The Beverly Hills Health and Human Relations Commission wants residents to name the neighbor, colleague or city employee who best models respect and positive community relations. Nominations for the 16th annual Embrace Civility Award opened Aug. 3, with a deadline of Monday, Aug. 31.

The winner will be recognized by the Beverly Hills City Council at a meeting in October. Every nominee, not just the recipient, will also be acknowledged by the commission, according to Canyon News.

To qualify, a nominee must be a Beverly Hills resident, a city employee or someone associated with a business or organization that has operated in the city for at least one year. There is no age requirement.

The commission is looking for someone who meets one or more of three criteria: acts as a role model of positive behavior, takes a stand in support of respect and responsible actions, or promotes positive neighbor-to-neighbor relations.

"We're looking to honor someone who has created positive, lasting civil change and inspires others to take action," then-commission chair Sonia Berman said in 2018, when the city sought nominees for the seventh annual award. The criteria have remained the same since.

A program rooted in 2010

The Embrace Civility program launched in 2010, when the city's former Human Relations Commission wove principles of civility and responsible action into daily operations at City Hall and into municipal election proceedings. The annual award itself began in 2012 and has been presented every year since.

The commission administering the award is itself new in its current form. On Jan. 1, the former Human Relations Commission merged with the Health and Safety Commission under a City Council-approved reorganization, creating the Health and Human Relations Commission that now oversees the program.

Recent honorees

Last year, Mayor Nazarian and the full City Council presented the award to Dr. Steven Jacobs at the Oct. 28, 2025 council meeting. In 2023, Tina Wiener received the 13th annual award and a proclamation at the Nov. 7, 2023, council meeting from then-Mayor Dr. Julian Gold.

How to nominate

Residents can submit a nomination at beverlyhills.org/embracecivilityaward. The deadline is Monday, Aug. 31.