Indianapolis Zoo Wins Two Anthem Awards

The Zoo's Uproar Conservation Challenge, which spotlighted lesser-known species, earned Gold and Bronze honors.

Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Wildlife

The Indianapolis Zoo won a Gold and a Bronze Anthem Award for its Uproar Conservation Challenge, a campaign that drew more than 1.3 million votes from over 200 countries and territories. The Anthem Awards selected from 2,500 entries from 43 countries.

Why it matters

The challenge sought to draw attention to the significance of and threats facing lesser-known animals, plants and fungi. The recognition highlights how an online voting format can channel public interest toward conservation in Indianapolis and beyond.

The Zoo won Gold in PR or Earned Media Campaign and Bronze in Community Engagement Campaign within the Sustainability, Environment & Climate category. Judges reviewed 2,500 entries from 43 countries, and the challenge generated an estimated $1.95 million in earned media value.

The players

Indianapolis Zoo

A zoo in Indianapolis, Indiana, that runs conservation and education programs and received the Anthem Awards for its challenge.

International Union for Conservation of Nature

A global conservation organization that partnered with the Indianapolis Zoo on the Uproar Conservation Challenge.

The details

The Uproar Conservation Challenge, launched in March 2026 with the International Union for Conservation of Nature, used an online bracket format in which 64 species competed for votes. The Bolivian Ornate Tiger Beetle won after earning nearly one-third of all votes, and its specialist group received $10,000 as part of $55,000 distributed across participating species.

March 2026: The Uproar Conservation Challenge launched.
April 2027: The challenge returns with a new group of species and expanded initiatives.

Wildlife Context

The campaign extends the IUCN partnership model into public engagement, drawing attention to species that rarely receive mainstream conservation focus. It follows the pattern of zoos using participatory campaigns to direct public interest toward underrepresented wildlife.

Indianapolis residents can follow the Zoo's conservation work as the challenge returns in April 2027 with a new group of species. The award-winning format may shape how local visitors engage with lesser-known wildlife at the zoo.

The takeaway

Public voting can turn overlooked species into shared causes, and the Zoo's results suggest that wildlife attention can be built from the bottom up. Readers interested in conservation can track which species gain support in future campaigns.