The NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center is proud to annually recognize the efforts of dedicated individuals who have contributed to the success of the local programs across our state. A non-competitive award, the NC Main Street Champion designation honors those who have made extraordinary contributions to their downtown. The NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center will individually recognize Champions with a video presentation and commemorative certificates celebrating this special honor during the Annual NC Main Street Conference.

Entry Deadline: September 25, 2025 | 5pm

Awards Ceremony: March 12, 2026 | 2026 NC Main Street Conference |New Bern

Who is Eligible to Nominate a Champion?

Designated NC Main Street communities are eligible to nominate a Champion.

DAC and Small-Town Main Street communities may nominate once they move up to NC Main Street AND have ONE FULL YEAR as a Designated Main Street Community.

Why Nominate?

Designating an NC Main Street Champion is an excellent way to show your organization’s appreciation for the efforts of a deserving person (or persons) who has/have gone the extra mile in working to make your downtown successful. A secondary benefit of designating a Champion is the opportunity to generate goodwill and positive PR for your downtown program. 

What Makes Someone Eligible for This High Honor?

NC Main Street Champions MUST BE PEOPLE who have made a SIGNIFICANT impact in your downtown or your downtown program, ideally over the last year, and who went above and beyond their volunteer or job responsibilities. 

Once an NC Main Street Champion, always an NC Main Street Champion! If your program has previously honored someone as an NC Main Street Champion, that individual continues to be a Champion for your community and may not be re-designated by your program. However, someone who received the designation from another community and has made significant contributions to your downtown revitalization efforts may also be named Champion by your program.

Champion designation may fall under the following categories:

An individual - John Smith

A couple - Jane and Lucy Smith

A civic organization board of directors -Board of Directors Ayden Arts Council

Owners of a downtown business - John Smith

Owners of a property - John Smith

Departmental staff - Public Works Staff, Town of Smallville

 Champion nominations ARE NOT:

A municipal entity - Town of Smallville

A business - Nil’s Cafe

Staff of a business - Nil’s Café and Staff

Instructions

Text may not exceed 200 words. 

Text must be in narrative style – no bullet points

Text should include only information directly related to the Champion’s contributions to downtown. Information on family, civic involvements, or religious affiliation is not relevant to this designation

Text should provide enough detail to give a real sense of your Champion and his/her/their contributions to downtown

Have someone proofread your submission for content, grammar, and spelling before submitting online. 

Please refer to the previous year’s Champion submissions to assist you in preparing your submission. https://www.ncmainstreetandplanning.com/ncmainstreetchampions

The NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center reserves the right to edit the narrative text for length and content.

Nomination Photo

Consider using a local photographer for your Champion’s headshot. Remember that these photos will be on our NC Main Street Conference website. Make it your best shot.

The Photo MUST be 1024 x 768 pixels with a file size of at least 1MB or higher (Keep in mind this image will be projected onto a HUGE screen. If you don’t send in a high-resolution file, it will not show up on the screen)

Be taken in good lighting. If photographed outside, ensure the photographer’s back is to the sun.

Be cognizant of the background you use for the photo.

Be of ONLY the Champion(s). We cannot accept images that include any person(s) other than the Champion(s). Do not crop a photo so only the champion(s) are showing.

Be free of borders, labeling, or date stamps.

Not altered with Photoshop

Save Your Photo: in the following format

• Garner John Doe
• Edenton Jane Doe
•  Lenoir Jill Doe

How will my champion be notified?

In January, you will receive an email from our office with your champion’s letter attached. You will forward the email to your champion at that time. 

Remember, the Champion is not a Champion until AFTER the Ceremony, so you cannot publicly announce the honor until after the ceremony. 

Once you have informed your Champion, they can tell their family/friends that they will want to attend the ceremony to see them designated as an NC Main Street Champion.

__________________________

Technical Questions?

Check out the Submitter Resource Center or contact Submittable Customer Support.

The NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center presents the annual NC Main Street Awards recognizing the hard work, dedication, and success of our NC Main Street communities and their achievements in the Four Points of the Main Street Approach® to downtown revitalization: Economic Vitality, Promotion, Organization, and Design.

This is your opportunity to tell the story of your project. Assume the jury has never been to your town. Use this nomination to clearly explain the Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How of the project. Help us understand why it matters and how it has been transformational for your downtown.

Entry Deadline: September 25, 2025 | 5pm

Awards Ceremony: March 11, 2026 | 2026 NC Main Street Conference | New Bern

Eligibility:

• Any active NC Main Street community that met the statistics deadline for the most recent fiscal year.
• Projects must have been completed within the past two years of the submission date.

