The mustache gets a bad rap. Since its golden age in the 1970s, it isn’t exactly a staple of men’s style anymore, but one organization is working to change the ’stache’s reputation and honor mustached Americans in the process.

The American Mustache Institute, which promotes “the growth, care, and culture of the lower nose forest,” opened voting this month for the 2013 Robert Goulet Memorial Mustached American of the Year Award. Named in honor of the late entertainer known for his deep baritone and thick ’stache, the award recognizes the American who best represents and contributes to the mustached community.

The winner will be announced October 26 at the 2013 ’Stache Bash, an annual costume and mustache—obviously—charity benefit. Proceeds from this year’s event will go to Steps to Independence, a Pittsburgh nonprofit organization offering conductive education for children with motor disabilities.

This year’s nominees include veteran journalist and talk-show host Geraldo Rivera; D. Bruce Hanes, a county clerk in Pennsylvania who issued marriage licenses to same-sex couples despite the state’s law prohibiting such unions;  and woodworking artist and furniture designer David Stine. Nominees from film and television include Anchorman characters Ron Burgundy and Brian Fantana, as well as the animated Uncle Grandpa.

Past winners of the six-year-old award include a New York City police detective, a firefighter from Orlando, and Major League Baseball players Clay Zavada and John Axford, whose Canadian roots sparked controversy when he won.

In addition to sponsoring the Goulet Award, AMI researches America’s most mustache-friendly cities (congrats to Chicago, Houston, and Pittsburgh) and the saving and spending patterns of mustached Americans. It also offers a detailed and illustrated mustache style guide on its website.

Founded in 1965, the tongue-in-cheek organization calls itself “the world’s leading facial hair advocacy organization and think tank protecting the rights of, and fighting discrimination against, mustached Americans.”

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