The Bangor City Cultural Commission’s arts awards committee reported that nominations are being finalized and that the awards ceremony will be held Wednesday, Oct. 1, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the State of Shore (venue name as stated in meeting materials). The commission said nominations had been received and the committee will vet duplicates before jurors meet to select a winner.

Committee members said the nomination form closed at the end of the advertisement period; an initial count given during the meeting was 14 nominations with a later update adding eight additional submissions (some duplicates). The nominations will be reviewed by the awards committee, which will then meet with the jurors to complete the jurying process later in the week so materials can be prepared for the Oct. 1 event.

The commission confirmed jurors so far include Cara Lehi (identified as “from Red Rabbit” in the meeting) and Ben Lehman, last year’s award winner, whom the commission typically asks to serve as a juror. Staff and the committee will reach out to alternates and proposed jurors to fill the remaining seats and to address potential conflicts of interest when nominees are affiliated with prospective jurors’ institutions.

The commission discussed logistics for the Oct. 1 celebration: printing a nominee information sheet, presenting nominees at the event, a brief networking format with light food provided and beverages available for purchase, and engraving a plaque/report for the winner. Staff said the city will assist with printing certificates and nominee sheets.

Committee members agreed to keep the winner confidential until the ceremony to encourage attendance and artist support. The committee will meet one final time after jurors complete their review and will return a recommendation to the full commission for any remaining procedural actions.

No vote or final winner selection occurred during the meeting; the commission’s next steps are vetting nominations, confirming jurors, and finalizing event logistics.