The Miami Herald Silver Knight Awards is one of the nation’s most highly regarded student awards programs. The purpose of this Awards program is to recognize outstanding students who have not only maintained good grades but have also unselfishly applied their special knowledge and talents to contribute significant service to their schools and communities.
The program is open to high school seniors with a minimum 3.2 GPA (unweighted) in public, private, and parochial schools in Miami-Dade and Broward counties.
Students may be nominated in 15 categories: Art, Athletics, Business, Drama, English and literature, General Scholarship, Journalism, Mathematics, Music and Dance, New Media, Science, Social Science, Speech, Vocational-Technical, and World Languages. Each school may nominate one student per category.
After submitting an extensive application, nominees from all schools appear on a designated day to be interviewed by a panel of independent judges. Each panel of judges selects one Silver Knight and three Honorable Mentions in that category. Names are not revealed until the Silver Knight Awards ceremony.
*IMPORTANT DATES AND DEADLINES*
CLASS OF 2025
October 2024
Candidates must end first Quarter with at least a 3.2 GPA (unweighted).
Candidates finalize service projects and hours.
Candidates collect Supporting Documents (min 6 pages, max 12 pages).
Candidates start Nominee Application Form.
November 2024 – December 2024
Candidates finalize Nominee Application Form.
Nominees seek feedback
Nominees are selected and confirmed. (Email notification.)
January 2025
Nominees submit and lock final Application Form to the Miami Herald online.
Nominees must end first Semester with at least a 3.2 GPA (unweighted).
Nominees compile hard copies of Application Form and Supporting Documents and review with Coordinator, referring closely to the checklist.
Coordinator delivers hard copies of Application Form and Supporting Documents on behalf of all Nominees.
February 2025 – April 2025
Nominees prepare for interviews
Nominees are interviewed by a panel of experts in their category (March).
Tentative interview date for Miami-Dade Nominees.
May 2025
Formal awards ceremony for all nominees, families and friends.
*Some specific dates are pending.
CLICK HERE FOR PRELIMINARY APPLICATION
(DUE OCTOBER 11, 2025)