The Unicorn Award is the voiceover industry’s first award designed to celebrate the character of its recipient, honoring voice actors who selflessly give back to their community in ways that do not actively seek accolades or recognition.

The Founder’s Committee of J. Michael Collins, original Unicorn recipient Jenn Henry, Anne Ganguzza, Mary Lynn Wissner, Joe Cipriano, Portia Scott and Cliff Zellman choose three finalists each year, who will be invited to VO Atlanta free of charge with air and hotel included, and who will share in a package of prizes donated by service providers and gear manufacturers throughout the industry. 

The Unicorn Award recipient will be announced at closing ceremonies on the Sunday of the conference, and will be presented with the official Unicorn Award statue.

Previous recipients have included:

           * Jenn Henry
           * Susan Mazel
           * Michelle Blenker
           * Krysta Wallrauch
           * Bev Standing
           * Jeff Gelder

FROM NOMINATING COMMITTEE:

Matthew Parham is a force of good in the voiceover industry. From the minute he entered voiceover, Matthew has been giving back to the community. Matthew is passionate about issues surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion, and has dedicated himself to lifting up the voices of those underrepresented in media. Matthew also serves as secretary and director of operations at NAVA, and has been instrumental in bringing the issues around AI protection and regulation to Washington DC. Matthew (Also known as Slim "da" Reazon) began his career as a rapper and spoken word artist, and has brought power and flow to his work in voiceover. 

FROM THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE:

Linsay Rousseau is an advocate, a trail blazer, and a pillar of excellence in the voiceover industry.  Linsay has fought for our country as an Army Iraq War veteran, and fought for the voices of LGBTQIA+ actors through her work with QueerVox and on her own platforms. Linsay has a masters degree in journalism and has served as a media liaison for the US Army and The National Association of Voice Actors. She has been at the forefront of the fight to educate actors about AI, coordinating panels with SAG-AFTRA and NAVA around the country. Linsay is also a member of the SAG-AFTRA negotiating committee for the Interactive Agreement. In Linsay's own words, "I fight for the rights of other geeky badasses in the industry."

FROM THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE:

Zeke Alton is a man of many talents. For 20 years, he served in the US Navy as a test pilot, and has used his military training and expertise in his acting and in his life. Zeke sits on many negotiating committees in SAG-AFTRA including the committees for the TV/Theatrical, Interactive, and AI contracts. He has made it his mission to educate voice actors everywhere about union issues, regardless of their union status, and has hosted many free talks, classes and Q&As about contracts, AI, the SAG-AFTRA strikes, and more. Zeke is a board member of NAVA, and has used his influence in both NAVA and SAG-AFTRA to bring the concerns of voice actors to the forefront as often as possible. He is a father, a soldier, and an advocate for voice actors everywhere.