Overview:
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 persons 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 26, 2024 |  5pm 

Awards Ceremony: March 13, 2025 |  Mooresville 

Who is Eligible to Nominate a Champion? 

• Only communities that are a designated NC Main Street community 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 a wonderful 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 it provides for generating 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’s revitalization efforts may also be named a Champion by your program.

Champion designation may fall under the following categories: 

• An individual (John Smith)
• A couple (John and Lucy Smith)
• A civic organization board of directors (Board of Directors Smallville 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)
• Governmental council (Board of Commissioners, Town of Smallville)

Instructions
Please use the following pages to draft, edit, and proof your nomination. 

• 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 to proofread your submission for content, grammar, and spelling before submitting online.  
• The NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center reserves the right to edit the narrative text for length and content. 

Nomination Photo
Please 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.
 

Photos must: 

• Be 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, if will not show up on the screen) 
• Be taken in good lighting.  If taking a photograph outside, make sure the photographer’s back is to the sun. 
• Be cognizant about 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 that only the champion(s) is showing. 
• Be free of borders, labeling or date stamps. 
• Not be altered with Photoshop 

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 announce the honor until after the ceremony.  Your Champion can tell his or her family/friends that they will want to attend the ceremony, in order to see them be designated as a NC Main Street Champion. 

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.

Entry Deadline: September 26, 2024 | 5pm

Awards Ceremony: March 12, 2025 | 2025 NC Main Street Conference | Mooresville

Eligibility:

• Any active NC Main Street community that met the statistics deadline for the most recent fiscal year.
• Projects much 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. 
• Any previously nominated project that did not receive an award and meets the two-year time limit may be resubmitted. We strongly suggest you speak with the NC Main Street Director or Program Manager to find out why the previous nomination did not win before re-submitting.
• All award-winning projects must preserve key architectural features and finishes of a building. The NC Main Street Awards represent the best examples of economic development within the context of historic preservation, as well as the best practices of the program beyond the Main Street Awards ceremony. The NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center does not recognize projects that do not meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, regardless of whether or not historic preservation tax incentives are used as a funding mechanism to complete the project.
• The jury reserves the right to withhold an award in any category or to designate more than one winner, if deemed appropriate.
• Watch the How to Submit an Award Winning Nomination Video to submit a strong nomination.

Instructions:

• Thoroughly review awards categories below to determine the best fit for your submission.
• All submissions must include a high resolution of the local Main Street Program’s logo.
• Include a map of the project area.
• Make sure your online nomination AND the supporting documents/photos have been submitted online before the 5pm deadline on Thursday, September 26, 2024.
• All photos MUST be high quality as these are used in the award presentation. If the photos are NOT of the quality to be shown on a large screen or in a video, the project may be disqualified.
• A script for each photo is required.  Under each photo give a brief description including where the photo was taken. The script and the photos must follow the story of the project. Organize them from start to finish.

Economic Vitality and Design Nominations:

• 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.
• 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.

Entry Deadline: September 26, 2024 | 5pm

Awards Ceremony: March 12, 2025 | 2025 NC Main Street Conference | Mooresville

Eligibility:

• Any active NC Small Town Main Street community that met the statistics deadline for the most recent fiscal year.
• Projects much 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. 
• Any previously nominated project that did not receive an award and meets the two-year time limit may be resubmitted. We strongly suggest you speak with the NC Main Street Director or Program Manager to find out why the previous nomination did not win before re-submitting.
• All award-winning projects must preserve key architectural features and finishes of a building. The NC Main Street Awards represent the best examples of economic development within the context of historic preservation, as well as the best practices of the program beyond the Main Street Awards ceremony. The NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center does not recognize projects that do not meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, regardless of whether or not historic preservation tax incentives are used as a funding mechanism to complete the project.
• The jury reserves the right to withhold an award in any category or to designate more than one winner, if deemed appropriate.
• Watch the How to Submit an Award Winning Nomination Video to submit a strong nomination.

Instructions:

• Thoroughly review awards categories below to determine the best fit for your submission.
• All submissions must include a high resolution of the local Main Street Program’s logo.
• Include a map of the project area.
• Make sure your online nomination AND the supporting documents/photos have been submitted online before the 5pm deadline on Thursday, September 26, 2024.
• All photos MUST be high quality as these are used in the award presentation. If the photos are NOT of the quality to be shown on a large screen or in a video, the project may be disqualified.
• A script for each photo is required.  Under each photo give a brief description including where the photo was taken. The script and the photos must follow the story of the project. Organize them from start to finish.

Economic Vitality and Design Nominations:

• 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.
• 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.