 Guidelines:

• Each community may submit up to four nominations for downtown district projects.
• A project may only be submitted in one category.
• The jury reserves the right to move a submission to a different category if there is a more appropriate fit. 
• Projects that were previously nominated but did not receive an award may be resubmitted, provided they still fall within the two-year eligibility window. Before resubmitting, we strongly recommend consulting with the NC Main Street Director or Program Manager to gain insight into why the initial nomination was not successful.
• All award-winning projects must retain and preserve the key architectural features and finishes of their buildings. The NC Main Street Awards honor exemplary economic development efforts that align with the principles of historic preservation and reflect the broader best practices of the Main Street program. Projects that do not meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation will not be recognized, regardless of whether historic preservation tax incentives were utilized in their completion.
• The jury retains the discretion to withhold an award in any category should the submissions fail to meet the established standards of excellence. Likewise, the jury may choose to recognize multiple winners in a single category if it determines that more than one entry merits the distinction.

Economic Vitality and Design Nominations:

• If the project involved construction or alterations to a building, Include as much documentation as possible. Building rehab and design projects must meet the Secretary of Interior’s Standards; therefore, we need excellent documentation. Without excellent documentation confirming this to be within acceptable standards, the jury may reject the nomination.
• Provide a photo key/script showing where each photo of the building was taken (exterior and interior). The script and the photos must follow the story of the project. Organize them from start to finish. Include Before and After photos, as applicable and please strive to take photos from the same angle for before and after. 
• Include any schematic renderings, designs by UNCG Main Street Fellows, architects, engineers, or other design professionals. 
• Include historic photos, as applicable, but especially for a tax credit project.
• Include photos of the building in context with other buildings and surroundings.

NOTE: For all nominations, please consider and demonstrate in your nomination how this project is an exceptional STATEWIDE example for downtown revitalization. While the project may be a good local project, this nomination should represent the BEST statewide example. Keep in mind the following when answering: Does it demonstrate the highest quality? Did it support your vision for downtown and did it further your economic development strategies? Did it have a measurable economic impact?

__________________________

Technical Questions?

Check out the Submitter Resource Center or contact Submittable Customer Support.

The NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center presents the annual NC Small Town Main Street Awards recognizing the hard work, dedication, and success of our NC Small Town Main Street communities and their achievements in the Four Points of the Main Street Approach® to downtown revitalization: Economic Vitality, Promotion, Organization, and Design.

This is your opportunity to tell the story of your project. Assume the jury has never been to your town. Use this nomination to clearly explain the Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How of the project. Help us understand why it matters and how it has been transformational for your downtown.

Entry Deadline: September 25, 2025 | 5pm

Awards Ceremony: March 11, 2026 | 2026 NC Main Street Conference | New Bern

Eligibility:

•  Any active NC Small Town Main Street community that met the statistics deadline for the most recent fiscal      year.
• Projects must have been completed within the past two years of the submission date.

Guidelines:

• Each community may submit up to four nominations for downtown district projects.
• A project may only be submitted in one category.
• The jury reserves the right to move a submission to a different category if there is a more appropriate fit. 
• Projects that were previously nominated but did not receive an award may be resubmitted, provided they still fall within the two-year eligibility window. Before resubmitting, we strongly recommend consulting with the NC Main Street Director or Program Manager to gain insight into why the initial nomination was not successful.
• All award-winning projects must retain and preserve the key architectural features and finishes of their buildings. The NC Small Town Main Street Awards honor exemplary economic development efforts that align with the principles of historic preservation and reflect the broader best practices of the Main Street program. Projects that do not meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation will not be recognized, regardless of whether historic preservation tax incentives were utilized in their completion.
• The jury retains the discretion to withhold an award in any category should the submissions fail to meet the established standards of excellence. Likewise, the jury may choose to recognize multiple winners in a single category if it determines that more than one entry merits the distinction.

Economic Vitality and Design Nominations:

• If the project involved construction or alterations to a building, Include as much documentation as possible. Building rehab and design projects must meet the Secretary of Interior’s Standards; therefore, we need excellent documentation. Without excellent documentation confirming this to be within acceptable standards, the jury may reject the nomination.
• Provide a photo key/script showing where each photo of the building was taken (exterior and interior). The script and the photos must follow the story of the project. Organize them from start to finish. Include Before and After photos, as applicable and please strive to take photos from the same angle for before and after. 
• Include any schematic renderings, designs by UNCG Main Street Fellows, architects, engineers, or other design professionals. 
• Include historic photos, as applicable, but especially for a tax credit project.
• Include photos of the building in context with other buildings and surroundings.

NOTE: For all nominations, please consider and demonstrate in your nomination how this project is an exceptional STATEWIDE example for downtown revitalization. While the project may be a good local project, this nomination should represent the BEST statewide example. Keep in mind the following when answering: Does it demonstrate the highest quality? Did it support your vision for downtown and did it further your economic development strategies? Did it have a measurable economic impact?

__________________________

Technical Questions?

Check out the Submitter Resource Center or contact Submittable Customer Support.