The 2025 LMC Awards Program: Celebrating Excellence in Minnesota Cities

Looking for a way to celebrate your city’s achievements and honor the leaders who drive its success? The League of Minnesota Cities Awards Program is the perfect opportunity to shine a spotlight on your community’s accomplishments and the individuals who make it thrive.

From now until Monday, April 21, the League is accepting submissions for the 2025 LMC Awards Program, an annual tradition that honors the exceptional achievements of cities and local leaders across Minnesota. The LMC Awards Program recognizes innovation, leadership, and sustainability, celebrating those who make a positive and lasting impact on their communities.

City of Excellence Awards: Celebrating Outstanding Cities

The City of Excellence Awards recognize cities that stand out for their outstanding achievements in a variety of areas. Whether it’s tackling local challenges, driving community engagement, or achieving remarkable growth, these awards highlight the efforts that make Minnesota’s cities thrive.

The awards are given in three population categories, ensuring cities of all sizes have a chance to be recognized. In addition to these categories, a Topical Category is introduced each year, focused on a timely or relevant area of excellence. For 2025, the Topical Category is Successful Collaboration Among Local Governments—a crucial theme in today’s interconnected world where local governments work together to solve shared challenges, pool resources, and create stronger communities.

This year’s Successful Collaboration focus underscores the importance of partnerships between cities, counties, and other local entities to foster mutual goals. If your city has forged successful collaborations in addressing regional issues or providing better services to residents, the City of Excellence Awards might just be your chance to showcase your city’s achievements!

Learn more about the City of Excellence Awards.

Honoring Above and Beyond Leadership with Individual Awards

The LMC Awards Program also includes several prestigious individual awards, celebrating the dedication and leadership of key figures within local government.

• C.C. Ludwig Award: Named after the late C.C. Ludwig who served as the League’s executive director from 1935-1959, this award recognizes elected officials who have made substantial contributions to the improvement of Minnesota city government. Whether through visionary leadership, innovative policies, or a lifelong commitment to public service, recipients of this award exemplify the best in local governance.

• James F. Miller Leadership Award: This award honors appointed city officials who have shown exceptional leadership and have gone above and beyond the call of duty in their role. The James F. Miller Award celebrates those individuals whose work positively influences not only their own city but also the broader state of Minnesota. The award is named after former Executive Director James F. Miller, who retired in 2015 after 22 years of service to the League.

• Emerging Leader Award: The Emerging Leader Award is an important recognition for elected and appointed officials who are in the early stages of their municipal careers but have already shown a remarkable commitment to public service. This award encourages and motivates up-and-coming leaders to continue their work in making a difference for Minnesota cities. Emerging Leader Award nominees must be eight or fewer years into their municipal government careers.

Please note that current League Board of Directors members and members of the Insurance Trust’s Board of Trustees are not eligible for nomination in the C.C. Ludwig, James F. Miler, and Emerging Leader awards competition.

Learn more about the individual awards.

Sustainable City Award: Recognizing Environmental Leadership

In today’s world, sustainability is at the forefront of decision-making for cities across the country, and Minnesota communities are no exception. The Sustainable City Award acknowledges cities participating in the Minnesota GreenStep Cities program that demonstrate outstanding efforts in sustainability.

GreenStep Cities is a voluntary program that helps cities implement sustainable practices aimed at protecting the environment, improving the quality of life for residents, and creating a stronger, greener future. Whether it’s through energy efficiency, waste reduction, sustainable transportation initiatives, or green infrastructure, cities leading the charge on sustainability are recognized for their vision and hard work in making Minnesota a better place to live for future generations.

Learn more about the Sustainable City Award.

Why Your City Should Submit an Entry

The LMC Awards Program offers a unique opportunity for cities and individuals to be recognized for their hard work, commitment, and leadership. Whether you’re a city leader or part of a community that has seen significant improvements, the LMC Awards are a chance to share your success and inspire others.

The submission process is a great opportunity to reflect on your city’s accomplishments and how they’ve made a positive impact on the community and the region.

The awards not only highlight excellence, but they also provide a platform to celebrate the remarkable efforts happening in Minnesota’s cities every day at the LMC Annual Conference! Award winners will be honored at the conference’s awards ceremony held Thursday, June 26, and families and loved ones are also encouraged to attend.

Submit your city’s entries by Monday, April 21, to help the League recognize the hard work and dedication of Minnesota’s cities and the individuals who make them shine.