All-Star Community Awards

The All-Star Community Awards program seeks to acknowledge and encourage excellence in local government and provides an opportunity for officials and staff of member cities to receive recognition for their superior and innovative efforts. In addition, the program provides a means for sharing Iowa’s best public service ideas and demonstrates that those involved with local government are progressive, caring and committed to their communities. Applications must be submitted using the online entry form and are due April 7, 2025. Applications may be submitted throughout the year.

2025 Award Timeline

• April 7 – All-Star Applications due. 
• June/July– League staff will coordinate with the winners in population categories on their Cityscape article and slideshow.
• August – Population winners are announced on League’s social media outlets & in Cityscape magazine.
• August – People’s All-Star voting begins. (Specific date will depend on the number of applications received).
• September 18– Award Banquet, at League’s Annual Conference & Exhibit.
  The winner of the People’s All-Star will be announced at this event; voting for the winner will end at 2 p.m. The population winners will also be recognized at this event.

The Purpose

With the All-Star Community Awards program, the Iowa League of Cities seeks to acknowledge and encourage excellence in local government. The program provides an opportunity for officials and staff of member cities to receive recognition for their superior and innovative efforts. In addition, the program provides a means for sharing Iowa’s best public service ideas and demonstrates that those involved with local government are progressive, caring and committed to their communities. 

Eligible Projects

Each member city of the League may submit only one entry to the All-Star Community awards per year. Entries must describe programs or projects successfully operating or completed between January 1 and December 31, 2024. Programs or projects eligible for an All-Star Community Award include, but aren’t limited to, city service improvements, quality of life enrichment and local government partnerships. Potential entries could include diversity appreciation, urban renewal, neighborhood or business development, historic preservation, sharing of services or facilities, or improving the quality, quantity or efficiency of city services. The League encourages communities of all sizes to apply. 

Preparation of Entries

Please submit only the entry form and high-resolution photos, completed as clearly and completely as possible. Entries will only be eligible if the entry form is completed and submitted by the due date and the box verifying information about the award was shared with the mayor, council and other interested and affected parties is checked. Entries will be judged solely on the content submitted on the entry form, not on the photo. In addition to the entry form, cities may participate in the “People’s All-Star” competition by submitting one, high-resolution photo that best represents their project. Photos may not include additional logos or text. More information on the “People’s All-Star” competition is available below. 

The Judging

Entries are divided into three population categories; less than 3,000, 3,000-9,999 and more than 10,000. Independent judges knowledgeable in local government will evaluate each project. One winner will be chosen from each population category. The judges will look for each project’s impact on the community, including how it met the community’s needs, its value to the community, how many people it affected and its longevity. Projects will also be judged on originality, cost-effectiveness, use of inter-government collaboration and innovation. 

People’s All-Star Community – Facebook “Like” Competition

After the panel of judges chooses winners from each population category, the remaining applications will be entered into a bracket-style tournament for public “Liking” (voting). Photos and captions submitted with their entry form will be posted on the League’s Facebook page, and photos/captions with the most Likes will move to the next round. The one winner of the People’s All-Star tournament will be announced at the League’s Annual Conference & Exhibit and will be recognized alongside the winners from the population categories.  

The Prize

All applicants will be alerted by email of their application status by the end of May 2025. The All-Star Community Award winners and the People’s All-Star winner will receive an attractive, stand-alone, star-shaped award suitable for display in city hall. Each winning project will be recognized at the League’s 2025 Annual Conference & Exhibit, featured in the League magazine, Cityscape, and brought to the attention of local media. All entries will be featured on the League’s Web site. 

Entry Deadline

Entries are due to the League by Monday, April 7, 2025. Late entries will not be accepted. Applications must be submitted using the online form​​ and may be submitted throughout the year. Photos must be emailed to the league by the April 7, 2025 deadline as well. Questions? Please call the League at (515) 244-7282 or email us.