HSF Issues Official Call for Nominations for 2026 HSF Preservation Awards

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SAVANNAH, Ga. (Jan. 8, 2026) – Historic Savannah Foundation (HSF) – the leading nonprofit cultural institution dedicated to saving the buildings, places and stories that define Savannah’s past, present and future – is honored to issue a call for nominations for the 2026 HSF Preservation Awards, continuing its annual tradition of recognizing projects, individuals, organizations and companies representing excellence in preservation in Savannah and Chatham County. Nominations for Historic Savannah Foundation’s 2026 Preservation Awards will officially open on Monday, January 12 at myhsf.org.

Preservation projects should fall within at least one of several categories: restoration, rehabilitation, new construction, stewardship, craftsmanship or archaeology. The nominated project must have been completed within the past three years, and entrants must have the consent of the property owner for a nomination. Self-nominations will be accepted. Nominations that were previously submitted but were not selected to receive an award may be revised, expanded and resubmitted.

A jury of local professionals from the fields of architecture, preservation, academia and urban planning will review the nominations. New for 2026, the judges can award “Best in Category” prizes to outstanding projects that represent the pinnacle of restoration, rehabilitation, new construction, stewardship, craftsmanship or archaeology.

Historic Savannah Foundation members who have completed a restoration project within the past three years, or who know of a restoration project that may be award-worthy, are encouraged to submit a nomination.

The deadline for all 2026 HSF Preservation Award nominations is Wednesday, February 11 at 5 p.m. ET. Mailed entries must be postmarked or hand delivered to HSF headquarters, located at 321 E. York St., by this date.

“In Savannah, we’re surrounded by beautifully restored buildings and thoughtfully rehabilitated structures, making it easy to forget the hard work involved in making these preservation projects successful,” said Historic Savannah Foundation President and CEO Collier Neeley. “Historic Savannah Foundation’s Preservation Awards offer the opportunity to shine a spotlight on those who are working behind the scenes to maintain Savannah’s historic architecture and to support preservation throughout Chatham County.”  

The general evaluation criteria for Historic Savannah Foundation Preservation Awards include the following:

1. Quality and degree of difficulty of the nominee’s project or effort.
2. Degree to which the nominee’s project or effort is unusual or pioneering or serves as an example that influences good preservation practices.
3. Demonstrable or measurable impact of nominee’s project on the community.

To be eligible for an award, nominated projects must adhere to applicable Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. For more information regarding these standards, please visit nps.gov/tps/standards.htm.

The nomination fee is $75 for HSF members. Non-members are kindly asked to join HSF prior to submitting a nomination.

Hand-deliver or mail entries to:

Historic Savannah Foundation
Attn: Preservation Awards
321 East York Street
Savannah, GA 31401

HSF Preservation Award recipients will be notified by Friday, March 20. Award winners will be announced at Historic Savannah Foundation’s Preservation Awards Ceremony, which will take place on Thursday, May 7 at Garden Square at 2400 Bull St. in honor of is National Historic Preservation Month. 

For more information about the Historic Savannah Foundation Preservation Awards, please visit myhsf.org or contact HSF Education and Research Associate Kendall Graham at [email protected] or 912-233-7787 ext. 109.