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Join the excitement—vote your picks for Creator of the Year, Creative King & Queen of 2026 and more!
People's Choice Award
Every creative has a story.
Whether they're creating art, building businesses, mentoring others, organizing events, or inspiring the next generation, this is your opportunity to recognize someone making a meaningful impact.
Community nominations help us celebrate the people whose creativity strengthens our communities every day.
Celebrate the Creatives Who Inspire Community
**Creative Ball King & Queen Nominees**
Innovation Award Nominees
2026 CREATORS BALL VOTING
Celebrate the creators, innovators and community leaders making an impact through music, fashion, art, media, entrepreneurship and culture.
Public voting and Creative King and Queen fundraising campaigns close Sunday, November 1, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET.
Winners will be announced live at The Creators Ball on Saturday, November 14, 2026.
HOW IT WORKS
The Creators Ball includes three separate recognition processes:
PEOPLE’S CHOICE CREATOR OF THE YEAR
The community selects the winner through free public voting.
One free vote per verified email address
No donation required
Voters may select only one nominee
Duplicate or suspicious votes may be removed
Public vote totals will remain hidden
The nominee receiving the most verified votes wins
CREATIVE KING & QUEEN
Creative King and Queen are fundraising titles supporting MFA Foundation’s creative programs and community initiatives.
Every $1 donated equals one vote
Online donations begin at $5
Each candidate has an individual fundraising page
Donations count only toward the candidate selected
Supporters may donate more than once
The King and Queen candidates raising the highest verified totals will be crowned
Public rankings may be shared without exact totals
INNOVATION AWARD
The Innovation Award recognizes a creator who demonstrates originality, vision and meaningful impact through their work.
Nominees are evaluated on:
Originality and creative thinking
Development of new ideas, experiences or approaches
Artistic or professional growth
Community impact
Leadership and influence
Commitment to their creative field
The Innovation Award is selected by MFA Foundation and its designated reviewers. It is not determined by public votes or donations.
LEGACY AWARD
The Legacy Award honors an established creative leader whose work, service and long-term contributions have helped shape the creative community.
Recipients are selected by MFA Foundation based on:
Long-term creative contributions
Community leadership and service
Mentorship and support of other creators
Professional influence
Lasting cultural impact
The Legacy Award is an honorary recognition and is not open for public voting.
VOTING RULES
Creator of the Year
Each person may submit one Creator of the Year ballot using a valid email address.
A voter may select only one nominee.
Votes cannot be transferred or changed after submission.
Automated, duplicate, fraudulent or unverifiable votes may be removed.
Temporary or disposable email addresses may be rejected.
Voting closes November 1, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET.
Votes received after the deadline will not count.
The nominee receiving the most verified votes will be named the 2026 People’s Choice Creator of the Year.
Creative King and Queen
Every verified $1 donated to a candidate’s campaign equals one vote.
Donations must be submitted through the candidate’s official fundraising page.
Donations cannot be divided between multiple candidates after payment.
Donations submitted through the wrong candidate’s page may not be transferred.
Refunded, disputed, reversed or fraudulent payments will not count toward a candidate’s total.
Donations received after November 1, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET will not count toward the competition.
MFA Foundation will verify all campaign totals before announcing the King and Queen.
All fundraising proceeds support MFA Foundation’s programs and community initiatives.
NOMINEES IN MULTIPLE CATEGORIES
A creator may be recognized in more than one category because each category represents something different.
Creator of the Year is selected through free community voting.
Creative King and Queen are determined through fundraising.
Innovation and Legacy recipients are selected by MFA Foundation.
Votes and donations remain separate between categories. A donation to a King or Queen campaign does not count as a Creator of the Year vote.
TIE PROCEDURES
If Creator of the Year ends in an exact tie, MFA Foundation may conduct a short public runoff between the tied nominees.
If a King or Queen campaign ends in an exact dollar tie, the candidate with the greatest number of individual donors will win. If both totals remain tied, MFA Foundation will use the earliest verified donation total as the final tiebreaker.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is voting free?
Voting for People’s Choice Creator of the Year is completely free. Creative King and Queen are fundraising campaigns where every $1 donated equals one vote.
Do I need a Creators Ball ticket to vote?
No. Anyone may vote or support a candidate. A ticket is only required to attend The Creators Ball.
Can I vote more than once for Creator of the Year?
No. Only one verified Creator of the Year ballot is allowed per email address.
Can I support more than one King or Queen candidate?
Yes. You may donate to multiple candidates, but each donation will count only toward the candidate selected during that transaction.
Can I donate more than once?
Yes. Supporters may make multiple donations throughout the campaign.
What is the minimum online donation?
The minimum online donation is $5, which equals five votes. Larger and custom donation amounts are also accepted.
Where does the money go?
Funds raised through the Creative King and Queen campaigns support MFA Foundation’s creative education, events, talent development and community programming.
Will exact totals be displayed?
No. MFA may share periodic Top 3 rankings, but exact vote and fundraising totals will remain private. All rankings will be hidden during the final 48 hours.
Can nominees appear in multiple categories?
Yes. A nominee may qualify for more than one category because each recognition has separate criteria and a separate selection process.
Can one person win more than one recognition?
Yes. Because each category recognizes a different type of achievement, a nominee may receive more than one recognition.
Are nominees required to attend the Ball?
Attendance is strongly encouraged so nominees can be recognized during the ceremony. Inability to attend does not automatically disqualify an accepted nominee unless otherwise communicated by MFA Foundation.
Can I change my vote?
No. Once a Creator of the Year ballot has been submitted, it cannot be changed.
What happens if I select the wrong fundraising candidate?
Please review the candidate’s name before completing your donation. Donations may not be transferred between candidates after processing.
How are suspicious votes handled?
MFA Foundation reserves the right to review and remove automated, duplicate, fraudulent or otherwise unverifiable votes and donations.
When will the winners be announced?
All winners and honorees will be announced live during The Creators Ball on Saturday, November 14, 2026.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Participation in any Creators Ball category does not guarantee an award, title, ticket or admission to the event.
MFA Foundation reserves the right to verify submissions, correct technical errors, remove invalid activity and make final decisions necessary to protect the fairness and integrity of the campaign.
Personal information collected through the voting form will be used to verify ballots, administer the campaign and provide relevant Creators Ball communications. Voter email addresses and personal information will not be displayed publicly.
VOTING CLOSES NOVEMBER 1, 2026, AT 11:59 PM ET
