American Heart Association logoAmerican Stroke Association

Stroke Hero Awards

Honoring individuals and groups in the stroke community who have shown resilience and outstanding progress.
Elyse Newland, 2022 Stroke Hero Caregiver Award Recipient
The Stroke Hero Awards are awarded in six categories to those who educate, inspire and raise awareness about stroke locally or nationally. 

Learn more about our previous Stroke Hero Award recipients
Stroke is the No. 5 killer and a leading cause of disability in the U.S.

Award Categories

The community submits nominations for six award categories, and public voting determines the Voters’ Choice Hero winner. Nominations are accepted from October 1 at 8 a.m. to December 3, 2024, at 8 p.m.

Caregiver Hero

Honors an individual who has cared for a stroke survivor and used their experience to educate, inspire and bring awareness about stroke. This award is for a personal caregiver, not a provider acting in a professional capacity.

Nominate a Caregiver Hero

Preview the Caregiver Hero nomination questions (PDF)


Equity Hero

Honors an individual who promotes the goal of health equity in their work with those at risk for stroke, stroke survivors and stroke caregivers, to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to be as healthy as possible.

Nominate an Equity Hero

Preview the Equity Hero nomination questions (PDF)


F.A.S.T. Hero

Honors an individual who recognized the warning signs of a stroke and acted fast to get help for the person having a stroke. This award is for a friend, family member, coworker or bystander, not a provider acting in a professional capacity. We encourage survivors who recognized their own stroke symptoms to nominate themselves in the Survivor Hero category.

Nominate a F.A.S.T. Hero

Preview the f.a.s.t. Hero nomination questions (PDF)


Group Heroes

Honors a group committed to educating, inspiring and bringing awareness about stroke. This can include stroke support groups, stroke teams, families, private associations, medical facilities and more.

Nominate a Group Hero

Preview the Group Heroes nomination questions (PDF)


Pediatric Hero

Honors an individual younger than 18 who has survived a stroke and overcome significant hurdles and whose family has used its experience to educate, inspire and bring awareness to stroke.

Nominate a Pediatric Hero

Preview the Pediatric Hero nomination questions (PDF)


Survivor Hero

Honors an individual who has survived a stroke and used their experience to educate, inspire and bring awareness about stroke.

Nominate a Survivor Hero

Preview the Survivor Hero nomination questions (PDF)


Voters’ Choice Hero

Honors an individual or group making an outstanding effort to educate, inspire and bring awareness about stroke on a local or national level. Judges selected the contenders from the nominations received in the other five categories.

Awards Timeline

Date(s) Activity
Oct. 1 – Dec. 3, 2024 Nominations accepted
Dec. 2024 – Jan. 2025 Nominations judged
Early Feb. 2025 Voters’ Choice Hero candidates determined
Mar. 4 – 18, 2025 Voters’ Choice Hero voting
May 1, 2025 Winners announced

FAQ, Rules, Judging Criteria and More

Support That Empowers

Recovery becomes so much more manageable when you have the right kind of emotional support. Our online community of patients, survivors and caregivers is here to keep you going no matter the obstacles. We’ve been there, and we won’t let you go it alone.