The Downtown Development District of New Orleans (DDD) created the Downtown NOLA Awards as an annual program to recognize exceptional accomplishments of Downtown NOLA property owners, businesses, residents, workers, and organizations. We want to honor the people and places that inspire, innovate and integrate the Downtown NOLA brand into their Downtown neighborhoods!
2023 Downtown NOLA Awards
Celebration and Recognition of Honorees
Join the DDD the evening of October 18th as we celebrate the best of Downtown New Orleans. The event will be at the Audubon Aquarium with a cocktail reception beginning at 6:30 PM and awards at 8:00 PM, followed by live music and dancing.
Thank You to Our Event Sponsors
Who is Eligible?
Any Downtown property owner, business, resident, worker, organization or project is eligible; however, projects must be 100% complete by the nomination deadline Friday, June 21 at 11:59 pm.
Nominees must meet at least one of the following criteria to be considered:
Downtown Inspiration
Downtown property owner, business, resident or worker who is a leader, collaborator and advocate for Downtown development.
iMINDER
An individual with proven success in one of DDD’s core industries: arts-based businesses, digital media or biosciences.
3rd Space
“Third space”, i.e. restaurant, bar, coffee shop, green space, etc., that provides a creative environment for people to collaborate, work and network.
Development project
An individual or organization that has completed a project that improves the quality of life Downtown.
Adaptive Reuse
Preservationists and owners of homes and businesses who keep the integrity of Downtown’s historic buildings while modernizing them for reuse.
Façade Improvement Project
Building owner or lessee that has invested in improving the appearance of their building’s façade. The façade improvement must be a quality renovation that will enhance and be consistent with the historical design, materials and architectural character reflected in the original design of the building.
Public Improvement Project
Local public works project that improved the environment of Downtown NOLA.
Green Project
A resident, business or property owner that helps keep Downtown green.
Best Kept Secret
Presented to one of Downtown’s gems that is low profile, but deserves recognition for its programs, services or amenities it provides to Downtown.
Nomination Process
- Provide a cover letter with the nominee’s name (person, business, development, program, or organization). You must include your name, address, phone number, and email as well as the nominee’s contact information.
- Each nomination should consist of a nomination summary of up to 350 words that provides a clear and concise overview of why the project, business, organization, or individual should be considered for an award.
- Include up to 5 images of the project, business, organization, or individual being nominated. Images should be of high quality. Videos may be submitted in addition to photos.
- More than one nomination may be submitted; however, a separate entry must be completed for each.
Evaluation Criteria
Scoring Process
The DDD’s Downtown NOLA Awards Committee consists of a variety of Downtown leaders and DDD staff members. The Committee will review the nominations based on the evaluation criteria to determine the top honorees.