Alberta is home to families from diverse backgrounds who help to make positive impacts on their communities.

The provincial government wants to honour those newcomers who have enriched the province through their leadership, innovation in business, achievements in either their professional or academic fields, or those who have created a more welcoming and inclusive community.

The Alberta Newcomer Recognition Awards honour those who were not born in Canada but have made Alberta their home and helped to make it a better place to live.

There are nine award categories: Career and Academics Contribution, Entrepreneurial Spirit, Newcomer Champions, Inclusive Workplaces, Senior Spirit Award, Newcomer Champion, Small Community Enhancement, Student Inspiration, and Women's Newcomer Impact and Young Leader.

Each category may have more than one recipient.

"Newcomers bring fresh skills, perspectives, and energy to Alberta; they start businesses, help sustain vital industries and take active roles in their neighbourhoods, schools and workplaces. They add diversity and cultural vibrancy. It is important that we take time to recognize them, no matter when they arrived here, for their crucial contributions in making our communities better," explained the Minister of Immigration and Multiculturalism Muhammad Yaseen.

Nomination submissions are evaluated based on criteria like the nominee's overall contribution, how they demonstrated leadership and originality when problem-solving, and how their action fulfilled a need an made an impact on others.

Nominations will be open until noon on June 20.

To learn more about this award and how to nominate someone, click here.