The BC + AI Awards
​Celebrating human-machine collaboration, homegrown intelligence, and the creative rebels shaping our shared future.
​🧬 Overview
​The BC+AI Awards recognize radical thinkers, builders, artists, and changemakers pushing the boundaries of artificial intelligence in British Columbia. From indie researchers on the Gulf Islands to open-source devs in East Van, from Indigenous technologists reimagining data sovereignty to artists coaxing poetry from the machine—this is where we honour our own.
​Forget the hype, forget the VC decks, forget the Silicon Valley metrics. This is about what intelligence looks like here.
​🌲 About
​British Columbia is a biome of intelligence—ecological, emotional, ancestral, and algorithmic. The BC+AI Awards shine a light on the minds and movements shaping the province’s distinct AI culture.
​Hosted by the Kris Krüg, Vancouver AI & community-driven BC+AI industry association, the awards are not just a night of trophies. They're a ritual of recognition, a call to gather, and a statement of values for an ecosystem growing in the shadow of Big Tech—yet dreaming its own dream.
​Why Now?
​Because British Columbia is already cultivating something rare and remarkable in the AI space—but the world hasn’t caught up to it yet.
​Because the dominant AI narrative is being written by centralized powers—and we believe in showcasing decentralized, community-rooted intelligence.
​Because creators, educators, organizers, and cultural stewards deserve the same spotlight as startups and institutions. This ecosystem isn’t just built on code—it’s built on care.
​Because awards shape the stories we tell about progress—and we choose to celebrate ethics, imagination, and shared purpose.
​Because it’s no longer enough to build models. It’s time to build meaning.
​Categories
​Applied AI for Good: Honours a project using AI to solve real problems—whether in climate, health, housing, accessibility, justice, or community well-being. Practical. Purposeful. Grounded.
​Artistic Intelligence: Celebrates work where AI becomes part of the creative process—visual art, music, movement, storytelling, design. The medium is open; the message is yours.
​Indigenous-Led Innovation: Recognizes Indigenous-led or allied projects advancing sovereignty, cultural knowledge, or language through technology. For those bringing deep roots to digital futures.
​Open Source Hero: For individuals or teams building open tools, models, datasets, or frameworks—and sharing them freely. Community builders. Commons expanders.
​The Intelligentsia Award: Honours educators, critics, theorists, journalists, and communicators offering sharp insight and deeper context. For those shaping how we understand this moment.
​Community Catalyst: Recognizes behind-the-scenes legends—organizers, educators, connectors—who grow the ecosystem and make space for others. The glue. The gardeners.
​Experimental Frontier: For bold experiments, strange ideas, and boundary-pushing prototypes. Maybe it worked. Maybe it didn’t. But it moved us all forward.
​Human–AI Collaboration: Awarded to projects that elevate what’s possible when people and machines work in true partnership. Not automation—augmentation.
​Emerging Voice: For early-career creators, newcomers, or self-taught builders doing remarkable work in the AI space. No credentials required—just vision.
​Policy & Stewardship: Recognizing those influencing the frameworks around AI: governance, law, education, public service, or advocacy. The architects of alignment.
​Interdisciplinary Excellence: For work that defies category—across science, arts, design, education, health, civic tech. Where AI meets the unexpected.
​The Process
​Phase 1: Nominations Open - Anyone can nominate—yourself, a friend, a team, or a project. The process is open, low-barrier, and community-first. Just share a short description, relevant links, and why the nominee’s work matters.
​Phase 2: Community Review - A diverse volunteer jury—composed of peers, elders, technologists, artists, educators, and community leaders—will review all submissions. We’ll also open select categories for public voting, ensuring the wider scene has a voice in the process.
​Phase 3: Finalists Announced - A shortlist of finalists will be announced in advance of the event. Their work will be profiled across our channels and featured in a limited-run printed showcase. It’s not just about recognition—it’s about documentation and storytelling.
​Phase 4: The Ceremony - A live gathering at a location that feels true to this community—something iconic, unexpected, and undeniably BC. Think storytelling, live demos, generative visuals, collaborative performance, and hand-crafted awards. Not a gala. A ritual of recognition. A celebration of the people shaping this moment.
​Want to Help?
​We're looking for collaborators, curators, sponsors, performers, and visionaries. If this speaks to your spirit, come build it with us.
​You feel that? That’s the sound of the future being locally sourced.
​Let’s give it a stage. 🏆✨