The Awards The Calgary Awards is an award given out annually by the Canadian city of Calgary. It is managed by the official citizen recognition program of Calgary and was established in 1994. It is meant to celebrate contributions done to the community by Calgarians. There are several categories, ranging from "Citizen of the Year", "The Award for Accessibility", "The Community Achievement Awards", "The Environmental Achievement Award", "The Signature Award" and the "W.O. Mitchell Book Prize".3 Calgary writers shortlisted for W.O Mitchell Book Prize W.O. Mitchell Book Prize shortlist announced Recipients are honored at a ceremony attended by the Mayor of Calgary and members of the City Council which is televised.
Selection Process The Calgary Awards nomination process is administered by The City of Calgary through the City Clerk’s Office. Nominations are submitted annually and reviewed to ensure eligibility requirements are met. Award recipients are selected by independent juries based on the information provided in nomination packages.
Different award categories are reviewed by separate juries composed of City representatives, community members, subject matter experts, and previous award recipients. Jury composition varies depending on the award category.
Following the jury review process, the recommended recipients are submitted to Calgary City Council for approval. Recipients and nominators are then notified by The City of Calgary prior to the public announcement of award recipients.
Governance and Administration The Calgary Awards program is administered by The City of Calgary through the City Clerk’s Office. Program administration includes the annual nomination process, coordination of independent selection juries, and preparation of recipient recommendations for approval by Calgary City Council.
Meeting materials related to the Calgary Awards, including committee reports and recommendations, are published through Calgary City Council’s public meeting portal. These records document Calgary City Council's approval steps associated with the awards program in the months leading up to nominations and awards.
Recipients
2026 The 2026 Calgary Awards were presented on June 17, 2026.
Award category Recipient Community Achievement Award: Arts Wunmi Idowu Community Achievement Award: Calgarian of the Year Martha Hart Community Achievement Award: Community Advocate – Individual Lorraine Robinson Community Achievement Award: Community Advocate – Organization Momentum Community Achievement Award: Education Pamela Farrell Community Achievement Award: Grant MacEwan Lifetime Achievement Gordon Moores Bullivant Community Achievement Award: Heritage The Confluence Historic Site & Parkland Community Achievement Award: Social Impact – Business XhAle Brew Co. Community Achievement Award: Youth Evan Li International Achievement Award Henry Tsang Award for Accessibility – Universal Design Urban Society for Aboriginal Youth (USAY) Environmental Achievement Award Habitat for Humanity Southern Alberta City of Calgary W.O. Mitchell Book Prize Marcello Di Cintio
References
External links Calgary Awards at Calgary.ca