City of Hamilton Arts Awards

Project Description:

In 2010 the City of Hamilton hired Cobalt Connects to lead the community consultation to revamp the City’s 40 year-old local artist recognition program – the oldest in the country. The new program has seen exponential budget growth, increased sponsorship and a growing in-person audience at the event over 500 attendees.

In 2021, the program underwent another review and this resulted in a number of significant changes to the nomination and adjudication process. These changes made public nominations easier, allowed the program to be more reflective of the cultural practices present in the sector, and gave the final jury greater curatorial control of the award recipients.

For a second year in a row, COVID restrictions forced the program to pivot to an online format. This most recent edition featured 11 podcast episodes that included local music and illustrations, a digital magazine and a two-page spread in the Hamilton Spectator featuring the recipients.

Client: City of Hamilton

Collaborators:  City staff, Local artists, designers and content creators, sponsors, media

Website: www.hamilton.ca/artsawards

City: Hamilton, ON

Date: 2010 to present