Nominations open Monday for Fort Worth's 2026 Neighborhood Awards, with two new group categories and a first-responder honor

Neighborhood associations that spent the past year planting gardens, running safety patrols or recording local history can start making their case Monday, when the city opens nominations for the 2026 Neighborhood Awards.

The Community Engagement Office will take online nominations starting Nov. 2. The deadline is Jan. 19, 2027.

Who can enter

The group awards are open to every neighborhood association and alliance registered with the city, for projects completed between Nov. 1, 2025, and Nov. 1, 2026. This year's group categories are:

Fort Worth Pride Award
Spirit of Fort Worth Award
Community Collaboration and Engagement Award
Healthy Neighborhood Award
Safety First Neighborhood Award
Partners in Learning Award
Honoring Our History Award, new this year
Neighborhood Communications Award, also new

Individual honors

Several awards recognize individuals rather than groups: Code Compliance Officer of the Year, Neighborhood Patrol Officer of the Year and Fort Worth Neighbor of the Year. The Danny Scarth Trailblazer of the Year Award goes to someone who has led or advocated for residents living with disabilities.

The city added one more individual category for 2026, the Emergency Response Champion Award, for an emergency response professional who made a positive difference in Fort Worth neighborhoods.

Help with entries

The office plans "In It to Win It!" workshops, in person and online, with tips on writing a strong nomination and documenting a group's work. The city says dates and registration details are still to come.

Winners will be announced at a celebration Saturday, March 6, 2027, at Doxology Bible Church. Registration for that event opens in January, according to the city.

Sources

fortworthtexas.gov

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