The ICF Coaching Impact Awards celebrate the best of the profession, showcasing the extraordinary power of coaching. This globally esteemed program honors the success of high-performing coaches and organizations worldwide – whose positive impact through coaching is helping improve workplaces, transform lives, and contribute to global social change.
Behind every impactful coach, organization, and educator lies a story of transformation, innovation, and positive change. It’s time to share their story of impact with the world. Nominate an esteemed colleague, extraordinary organization, inspiring leader, or yourself for the 2025 ICF Coaching Impact Awards.
Since 2005, ICF has annually honored individuals and organizations that have demonstrated a remarkable commitment to professional coaching and transforming lives around the world. The ICF Coaching Impact Awards are an expansion and evolution of ICF’s previous awards initiatives — which have included the International Prism Award, Circle of Distinction and Young Leader Award — bringing them all into a single, cohesive awards system to celebrate excellence in professional coaching. It’s more than an awards program; it’s a testament to our collective power to spark positive change and shape a brighter future for all.
Selected from around the world, the recipients of the 2024 ICF Coaching Impact Awards represent the full spectrum of our diverse profession, showcasing the very best of what coaching can achieve.
The ICF Coaching Impact Awards celebrate the many facets of coaching. Whether you’re an early-career coach, an experienced thought leader, a dedicated coach educator, or part of an organization fostering coaching excellence, there’s a category tailored to highlight your unique contributions. Explore the award categories and discover how the ICF Coaching Impact Awards celebrate the diversity, innovation, and professionalism that define our industry.
Through the following subcategories, the Coaches category honors individual coach practitioners who have made an impact in the profession and at ICF:
The Coaching Education category recognizes coach educators and ICF-accredited providers who are leading and innovating coach education. The subcategories include:
The Organizations category celebrates businesses and organizations with strong coaching cultures that demonstrate the positive effects of coaching. This category recognizes:
The Social Impact category goes beyond conventional recognition, diving into the heart of social impact, and celebrates those who have harnessed the coaching mindset to create lasting positive change. Within the Social Impact category, we have two subcategories:
The ICF Coaching Impact Awards offer a unique opportunity to celebrate the transformative power of coaching while gaining global recognition for excellence. Whether you’re an individual coach, an organization, or an educator, this prestigious program shines a spotlight on those who elevate the coaching profession, inspire positive change, and embody ICF’s high standards of integrity and professionalism.
With no cost to enter and a fair, rigorous evaluation process led by volunteer industry judges, this program ensures integrity and accessibility for all nominees.
By submitting a nomination, you’re not just showcasing achievements — you’re amplifying your impact and influence in the coaching community. Winners benefit from:
Ready to shine a spotlight on coaching excellence? Whether you’re nominating yourself or a superstar in the coaching world, it’s easy to get started!
The nomination period for the 2025 ICF Coaching Impact Awards is now open through April 25 at 11:59 p.m. (New York).
Our award winners represent the pinnacle of coaching excellence, embodying ICF’s commitment to advancing the industry with professionalism and purpose. To ensure we recognize the very best in coaching, every nomination undergoes a rigorous evaluation process.
A panel of volunteer evaluators from the coaching community carefully reviews each submission using a detailed rubric that emphasizes measurable impact, specific examples, and alignment with ICF’s high standards.
Winners are chosen based on their qualifications, achievements, and meaningful contributions to the coaching profession and the broader ICF community. They are celebrated not only for their current accomplishments but also for their potential as thought leaders and role models in the global coaching industry.
By submitting a nomination — whether for yourself, a colleague, or an organization — you contribute to raising the standards of coaching, inspiring peers, and driving the profession’s collective growth. To stand out, be sure to highlight detailed examples and demonstrate measurable impact in your submission.
This category celebrates individual coach practitioners who have demonstrated exceptional contributions to the coaching profession and ICF.
The ICF Coaching Impact Awards – Coaches category is open to ICF members in good standing who also hold a current ICF credential. If a nominee’s membership or credential lapses at any point during the nomination, selection, or recognition process, they may be disqualified from consideration.
Nominations for the Coaches category may be made by anyone. You may nominate yourself or another coach for any of these subcategories.
View the Rubric for Emerging Coaches Subcategory | View the Rubric for Accomplished and Distinguished Coaches Subcategories
This award recognizes seasoned and exemplary coach practitioners who have significantly shaped ICF and the coaching profession.
This award honors skilled coach practitioners who have made notable contributions to ICF and the coaching profession.
This award celebrates rising coach practitioners who demonstrate great potential to lead ICF and the coaching profession into the future.
This category recognizes coach educators and ICF-accredited providers who are leading and innovating coaching education.
