The next awards ceremony will be in 2025. In fall 2024, Council approved exciting new changes to the awards to align with new strategic priorities for Vancouver.
Keep an eye on this webpage or follow our social media channels for announcements on when the 2025 intake for new nominations has started.
The Awards of Excellence recognize outstanding achievements made by individuals – adults and youth/children – and organizations.
We celebrate excellence in 6 categories of achievement that benefit everyone by making Vancouver more vibrant.
Award categories
In each category, we'll evaluate nominated adults separately from children and youth. Award categories include:
Who you can nominate
Individuals
You can nominate any person – including children and youth up to age 21 – who lives, works, volunteers, or goes to school in Vancouver, including the University Endowment Lands.
In each category, we will evaluate nominated adults separately from youth/children (anyone under the age of 21).
Organizations
You can nominate any of these types of Vancouver-based organizations:
- Non-profit
- Groups or service clubs
- Educational institutions
- Hospitals
- Government departments (federal and provincial)
- Unions
- Professional and trade associations
- Media organizations
- Public or private corporations
Who's not eligible?
City of Vancouver employees, departments, and elected officials
Can you nominate yourself?
No, unless you're nominating your own organization.
Prepare and make your nomination
Please check back for 2025 nomination deadlines.
What happens next?
We review the completed nominations
We evaluate nominations using our selection criteria and may move a nomination to a different category in special cases when appropriate.
Our Nomination Sub-Committee of Council makes recommendations to City Council.
City Council approves the recommendations and we notify the winners.
Our selection criteria
- Scope: The range of activities and breadth of influence or inspiration of the achievement
- Achievement: The significance of the achievement itself, with consideration given to creativity, innovation, and general significance of the activity for the individual or community
- Impact: The potential for fundamental and lasting positive change
- Method: The manner in which the activities were performed, for example, with creativity, innovation, inclusivity, consultation, and collaboration