Michigan Veteran of the Year

Nominations for the 2026 Michigan Veteran of the Year are now open! 

The Michigan Veteran of the Year Award is an annual honor presented to the Michigan veteran
who has contributed the most over the course of the year to benefit veterans and their families, including their service as a member of a veteran organization and their work in their community.

To nominate a veteran for the 2026 award, please complete the 2026 Michigan Veteran of the Year application form online. 

If you'd prefer to mail a paper application, please complete the 2026 Michigan Veteran of the Year application form PDF and mail to:

MI VOY
P.O. Box 30140
Lansing, MI 48909

The deadline for 2026 nominations is June 15, 2026. 

The application can be written and submitted by anyone but we request the application be reviewed by a local veteran’s organization or service officer for legitimacy prior to submission. 

The 2026 winner will be selected by a committee of Michigan veteran organization leaders, based on the following criteria:

• the veteran's accomplishments in the veteran community
• positions held within veteran organizations
• the veteran's accomplishments within the civilian community
• positions held within the civilian community

The 2026 Michigan Veteran of the Year Award will be presented to the veteran in their local community later this summer. The award winner will also be recognized at the 2026 Michigan Military and Veterans Gala, to be held in Detroit in November. We request all veterans and veteran organization officers from across the U.P. attend to show their support for the outstanding veteran selected by attending the Gala. This show of support helps all our veteran organizations highlight the great work veterans do in the community and aids in membership and recruiting for all our organizations. More information about the Gala, including registration information, will be available later this year.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Lexis Jones at jonesl60@michigan.gov.