News Room

Monday, March 2, 2026

2026 APS and APRL Awards and Honors

2026 APS and APRL Honors

The American Philatelic Society is pleased to announce the 2026 APS and APRL Awards and Honors. This year we are recognizing three new Luff Award winners for distinguished research, service to the hobby, and contributions to the APS; the Kehr Award for contributions that guarantee the hobby’s future; five new members of the APS Hall of Fame; the national and local Carter volunteer recognition awards; the John Walter Scott Dealer Award; the USSS/Barbara Mueller Award for best article of the year in The American Philatelist; the Peterson Philatelic Life Achievement Award; and the Allen Award for best article of the year in the Philatelic Literature Review. Join us in congratulating our 2026 award winners.

Further information and honorees' biographies to follow.

The John N. Luff Awards

Since 1940, the Luff Award has been the most prestigious award that the American Philatelic Society can bestow upon living philatelists. The Luff Award was established in memory of John N. Luff, APS president from 1907 to 1909, who was considered the most prominent American philatelist of his era.

The 2026 Luff Award winners will join a distinguished company of 163 prominent philatelists.

For Distinguished Philatelic Research – Larry Lyons

For Exceptional Contributions to Philately – Charles J. G. Verge

For Outstanding Service to the APS – Elizabeth Hisey

Ernest A. Kehr Award

The Kehr Award is presented annually by the APS “for enduring contributions that help guarantee the future of the hobby.” Established in 1991, the Kehr Award recognizes one living philatelist each year who, for a period of at least five years, has brought newcomers into the hobby.

2026 – Glenn Silverman

APS Hall of Fame

The APS Hall of Fame was established at the 1940 APS Convention following the suggestion that outstanding deceased philatelists be honored just as the then-newly created APS Luff Award honors outstanding living philatelists. To be elected, APS Hall of Fame nominees must have made outstanding contributions to the advancement of national or international philately.

Nancy Clark (1946-2024)

John Lievsay (1932-2025)

Wade Saadi (1949-2025)

Richard Winter (1937-2025)

Max Ohlman (1881-1957)

The Nicholas G. Carter Volunteer Recognition Awards

The Nicholas G. Carter Volunteer Recognition Awards recognize the outstanding efforts of American Philatelic Society volunteers at the national, regional and local level.

National

Alan Barasch
Carol Bommarito
Mark Butterline
Melanie Rogers
Steve L. Swain

Local

Wylie Irwin
Len Kasper
Mary Rosina Major
Jim Meverden
Joe Petronie
Karen Robbins
John P Stefanek
Richard Weichle

John Walter Scott Dealer Award

Established in 2016, the John Walter Scott Dealer award reflects the vital lifetime contributions that dealers offer the hobby.

2026 – Michael and Cecelia Ball, of A to Z Stamps

The United States Stamp Society/Barbara Mueller Award

The USSS/Barbara Mueller Award goes to the author of the best article published in a single year of The American Philatelist, monthly journal of the American Philatelic Society. The award is named for the United States Stamp Society (USSS) and for one of its most prominent members, authors, and editors, APS Life Member Barbara R. Mueller.

Calvin Mitchell and Baasil Wilder

For “A Study in Race, Racism and Presidential Politics,” published in March 2025.

Charles J. Peterson Philatelic Literature Life Achievement Award (APRL)

The Charles J. Peterson Award was established two years after Peterson’s passing in 2009, and is awarded by the American Philatelic Research Library every year to a person who embodies the outstanding legacy that Charlie left behind. Peterson award winners are notable for their dedicated work to further knowledge through philatelic literature.

2026 – Yamil Kouri

Thomas F. Allen Award (APRL)

The Thomas F. Allen Award was founded in 2013 to promote research and philatelic writing. It is awarded each year by the American Philatelic Research Library to the writer(s) of the best article to appear in the Philatelic Literature Review during the previous year. Past winners have shared new research or knowledge, or offered new and relevant discussions to well-studied topics.