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 honours the memory of Councillor 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.

 

Congratulations to the 2019 scholarship recipients!

 

Victoria Almeida; Monsignor Doyle Catholic Secondary School

Caroline Noel and Jacob Farrell; Ecole secondaire catholique Pere-Rene-de-Galinee

Avery De Gouveia; St Benedict’s Catholic Secondary School

Ryuto Hamaguchi; Galt Collegiate Institute

Charlotte Lilley; Glenview Park Secondary School

Kayla Burmaster; Jacob Hespeler Secondary School

Genevieve Barit; Preston High School

MacKenzie Kehl; Southwood Secondary School
Bernice Adams Legacy Award

Congratulations to our 2023 finalists!

  • Communications: Mike Lawrie, Joe Lethbridge, Dhaval Patel, Kevin Swayze
  • Literary Arts: Nazeeg Haneshian, Patricia Oliver, Marianne Scott, Richard H. Stephens
  • Music: Rachel Cleland, Amy Di Nino, Corey Linforth, Joy Schuster
  • Outstanding Youth: Madelyn Arsenault, Oliver Cote, Matteo Faustini, Brianne Paquete
  • Performing Arts: Gareth Carr, Kris Langford, Sandra Poulton, Sabatino Vacca
  • Visual Arts: Cambridge Sculpture Garden, Studio 30, Roy Verbeek

And, this year's Heart of the Arts recipient (formally known as the Special Trustee) is Ms. Marilynn Franks!

Winners will be announced at the 40th annual Bernice Adams Awards night on Thursday, May 11, at Tapestry Hall, 74 Grand Ave S, Cambridge, ON N1S2L9.

Appetizers, cash bar, entertainment, and a silent auction are part of this special evening.

Tickets are available for purchase at any City of Cambridge Recreation center, or online via CORAL https://anc.ca.apm.activecommunities.com/cambridgeont/home?onlineSiteId=0&from_original_cui=true (quote Activity number 44243 for the “Bernice Adams Legacy Awards”).

The Bernice Adams Legacy Awards honors the achievements of individuals and groups in Cambridge in the following categories:

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

There is also a Heart of the Arts Award presented to a deserving individual or group.

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

The Bernice Adams Awards were established to honor the efforts of former City Councillor Bernice Adams in advancing the creative community in Cambridge. Nominations are received from the community and the finalists and winners 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.”

 

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 Memorial Award nomination form online. 
Who chooses the award winners?

The Cultural Awards Committee manages the distribution of awards and expenses of the Bernice Adams Memorial 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 Memorial 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.