Great American Main Street Awards

Winners represent the diversity of communities in the Main Street America network — small towns, mid-sized communities, and urban commercial districts from every region in the country — and demonstrate the power of the Main Street Approach™. Since the inception of the Great American Main Street Awards in 1995, over 110 Main Street programs have been honored.

Eligibility: All Accredited Main Street America programs, with an active Main Street membership and that have not previously won, are eligible to apply for GAMSA.

Application: The application period for the 2026 GAMSA cycle is expected to open in mid-May. Stay tuned! 

Selection Criteria: Semifinalist and winners are selected from a nationwide pool of applicants by a jury of Main Street professionals and leaders in the fields of community and economic development and historic preservation. Criteria for winning GAMSA include: strength of the Main Street program in spurring community transformation, commitment to historic preservation, innovative programming, implementation of cross-sector partnerships, community outreach and stakeholder engagement, and ensuring their downtown districts are for everyone.

Accolades & Ceremony: Semifinalists will be promoted through MSA’s digital channels and will receive media relations materials. Winners also receive a short documentary film, a plaque, media relations support, prominent placement on the MSA website for two years, and recognition at a ceremony at the 2026 Main Street Now Conference in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Questions: Email gamsa@​mainstreet.​org.