This award recognizes a dance student at the undergraduate level majoring or minoring in dance or an arts-related field who displays leadership, scholarship, creative activities, or service during his or her college career. ​

This award recognizes a future dance professional at the graduate level majoring in dance or an arts-related field and who displays leadership, scholarship, creative activities, or service during his or her professional preparation. ​

This award provides a way to recognize individuals who are not members of NDS but who, through his or her work, have contributed significantly to the general purposes of the organization. The award recipient shall have made important contributions to dance, dance education, and NDS from his or her profession (through, for example: the arts, business, general education, government, medicine, or public health). ​

This award recognizes dance educators who are 30 years of age (or younger) and employed full time in a school, a school district, or an institution of higher education. The dance educator devotes minimally 50% of his or her teaching time to dance education.

This award recognizes dance educators who have made outstanding contributions to dance outside of the P-12 schools or college/university settings at the local, state, or national levels. The contributions may be in some of the following categories: dance promotion; teaching excellence; choreography; performance; or leadership in establishing, maintaining, or managing dance projects, events, and programs. The nominee may be recognized for work accomplished through a variety of settings, such as studios, leisure and recreation programs, faith-based environments, or specific culturally-based programs.

This award recognizes dance educators who have made meaningful contributions supporting dance internationally. The contributions and service in other cultures may involve: increasing knowledge of global dance to students, increasing the involvement of dance educators in learning about global dance, increasing international communication among dance educators, or providing international services to dancers. ​

This award recognizes excellence of dance professionals who are employed at a college or university. The nominee may demonstrate distinction in curriculum design, teaching methodology, choreography, understanding cultural heritage, role modeling, student dance appreciation, student performance, or professional leadership.

This award recognizes excellence of professionals who teach dance within a comprehensive physical education curriculum. The teachers are employed full time at a school or in a school district. Teachers may have responsibility for teaching grades that cross different instructional levels. The teacher must use recommended guidelines for infusing dance instruction in to the annual physical education curriculum. (See the application form for the guidelines.) ​

This award recognizes excellence in dance education of dance professionals who are employed full time at a school or in a school district and who devotes minimally 50% of his or her teaching time to dance education.

This award provides an opportunity for members to thank individuals who impacted his or her dance life and career.