The Gold Circle recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to television for fifty years or more. The broadcast pioneers who are nominated for this distinguished group can have had significant careers in different aspects of the industry – engineering, management, on-air, technical, production, administration or talent.

Gold Circle nominees can often trace their careers back to the early days of television in our area and are true pioneers in the television arts and sciences. As with the Silver Circle, the Mid-America Board of Governors solicits nominations of those who deserve this highest honor.

The nominated individual's contributions can be in service to the industry, to NATAS, to the community or to people training for a career in the field and nominees are accepted from performing, creative, technical or administrative roles within the industry or from areas directly related to television such as commercial productions, journalism or education. Neither nominators nor nominees need to be members of NATAS and retirees are eligible for this honor.