Cultural Leaders Legacy Arts Awards Nominations Open
Calgary Arts Development
Deadline to nominate: March 10, 2026
A legacy of Calgary’s year as a Cultural Capital of Canada, each Cultural Leaders Legacy Arts Award is funded by a contribution from a local philanthropist or organization.
Nominations for the 2026 Cultural Leaders Legacy Arts Awards are open and the deadline is March 10, 2026 at 4:30 pm MT.
These annual awards are $5,000 cash prizes that support artists, arts organizations, arts administrators and volunteers. The award categories, with guidelines and information about the nominations process, are listed below.
Awards Categories
Calgary Arts Academy Youth Arts Award
The Calgary Arts Academy Youth Arts Award recognizes the impact young artists have in our community through work that inspires spirited citizenship, belonging, mastery (e.g. learning/self-defined success), independence and generosity.
ATB Powering Possibility Through the Arts Award
The ATB Powering Possibility Through the Arts Award recognizes and supports small to mid-sized organizations that are committed to enriching Calgary through arts programming that powers possibility for the local creative community.
Indigenous Artist Award
Sponsored by TD Bank Group, the Indigenous Artist Award was established in 2020 in partnership with the Calgary Public Library’s residency program.
Rozsa Foundation Emerging Arts Manager Award
The Rozsa Foundation Emerging Arts Manager Award is a $5,000 cash award that recognizes and encourages emerging professional arts managers who are dedicating their careers to supporting and advancing the work of Calgary’s artists, arts collectives and arts organizations. In addition to the cash award, the recipient receives no-cost entry into the Rozsa Foundation of Arts Leadership training program.
The Mamdani Arts Leadership Award is a $5,000 cash award to recognize and reward the integral role of volunteer board members who lend their expertise, talent and time to supporting the work of arts organizations and festivals that make Calgary a vibrant and creative city. This award honours an arts volunteer board member who goes above and beyond to support the logistics, programming, operations and/or culture of the organization(s) they choose to support.
The Legacy of Doug and Lois Mitchell Outstanding Calgary Artist Award
The Legacy of Doug and Lois Mitchell Outstanding Calgary Artist Award honours artists who are lauded for their work in national and international arenas and choose to make Calgary their home.
Calgary Catholic Immigration Society New Canadian Artist Award
The Calgary Catholic Immigration Society (CCIS) New Canadian Artist Award was established to recognize that artists from all parts of the world enrich Calgary’s arts sector. This award recognizes and supports an individual artist whose cultural background and relatively recent arrival to Canada result in communication challenges, difficulties in transferring relevant credentials, and isolation from Calgary’s arts community. The award intends to help these artists pursue their artistic work and connect with the institutions and support networks that are available to all Calgary artists.
For more information about the awards or nomination process, please read the Cultural Leaders Legacy Arts Awards FAQ or email awards@calgaryartsdevelopment.com.
Visit Cultural Leaders Legacy Arts Awards for more information.
