also be included.
The person completing the form will also be asked to include a brief summary — 500 words or less — describing the nominee’s contributions to open government. Attachments are welcome. The nominee’s past efforts in championing transparency will also be taken into consideration.
While nominees do not have to be residents of New Mexico, preference is given to New Mexico residents by the selection committee.
COMPLETED NOMINATION FORMS
If using the online form, found here, the completed form is sent to us as soon as you click “submit.”
PDFs or photos of completed Nomination Forms can be emailed to info@nmfog.org or mailed to the Foundation for Open Government, 7777 Jefferson St NE, Albuquerque, NM, 87109 (Note: Submissions must be postmarked by July 31, 2025 to be considered)
A selection committee made of NMFOG board members will review the nominations and award recipients will be announced at the end of August. On Oct. 2, 2025, the award winners will be honored at the Dixon Award Banquet, which will be held at the Sandia Golf Club in Albuquerque