Sammie Awards Plummet as Federal Workforce Shrinks Under the Trump Administration

The Partnership for Public Service’s annual Sammie awards, long regarded as the “Oscars of public service,” recognized only four federal employees this year. By contrast, 23 workers were honored in the previous year and 25 the year before. The decline follows a sharp reduction in nominations: 140 submissions from 39 agencies versus more than 350 nominations from 65 agencies in the prior cycle. Several agencies declined to submit any candidates, and others submitted markedly fewer.

The Independent

During the past twelve months, the Trump administration pursued extensive reductions in the civil service. An advisory group called DOGE, led by Elon Musk, recommended sweeping cuts aimed at lowering federal costs. As a result, over 300,000 federal employees left the government, and nearly 8 percent of the workforce departed involuntarily due to agency closures, reductions-in-force, or termination of probationary staff.

The Independent

• Awards granted: 4 (2020) vs. 23 (2019) vs. 25 (2018)

The Independent

• Nominations received: 140 from 39 agencies (2020) vs. >350 from 65 agencies (2019)

The Independent

• Federal workforce loss: >300,000 employees (?8 % involuntary departures)

The Independent

• Agency participation: Some agencies submitted zero nominations; others submitted reduced numbers.

The Independent

Senior Vice President of Government Programs Michelle Amante attributed the reduced nomination pool to “the disruption and upheaval” caused by the loss of more than 300,000 employees and an “adversarial nature of the relationship between the White House and the career workforce.” CEO Max Stier noted that the organization extended the nomination window, engaged directly with agency staff, and removed the requirement that nominees be current federal employees, yet the overall pool remained limited. He emphasized that, despite fewer honorees, recognizing dedicated employees remains a priority.

The Independent

Observers have described the administration’s reductions as “brutal cuts,” highlighting the strained relationship between the executive branch and career civil servants. The appointment of Elon Musk to head DOGE, a group tasked with recommending workforce reductions, has been cited as an example of unconventional leadership in federal reform efforts.

The Independent

• “Because of the disruption and upheaval over the past year – we lost over 300,000 federal employees – and the adversarial nature of the relationship between the White House and the career workforce, we received less nominations than we typically do,” — Michelle Amante, Senior Vice President, Partnership for Public Service

The Independent

• “It was much more difficult than usual to identify the kinds of stories we recognize through the Sammies,” — Max Stier, CEO, Partnership for Public Service

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• “We felt that even though we could not identify as many honorees as in past years, it was important to show that dedicated federal employees are still doing important and impactful work in these challenging circumstances,” — Max Stier, CEO, Partnership for Public Service

The Independent

• “We always tried to do the right thing and get to justice. It was a tremendous job, and I loved every minute of it,” — Jill Frisch, former IRS senior litigator

The Independent

Among the four awardees, Jill Frisch was recognized for securing billions of dollars in tax recoveries; Gharun Lacy received acknowledgment for thwarting a Chinese cyber-intrusion at the State Department; James Szykman was honored for pioneering air-pollution tracking methods at the EPA; and a three-person team at the Agriculture Department was cited for advancing dairy cattle breeding research.

The Independent

The contraction of the Sammie program underscores the broader impact of workforce reductions on morale and public-service recognition. While the partnership strives to maintain a platform for celebrating federal achievements, the diminished pool of nominees reflects ongoing challenges in sustaining institutional acknowledgment amid extensive staffing cuts.

The Independent