They are presented annually by the Society of Voice Arts and Sciences (SOVAS), in recognition of excellence in voice-over achievements as assessed by a panel of industry peers.
[2] The first full awards ceremony was held on November 9, 2014, at the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, New York as the keynote event of the That's Voiceover!
[1][3] The award was created by Rudy Gaskins, Joan Baker, and Steve Ulrich, who recognized the need for specific acknowledgement of the achievements and contributions of voice artists across all forms of media.
The Voice Arts Award statuette depicts a microphone and copy stand, the two objects at the heart of voice-over, united by a teardrop shape.
There are also a number of "international" awards which may have submissions in Spanish, English, French, Portuguese, German, Italian, Hindi, Mandarin, Arabic or Japanese.
[3][10] These honors include: Among the honorees in these categories are James Earl Jones,[3] Jennifer Hale,[10] Ken Burns,[11] Nancy Cartwright,[11] Keith David,[11] Tara Strong,[12] Rosario Dawson,[9][13] William Shatner,[14] Sigourney Weaver,[9][13] Michael Buffer,[15] Mark Hamill,[16] Phil LaMarr,[15] Jim Cummings,[17] and Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr.,[16] among others.
The award was created in collaboration with the Muhammad Ali Center and is presented to "an individual whose voice, through humanitarianism, activism or personal sacrifice, has made a decidedly positive impact on our national or global condition as a society."
[18] Recipients of the honor include Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Ken Burns, Vance Jones, Lonnie Ali, Stacey Abrams, Wes Studi, and Manuela Testolini.