Summary#

Calgary City Council ratified the 2026 Calgary Awards recipients recommended by selection panels. It did not create a new awards program: the awards are run under Council’s 2018 Recognitions by Council Policy. City staff say the awards aim to recognize Calgarians’ achievements and contributions.

• The 13 award categories include a new Award for Accessibility – Universal Design.
• Council directed the City Clerk to keep the recipient list confidential until after the awards presentation on June 17, 2026, then publish it on the City’s website.
• The decision was carried 15–0.

What it means for you#

• Recipients: City staff will notify them and prepare for the presentation. Their names will not be made public until after June 17.
• Calgarians and nominators: The decision does not change how people can nominate individuals, businesses or organizations. The report says the awards recognize achievements across 13 categories.
• People with disabilities and accessibility advocates: The new Universal Design award recognizes contributions to accessibility. A three-member working group of the Advisory Committee on Accessibility selected its recommended recipient.

Money#

The program is funded from the City Clerk’s Office’s existing operating budget; no cost estimate is provided.

• The report gives no amount for award costs or any money or other benefits recipients may receive.

What is unclear#

• The recipient names are in a confidential attachment and will not be public until after the June 17 presentation.
• The available material does not say whether recipients receive money or other benefits.

Case for#

• City staff say the awards recognize people and organizations whose contributions benefit Calgary.
• The selection process included different kinds of expertise: award juries, a Writers’ Guild of Alberta jury for the W.O. Mitchell Book Prize, and an accessibility working group.
• City staff say delaying ratification could affect recipient notifications and preparation for the presentation.

Case against#

• Keeping the recipient list confidential until after the presentation means the public cannot see who was selected beforehand. Council’s stated basis for confidentiality is protection of personal privacy.