The 2026 Fentanyl Free America 
Excellence in Protection Award

On December 3, 2025, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) launched Fentanyl Free America, a national enforcement and public awareness campaign focused on reducing the supply and demand for illicit fentanyl.  This new initiative highlights the DEA’s continued effort to protect communities from illicit fentanyl, which was responsible for nearly 50,000 deaths last year, according to the CDC. DEA’s Fentanyl Free America campaign expands on the success of campaigns like One Pill Can Kill and strengthens the DEA’s commitment to prevention, education, and outreach.

The Excellence in Protection Awards recognize an outstanding organization and an outstanding law enforcement professional who have demonstrated exceptional dedication, leadership, and measurable impact in protecting communities from the deadly effects of illicit fentanyl. Presented annually at the Fentanyl Free America Summit, these awards honor those advancing the Protect Pillar of the Fentanyl Free America campaign. These protection awards honor individuals and organizations who have gone above and beyond the normal expectations of duty to enforce our nation’s drug laws, disrupt fentanyl trafficking, dismantle distribution networks, prevent the diversion of precursor chemicals, and safeguard lives.

The 2026 award is open in two categories: the Excellence in Protection Award (individual) and the Excellence in Protection Award (organization). Nominations for the Excellence in Protection Award (individual) can include a sworn state, local, or tribal law enforcement professional, actively involved in illicit fentanyl enforcement operations and nominated by a peer, supervisor, agency leader, partner organization, or task force commander. 

Nominations for the Excellence in Protection Award (organization or group) can include state police or investigative bureaus, county sheriff’s offices; municipal police departments; Tribal law enforcement agencies, and multi-jurisdictional narcotics task forces.

To be considered, individual and organizational nominees should demonstrate the following: 

• Operational Impact: Demonstrated success in removing illicit fentanyl, precursor chemicals, pill press equipment, and related drugs from communities. 
• Community Protection: Actions that directly prevented overdoses or saved lives. 
• Leadership and Initiative: Demonstrated leadership beyond routine responsibilities.
• Collaboration: Strong partnership with other agencies or community organizations.
• Courage and Commitment: Demonstrated personal dedication in confronting the fentanyl crisis.

2026 Fentanyl Free America Awards Nomination Instructions

The Drug Enforcement Administration’s 2026 Fentanyl Free America Awards recognize community-based groups and individuals who are working to address local drug problems in their communities. DEA sponsors these awards to highlight the importance of grassroots collaborations to keep our nation’s communities safe and fentanyl free and to recognize localized activities of law enforcement, prevention organizations, public health leaders, families and community members to enhance grassroot support for public safety and public health. 

The Awards

Two (2) 2026 Fentanyl Free America Awards, representing the Protect pillar of the campaign, will be presented during DEA’s inaugural Fentanyl Free America Summit on July 13, 2026, in Orlando, Florida. Each awardee (1 individual and 1 organization) will receive a complimentary conference registration and travel for one person to the Fentanyl Free America Summit and CADCA Mid-Year Training Institute in July in Orlando. Travel will be self-funded by the individual and reimbursed through DEA’s invitational travel process. Awardees will be presented with a plaque recognizing their efforts to protect their communities from the devastating impacts of fentanyl at an on-site awards ceremony in Orlando on July 13, 2026. Submissions for the Protect Award will be posted to DEA’s Fentanyl Free America webpage (www.dea.gov/fentanylfree) to share best practices with individuals and organizations who are committed to creating a Fentanyl Free America.

Eligibility

Awards will recognize work done in the spirit of Fentanyl Free America’s Protect pillar from January 1, 2025, to present. Submissions in the Protect category will be accepted from the public via the process outlined below through May 29, 2026. The nominees shall be law enforcement professionals within a state, local, or tribal law enforcement organization. DOJ employees and federal law enforcement partners are not eligible. 

Protect Pillar Criteria

Each submission must address the following criteria: 

The Fentanyl Free America Awards recognize organizations and individuals demonstrating outstanding leadership, innovation, and measurable impact in advancing law enforcement, prevention, support, and community response efforts related to the illicit fentanyl crisis. Awards are presented annually at the Fentanyl Free America Summit to highlight effective models that can be replicated and expanded nationwide. Each nomination should include:

Nominee Information: Name of individual/organization; agency; rank/title (individual) and years of service (individual).

1. Narrative Summary (500 words maximum)

• Provide a concise summary, as applicable, of the individual nominee or organizational nominee as it relates to the investigation’s or initiative’s operational impact, community protection, leadership and initiative, collaboration, and courage and commitment. The actions taken by the nominated individual or group must have occurred during calendar year 2025. 

   SUBMIT NOMINATIONS HERE

   

2. A Two-Minute Award Nomination Video of Nominee/Organization

• The nominator shall submit a short video, not to exceed 2 minutes in length. Videos are mandatory.
• The video format shall be MP4 and uploaded to YouTube and using hashtag #FentanylFreeAmerica in the description of the video.
• The video message must include the following: 
  • Identify and describe individual/organization
  • Recorded in quiet place and with a smartphone, preferably an iPhone, with good lighting and turned horizontally 
  • Why this individual or organization is being nominated
  • Recognition of any partners
  • Commitment to the mission
  • Description of actions and community impact 
  • Outcome of investigations or initiatives
• Nominators will include the link to the YouTube video when completing the online nomination form.