The City of West Hollywood is gathering nominations for its 2025 Rainbow Key Awards. The City’s Rainbow Key Awards recognize people and organizations who have made outstanding contributions to the LGBTQ+ community.

Community members are invited to nominate people and organizations electronically through the City’s website at www.weho.org/rainbowkey beginning Monday, September 1, 2025. Nomination forms are due by Sunday, November 1, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. Late or incomplete nomination forms will not be accepted.

The Rainbow Key Award is intended to honor individuals, nonprofits, or businesses who have made outstanding contributions to the LGBTQ+ community in West Hollywood or globally. This year, the Rainbow Key Awards ceremony will also feature the Melissa Etheridge Award and the Audre Lorde Award. The Melissa Etheridge Award is intended to honor a lesbian or queer woman who has made a significant impact within and for the lesbian and queer woman community. The Audre Lorde Award is intended to honor a lesbian or queer woman community activist who has made a significant impact within and for the lesbian and queer woman community.

Nominations will be reviewed and approved by the City of West Hollywood’s LGBTQ+ Commission and the City Council. The awards ceremony for the 2025 Rainbow Key Awards, which includes the Melissa Etheridge and Audre Lorde Awards, is scheduled to take place in January or February 2026. Further details will be announced at a later date.

Since 1993, the City of West Hollywood has presented Rainbow Key Awards to individuals and groups that have gone above and beyond in their service to the LGBTQ+ community. Contributions have come in many forms, including the arts, community service, humanitarian action, sports, medicine, armed services, leadership potential, benefit to the global LGBTQ+ community, and more. Past honorees have included activists, artists, civic leaders, educators, community organizations, and many others.

For more information, please contact Moya Márquez, City of West Hollywood Community Programs Coordinator, at (323) 848-6574 or at mmarquez@weho.org. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing dial 711 or 1-800-735-2929 (TTY) or 1-800-735-2922 (voice) for California Relay Service (CRS) assistance.

For up-to-date information about City of West Hollywood news and events, follow @wehocity on social media, sign-up for news updates at www.weho.org/email, and visit the City’s calendar of meetings and events at www.weho.org/calendar. West Hollywood City Hall is open for walk-in services at public counters or by appointment by visiting www.weho.org/appointments. City Hall services are accessible by phone at (323) 848-6400 and via website at www.weho.org. Receive text updates by texting “WeHo” to (323) 848-5000.

For reporters and members of the media seeking additional information about the City of West Hollywood, please contact the City of West Hollywood’s Public Information Officer, Sheri A. Lunn, at (323) 848-6391 or slunn@weho.org.