A legacy of Calgary’s year as a Cultural Capital of Canada
Cultural Leaders Legacy Arts Awards

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 with matching money from Calgary Arts Development.
These annual awards are $5,000 cash prizes that support artists, arts organizations, arts administrators and volunteers. See below for individual award criteria and deadlines.
Nominations for the 2025 awards are open and the deadline for uploading completed nomination packages is 4:30pm on February 28, 2025. The award categories, with guidelines and information about the nominations process, are listed below. The awards will be presented at the Celebration for the Arts hosted by Mayor Gondek on April 24, 2025.
You can find a list of past award recipients in our Celebration for the Arts archive here.
For more information about the awards or nomination process, please read the Cultural Leaders Legacy Arts Awards FAQ or email awards@calgaryartsdevelopment.com.

Awards Categories
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.Read more
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.Read more
Rozsa Foundation Emerging Arts Manager Award
The Rozsa Foundation Emerging Arts Manager Award honours an emerging arts manager in the early stages of their career whose dedication and innovation in their field have elevated the work of the artists or arts…Read more
Mamdani Arts Leadership Award
The Mamdani Arts Leadership Award recognizes and rewards 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…Read more
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.Read more
Calgary Catholic Immigration Society New Canadian Artist Award
The Calgary Catholic Immigration Society (CCIS) New Canadian Artist Award recognizes that artists from all parts of the world enrich Calgary’s arts sector and helps these artists pursue their artistic work and connect with the…Read more
RBC Emerging Artist Award
The RBC Emerging Artist Award honours up-and-coming Calgary-based artists and recognizes that a thriving cultural community includes artists who choose to live and build their careers in Calgary from the outset.Read more
Colin Jackson and Arlene Strom Creative Placemaking Award
The Colin Jackson and Arlene Strom Creative Placemaking Award was presented from 2015 to 2018.Read more
SANDSTONE City Builder Award
The SANDSTONE City Builder Award was established to recognize artists and/or organizations that make Calgary a better place to live through the arts.Read more
ATB Financial Healing Through the Arts Award
The ATB Financial Healing Through the Arts Award was established to recognize artists whose artistic practices encompass health and wellness to improve the wellbeing of individuals, groups, or communitiesRead more
Enbridge Emerging Artist Award
The Enbridge Emerging Artist Award was presented from 2012 to 2016. We thank Enbridge for their support of the Cultural Leaders Legacy Arts Awards.Read more
MacLachlan Community Beacon Award
The MacLachlan Community Beacon Award was presented from 2012 to 2016. We thank the MacLachlan family for their support of these awards.Read more
The Mayor's Celebration for the Arts
The Celebration for the Arts continues the annual tradition of bringing the business and arts sectors together to celebrate Calgary artists and arts organizations and recognize outstanding achievement. The event includes the presentation of the annual Cultural Leaders Legacy Arts Awards and an opportunity to honour the recipients.