With just days left, last chance to submit nominations for annual gala event
Nominations for the 2026 Canadian HR Awards will close at 11:59 p.m. ET on June 19, ending a submission period that opened on March 30 and leaving the country's human resources community only days to put candidates forward.
The program – now in its 13th year – recognises the individuals, teams and organisations shaping the future of work across Canada.
The awards is the industry's most respected platform for celebrating innovation, impact and leadership in human resources. The 2026 edition will again spotlight professionals driving culture, championing talent and delivering measurable business results through HR excellence.
There is no fee to submit a nomination. A single nominator may put the same candidate forward in more than one category, and multiple nominators may endorse the same individual. All entries must be submitted through the awards' Nominate page.
Program spans more than two dozen categories
This year's awards cover individual and team recognition across more than two dozen categories. Individual honours include the O.C. Tanner Award for Lifetime Achievement in HR, the SAP Canada Award for CEO of the Year – People First Leadership, the ADP Canada Award for Excellence in Emerging HR Leadership and the Woman of Distinction in HR.
The Excellence in Senior HR Leadership category requires nominators to provide a career overview, demonstrate advancement of organisational HR strategy, and show at least two major people initiatives delivered within the past 12 months. Nominees must also provide evidence of navigating a significant organisational challenge and document measurable business and people outcomes.
Company and team categories recognise achievement in employee wellbeing, social impact and corporate responsibility, learning and capability development, total rewards and recognition, workplace culture, employer branding, and HR communication and change strategy. Further honours cover diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, flexible and hybrid work, talent acquisition, and HR technology and AI innovation, alongside HR team performance categories divided by organisation size and by sector, including finance and insurance and retail and hospitality.
Past recipients describe the recognition
Mona Malone of BMO Financial Group said the recognition carried weight beyond the award itself. "I'm incredibly honored to be recognized by the HR profession," she said. "It is incredibly meaningful and I really believe that the HR profession is a fantastic career path for people, and for me, it's been the result of mentors I've had, the passion I have for the work that has really helped."
Nicole Desloges of the HRPA pointed to the event's role in acknowledging practitioners who work outside the spotlight. "This is wonderful to network, but also to recognize so many great people that are not always at the forefront or in the news or the most known people, but all these individuals make a difference," she said.
Chris Pepper of Fidelity Canada highlighted the breadth of expertise the ceremony draws. "It's great to be surrounded by so many amazing people because in this room there are people doing things in all parts of HR and learning and development in all these areas, so we're gonna pick up a lot of ideas tonight," he said.
Gala scheduled for October in Toronto
Winners will be announced at a gala on Oct. 1 at Rebel Toronto. The ceremony caps a nomination and judging process the organisers say is intended to identify excellence across the full range of HR practice.
Nominations remain open through the awards' Nominate page until the June 19 deadline. The organisers note that there is no cost to participate and that nominators may endorse candidates in more than one category.
