Nominations now open for 2026 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards
Nominations are due June 1 for the annual awards honoring excellence in preservation in Illinois
Chicago, April 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Landmarks Illinois is accepting nominations for the 2026 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards. The annual awards program recognizes exceptional efforts in preserving, restoring and revitalizing historic places in Illinois. Nominations are due June 1, 2026, and can be submitted online here.
“Our annual award winners do more than save old buildings — they transform places of our past to boost economic development and tackle our most pressing modern challenges, such as housing access and climate change mitigation,” said Bonnie McDonald, President & CEO of Landmarks Illinois. “As we mark the 250th anniversary of the United States, it is especially important to honor those preserving the places and inclusive stories that highlight Illinois’ role in our nation’s history.”
2026 Award details
Nine winners are selected each year through the Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards. Winners are announced in the summer and will be honored at a public ceremony in Chicago in the fall. Details of the awards ceremony event will be announced at a later date.
Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards will be given in the following general categories:
- Advocacy: An effective local or statewide campaign to preserve and protect a historic resource.
- Leadership: An individual, municipality, private organization or joint partnership that has championed historic preservation, planning, cultural heritage conservation or public policy.
- Rehabilitation: Projects that make possible the use of historic commercial/industrial buildings, multi-family/affordable housing residences, public/institutional structures or preserve a cultural heritage site through adaptive reuse and/or rehabilitation.
- Restoration: Projects that make possible the continued use of historic commercial/industrial buildings, multi-family/affordable housing residences, public/institutional structures or preserve a cultural heritage site by returning it to its original state.
- Stewardship: Projects or programs that uplift place-based history through community education or engagement; or projects that provide ongoing care and maintenance to a historic resource, or resources that preserve their cultural, architectural and/or historical significance while keeping them in active long-term use.
- Environmental Sustainability: Projects that sensitively introduce green building technologies to historic commercial/industrial buildings, multi-family/affordable housing residences or public/institutional structures.
One of the 2026 selected award winners will also receive the Richard H. Driehaus Legacy Award, which honors the memory of the late Richard H. Driehaus. The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation has generously supported this annual awards program since 1994. The recipient of this esteemed award must demonstrate the immense power of preservation, following in the footsteps of Driehaus, who believed reusing places of our past creates positive change and motivates others to save important places.
2026 Nomination requirements
Nominations submitted for a 2026 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Award must be for projects or people located within Illinois. Projects must also have been completed within the last five years. Phased projects may be considered if the nominated phase is complete and can stand on its own merits. Buildings included in nominated preservation projects do not need to be officially designated as local or national landmarks. They should, however, be valued by residents and celebrated for their local history or culture.
Nominations may be submitted in someone’s honor and/or without the nominee's knowledge. Self-nominations are also accepted. Previous submissions not selected for an award may also be revised and resubmitted for consideration.
There is no fee to submit a nomination for the 2026 Landmarks Illinois Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Preservation Awards. A jury of preservation professionals will review the nominations and determine the winners of this year’s awards. Landmarks Illinois strives to achieve balanced representation from various preservation disciplines throughout the state. The nominees and projects that promote a vision of preservation in line with Landmarks Illinois’ Transformational Plan will receive the greatest consideration. View past award winners at our website.
About Landmarks Illinois
Landmarks Illinois is a membership-based, historic preservation nonprofit organization founded in 1971. Our mission is to accelerate the preservation and reuse of significant places statewide to foster healthy, livable and thriving communities. Through advocacy, funding, technical expertise and public engagement, we position preservation as an accessible, equitable and effective tool to support strategic, community-driven revitalization. For more information, visit www.Landmarks.org.
Attachments
Kaitlyn McAvoy Landmarks Illinois 312-995-9679 kmcavoy@landmarks.org
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