FAQ

Who is eligible for an award?

The BCMA Awards recognize projects of excellence and innovative initiatives from museums, art galleries, cultural centres and other cultural heritage institutions across BC as well as recognize individual contributions to the sector.

Nominees need not be members of the BCMA.

The work being recognized by an award may have been done as volunteer service or undertaken for remuneration.

What do I need to submit for the nomination?

A sample nomination form will be available for download to prepare your answers before submitting the online form.

Nominations will include the following:

1. Brief summary of the individual or organization being nominated (25 word maximum).
2. Overview of the accomplishments of the nominee (400 word maximum)
3. Description of the overall impact of your nominee’s activities on the sector, organization, or community. (400 word maximum)
4. Highlights of how your nominee exemplifies one or more of the following values (400 word maximum):
   • Community Involvement,
   • Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion,
   • Innovation.
5. Optional: Supporting photos or documents that demonstrate the impact or contribution of the nominee.
6. Optional: 1-3 photos that can be used in features and programming

Who can nominate?

Nominators need not be members of the British Columbia Museums Association.

•  If the nominator is not an Association member, a letter of support from a member in good standing may be requested to accompany the nomination at the discretion of the BCMA.

Nominations may be put forward by the BCMA Staff, Council, and Committee Members in an effort to ensure that no deserving recipient is overlooked.

Can I nominate myself and/or my organization?

Yes.

What is the adjudication process?

To make effective and consistent evaluations, the following general criteria will apply in evaluating Nominees:

Contribution: The nominee must have played a significant role and made a contribution to museological practice or a community.

Resource Base: The qualifications or worthiness of a nominee will not be determined in any way by factors such as the size of a facility, institution, or agency, the number of employees or volunteers, budget, or the cost of project or program. Evaluation will not be based upon a comparison of the resources of other possible nominees, but on the relative accomplishment that may normally be expected of the resources available to the nominee being considered.

Quality of Achievement: Recognizing the Awards program objective of encouraging excellence in the museums, galleries and heritage field, consideration should be given not only to what the nominee has accomplished, but also to the excellence of the work relative to similar accomplishments and programs in the sector.

Impact: Nominees will be evaluated on the impact their activities had on their communities, organization or the sector at large.

Accomplishment: Nominees will be evaluated on an actual achievement, not on an untried idea, concept or proposal.

Values: BCMA has identified the following values to be of critical importance to our members. Nominees will be evaluated on how well these values are demonstrated in their activities.

• Community Involvement
• Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
• Innovation

Awards will not necessarily be given out on an annual basis; if no nominee whose achievements meet the established criteria is forthcoming, no award may be presented that year.

BCMA Awards Adjudication Panel

An independent adjudication panel, comprised of five to eight individuals, is assembled to evaluate nominations for Association Awards on an annual basis.

The work of the panel is supported by a BCMA staff member who will receive nominations and submissions and facilitate communications and meetings of the adjudication panel.

The panel may move a nominee into a different category from that for which they were nominated initially, as long as the nominator is in agreement and all criteria for the award are being met.

2022 Adjudication Panel:

How are the nominees and award winners honoured?

Winners receive an award and certificate.