View the Rubric for Distinguished Educator Subcategory | View the Rubric for Distinguished Provider Subcategory
This award recognizes coaching education organizations that have exhibited the highest standard of excellence in the profession. The organization must:
Recognizing coach educators and trainers, this award celebrates those who have exhibited the highest standard of excellence in their field. The candidate must:
The Organizations category celebrates businesses and organizations that have built strong coaching cultures. These organizations exemplify the integration of coaching into their operations, fostering a thriving workplace and achieving measurable success.
A coaching culture is assessed through:
The following elements are key indicators of a strong coaching culture:
View the Rubric for the Organizations Category
This subcategory honors organizations with a mature coaching culture that has been in place for three or more years. These organizations:
This subcategory recognizes organizations with robust coaching cultures that were implemented within the last three years. While the reach of coaching may currently involve less than 70% of employees, these organizations show notable progress in embedding coaching practices and achieving measurable results. They demonstrate strong alignment with coaching standards and a clear commitment to expanding the impact of coaching within the organization.
The Social Impact category is aimed at recognizing exceptional individuals and/or organizations that are making profound contributions to society through the application of coaching principles. We invite the recognition of those whose endeavors align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and ICF’s core values.
View the Rubric for the Social Impact Category
The Distinguished Coaching Catalyst subcategory honors influential world leaders and organizations who are a catalyst for change and who exemplify a coaching mindset in their approach to leadership, decision-making, and engagement with others.
These nominees should display the following characteristics:
The Emerging Coaching Catalyst recognizes the efforts of social impact organizations and individuals that have been doing outstanding work but remain relatively unknown to the public.
These nominees should demonstrate:
The path to honoring coaching excellence on a global stage begins now — here are the key dates for the 2025 ICF Coaching Impact Awards season:
As you work on submitting your nomination, get inspired by the stories of the 2024 ICF Coaching Impact Award winners — trailblazers transforming lives, organizations, and communities through the power of coaching. Watch their journeys and celebrate the profound impact of their work!
If you have a powerful story to share, our resources will help you tell it with clarity and impact. This evidence-based program values detailed examples and measurable results, so a strong nomination showcases the true transformative power of coaching. Be sure to make use of:
With these tools, you’ll have everything you need to craft a compelling nomination and stand out in the selection process. Let’s make sure your story gets the attention it deserves!
Passionate about coaching? This is your opportunity to play a key role in recognizing and celebrating the transformative power of coaching worldwide. By joining our team of volunteer evaluators, you’ll help spotlight exceptional achievements in any of the four award categories — all while gaining unique personal and professional benefits.
Why Volunteer as an Evaluator?
While we welcome all applicants, preference is given to ICF credentialed members and those with prior award experience.
The application period closes March 24 at 11:59 p.m. (New York), so don’t miss out on this opportunity to help us identify excellence and celebrate the exceptional power of coaching around the globe!
The 2025 ICF Coaching Impact Awards feature four categories:
Each category includes subcategories, which will be visible during the nomination process.
Yes! Self-nominations are encouraged.
Past winners can nominate only if entering a different category.
No, you may not. You can only nominate someone for one award category per awards season.
Yes, you may submit multiple nominations, whether for different individuals or organizations. However, each nomination must be submitted using a separate form.
Not necessarily. Eligibility depends on the category:
Yes. The following individuals are not eligible:
ICF will not consider multiple nominations for the same individual/organization. If multiple nominations for the same individual/organization occur, ICF will reach out and propose alternative solutions.
All ICF Coaching Impact Awards nominees can only be entered in one category per season.
All winners must consent to providing ICF with additional information about their coaching program/career that may be published in future promotional materials including but not limited to press releases, social media, testimonials, ads, etc.
No. All nominations and supporting recommendation forms must be submitted in English.
Visit the ICF Coaching Impact Awards platform. Create an account or log in, confirm your email, and follow the instructions to complete your nomination.
Yes, you can edit your entry until the deadline of April 25.
You will receive an email confirmation. If your nomination progresses to the evaluation round, you will be notified by May 10.
A panel of volunteer evaluators scores the nominations based on our rigorous scoring rubric. Winners are selected based on their qualifications, experience, and impact on coaching, organizations, the ICF community, and beyond.
Winners will be notified by early August, and the 2025 ICF Coaching Impact Awards will be celebrated in October. Winners should save the dates from October 21-25.
Winners are expected to attend ICF Converge 2025 in San Diego, California, USA, and participate in one of the event sessions. They will arrive on October 21 or 22 for a day and a half dedicated to interviews, collaboration, and preparation for their Converge presentations prior to the event’s official start.
Yes. Winners must provide additional details about their coaching program or career. This information may be used in promotional materials, such as press releases, social media posts, and testimonials.
The ceremony will take place on October 24, during ICF Converge 2025 in San Diego, California, USA. Winners should save October 21–25 for interviews, work sessions, and celebrations.
The award trophies are made from recycled plastics, designed using principles of the circular economy, ensuring sustainability while remaining elegant and impactful.
Contact us via email at stephanie.norris@coachingfederation.org.
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