The City of Cambridge has a number of awards and bursaries to apply for that support and honour great achievements in our community.

Youth Awards

Bill Struck Memorial Scholarship

The Bill Struck Memorial Scholarship honors the memory of Councilor Bill Struck for his service to the Cambridge community and his support of youth. Every year, the city awards two leadership scholarships to Cambridge youth planning to attend a post-secondary school in the next semester.

Do you know a youth who needs financial help to attend a post-secondary school and who shows great leadership in the community? This year the city will be awarding one recipient. Complete a Bill Struck Memorial Scholarship Application. The application deadline is April 30, 2023. Please email our Recreation Coordinator - Youth for more information.

Arts and Culture Awards

Arts and Cultural Achievement Recognition awards

The City of Cambridge presents the Arts and Cultural Recognition awards at an annual celebration in November. Award winners must be one of the following:

  • A resident of the City of Cambridge
  • An associated member, employee, or student of a relevant artistic or cultural group or school in the City of Cambridge
How to apply
Submit an Arts and Cultural Achievement Recognition Form for a Group or Individual by August 31 to nominate someone for these awards.
Bernice Adams Bursary

The Bernice Adams Bursary Program provides assistance to deserving and qualified individuals to assist in their further development in the fields of: 

  • Visual Arts
  • Performing Arts
  • Music
  • Communications
  • Literary Arts
Bernice Adams Scholarship

Purpose: To provide a scholarship to deserving and eligible students to assist in furthering their education in the fields of Arts and Culture

Criteria: To be eligible for the scholarship, a student must apply, have excelled in the Arts at their school, be in grade 12, or a grade 12 graduate, and show intent to continue onto Post-Secondary Education in the fields of Music, Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Communications or Literary Arts

Proviso: The scholarship recipients are determined by the Cambridge Secondary schools themselves - please contact your school's guidance office for more information.  The scholarships will be $200.00 each.

 
Bernice Adams Legacy Award

Meet our 2025 Bernice Adams Award Recipients! 

Communication - Randy Moore

Literary Arts - June Anderson

Music - Karen Johannes,

Outstanding Youth - Elisa Yuan Charbonneau

Performing Arts - Jason Blair

Visual Arts - Heather Kocsis

And announcing our Heart of the Arts recipient, Dr. Narine Dat Sookram!

For over 20 years, Dr. Narine Dat Sookram has mentored emerging West Indian and Caribbean artists, coached performers for the Caribbean Dreams Concert, and founded the Caribbean Spice Radio Show, providing a platform for artists to share their music and stories.

His dedication has been recognized with numerous honors, including the Governor General Caring Canadian Award, the June Callwood Outstanding Achievement Award, and the RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrants Award. In 2014, the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario presented him with their Award for Excellence for his contributions to the cultural landscape.

The Bernice Adams Legacy Awards recognizes outstanding contributors in the development of Arts and Culture in Cambridge. Individuals and Groups are honored in the following categories:

  • Communications
  • Literary Arts
  • Music
  • Outstanding Youth
  • Performing Arts
  • Visual Arts

The Heart of the Arts Award is presented to an individual or group deserving of recognition in more than one category.

The Cultural Awards Committee welcomes nominations from the community year-round. Annual deadline for nominations is February 28.

The Bernice Adams Awards were established to honor the efforts of former City Councilor Bernice Adams in advancing the creative community in Cambridge. Nominations are received from the community. Finalists and Award recipients are chosen by the Cambridge Cultural Awards Trustees - a volunteer committee who work to recognize Cambridge's outstanding contributors in the development of Arts and Culture.

If you are interested in being part of this Awards Committee, please reach out to the staff liaison at 519-623-1340 ext. 4565.

 

Who is eligible?

Eligible award winners must meet at least one of the following criteria, for a minimum of three years before receiving an award:

  • A resident of Cambridge
  • Employed in Cambridge
  • An associate member or student of a relevant group or school in the City of Cambridge

Eligible recipients must also have made a significant contribution to the Cambridge community in at least two of the following areas:

  • Educating others in one of the arts and cultural categories
  • Volunteering for the benefit of others in the community
  • Forming or leading group work that has received acclaim, locally, provincially, or nationally
  • Making major improvements or developments related to one of the arts and cultural categories

Learn more about the nomination guidelines.
How do I nominate someone?
Complete the Bernice Adams Legacy Award nomination form online. 
Who chooses the award winners?

The Cultural Awards Committee manages the distribution of awards and expenses of the Bernice Adams Legacy Award. The Committee also sponsors the award to support and honour the achievements of individuals and groups in Cambridge related to arts and cultural categories. 

View a list of previous Bernice Adams Legacy Award winners.

Cambridge Hall of Fame

The Cambridge Hall of Fame honours outstanding community members who have made a difference in Cambridge. Learn more about members of the Cambridge Hall of Fame.