Get Ready for the Chamber’s Annual Awards – Nominations Now Open!
by Taryn Crayton, Director of Member Engagement
Growing up, I never missed an awards show—the Oscars, Emmys, Grammys, SAG Awards, MTV Movie Awards, and of course, the Tonys. I loved everything about them: the dresses, the speeches, and the sheer excitement of recognizing people’s hard work and passion. These days, I may not tune in to every show, but I do get to be part of something just as inspiring—the Chamber’s Annual Awards Ceremony!
Last year’s event was a sell-out, with 250 attendees and a waitlist. It’s clear there’s real excitement in our community about celebrating local businesses and individuals who are making a difference.
So, why are we talking about an event that takes place in February? Great question! While the 2026 Annual Awards Ceremony are planned for February 25th, we’re opening up nominations early this year to give our members more time to thoughtfully submit entries.
In the past, nominations were only accepted during December, and with five award categories and about 400 member businesses, the process could feel overwhelming. This year, we’re simplifying things. Starting now, nominations are open for all categories—and each month we’ll highlight one specific award to make the process more manageable.
The 2026 Award Categories Are:
Outstanding Citizen -This award honors a Chamber member or employee who demonstrates exceptional leadership, civic engagement, and advocacy—making a lasting impact through community involvement, workforce development, and support for sustainable local growth.
Non-Profit of the Year -This award recognizes a Chamber-member nonprofit that demonstrates strong leadership, impactful community engagement, and strategic partnerships that contribute to a vibrant, sustainable region.
Small Business of the Year - This award honors a Chamber-member business with 1–30 employees that demonstrates growth, innovation, community involvement, and a strong commitment to employee and regional development.
Large Business of the Year - This award recognizes a Chamber-member business with 31+ employees that demonstrates leadership in workforce development, economic investment, community engagement, and regional collaboration.
Community Progress Award - This award honors a Chamber member that has led a recent development project demonstrating measurable impact on regional growth through new construction and active engagement with Chamber initiatives.
These awards are an incredible opportunity to recognize the people and organizations working hard to create a vibrant, sustainable community. While nominations will be accepted through December 31st, we’re kicking things off this August by focusing on the Outstanding Citizen category.
See past winners and submit your nomination here:
https://www.columbiamontourchamber.com/about-us/annual-meeting-ceremony/
To make the selection process more consistent and transparent, we’ve also updated the award criteria and aligned them with a new rubric—developed by our fantastic intern, Amber Hughes. While the rubric isn’t the final word, it helps guide the committee’s evaluations and brings clarity and fairness to the process.
Each category has its own nomination form, so you can submit nominations in whatever way works best for you—knock out all five at once, spread them out over five days, or take your time and submit one a month!
And yes—you can submit multiple nominations! If a business or individual fits more than one category, feel free to nominate them in each relevant area.
We hope this updated approach gives you more time, less stress, and more space to think about who deserves recognition this year. Let’s celebrate the amazing people and organizations shaping our region—starting now!