The American Council of the Blind (ACB) and its Audio Description Project (ADP) broadcast the 6th Annual Audio Description Awards Gala on Thursday, November 12, 2026. The event celebrated excellence and innovation in audio description (AD) across genres and platforms, recognizing the creators and innovators transforming how audiences engage with media.
Hosted by performers Marilee Talkington and Ben Mehl, the gala presented awards in 14 categories. Tom Wlodkowski of Comcast received the AD Media Leader award, while Dr. Maria-Victoria Diaz of Dicapta was honored as AD Production Leader. Kinetic Light won for Innovation, Tempo Lab Games for Gaming, and The Walt Disney Company for Popular Entertainment. The FIFA World Cup 2026, Inc. was recognized for Live Events, KnowBe4 for Education, and Dr. Juan Mundel and Dr. Edward Timke for Advertising and Promotion. PBS Kids received the Spanish Media (USA) award, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation was honored for International work, and Audio Description Training Retreats for Talent Promotion. Darla Biccum won for Writing and Nicol Zanzarella for Voicing. The People's Choice Awards went to Happy Gilmore 2 (film) and Stranger Things (series).
Presenters and special guests included actors, authors, advocates, and influencers such as Lori Samuels, Alie B. Gorrie, Chad Allen, David Clarke OBE, Dr. Amy Kavanagh, Mike Hess, Dr. Cynthia Bennett, Hannah Weymouth, Dr. Conchita Hernandez Legorreta, Shawn Marsolais, Stephen Kuusisto, and Ren Leach.
The broadcast itself was fully accessible, featuring open captions, open audio description, American Sign Language interpretation, and Spanish dubbing, captions, and audio description. This ensured that the celebration could be experienced by diverse audiences, reflecting the gala's mission of inclusivity.
The 2026 Audio Description Awards Gala exemplifies how creativity and technology can merge to make the arts more inclusive for everyone. For the industry, the awards highlight the growing importance of audio description as a means to make media accessible to people who are blind or have low vision. The recognition of companies like Disney, Comcast, and the CBC underscores their commitment to accessibility, while the diverse range of categories—from gaming to live events—shows that audio description is expanding beyond traditional film and television.
For readers, this announcement signals greater availability of accessible content and reinforces the importance of continued innovation in this field. The American Council of the Blind, a national member-driven consumer organization representing Americans who are blind or have low vision, continues to advocate for increased independence and equality of opportunity. More information about the organization is available at www.acb.org.
