What a night, Southfield.

On Thursday, Oct. 1, neighbors, families, photographers, business owners and City leaders came together in the Southfield Public Library Meeting Room to celebrate the 2026 Community Pride Awards and the Southfield Photo Prize. It was more than an awards ceremony. It was a room full of people who love where they live, and it showed.

Guests enjoyed food and conversation, watched a slideshow of this year's award-winning homes on the big screen, and walked through a display of stunning large-format prints from our Photo Prize finalists. Every honoree went home with a certificate, and plenty of smiles, hugs and photos were shared along the way.

Thank you for showing up for Southfield

The Community Pride Awards and the Photo Prize exist for one reason: to celebrate the people who make Southfield a place we're proud to call home. Every planted flower bed, freshly trimmed hedge, welcoming entrance and well-framed photo adds something to the character of our city. When one neighbor takes pride in their block, it inspires the next one. That's how a community thrives.

To every resident who nominated a neighbor, entered a photo, cast a vote or came out to celebrate: thank you. You are the reason these programs keep growing year after year.

Celebrating our 2026 honorees

This year's Community Pride honorees were recognized for going above and beyond to keep Southfield beautiful, and each received a certificate and a 2026 Community Pride Awards yard sign to proudly display. Congratulations to our top three homes of 2026: William & Linda McCray (1st Place), Eric & Gloria Hardy (2nd Place) and Lorine Porter (3rd Place).

As well as Martha Annette Davison, Alexis Dotson, Charlene and Danny Jones, Calvin Mathaw, Debyleen Coty, John and Willie Whitby, Steve Wilkerson, Alfred and Rosemary Summer, Vassal and Doris Johnson, Ebonie Adams, Joe Lanier, Rodney and Lenora Brown, Walter and Velma Holman, Connie and Deloris Shelly, Rafael and Maria Rivera, Thomas Osberger and Terri Hodgson, Roberta and Charles Jarvi, Ronald and Terra Walker, James and Connie Small, Nate and Adoree Gipson, Anne Bonner, Henry and Lena Smith, Juanita L. Bufford, Tina Sitto, Norman H. Yono, Elaine Yaffe, Rachel and Ariana Baker, Art Atcho, Ms. Woods, Frances Smith, Kevin and Brenda Threatt, Kendall and Rose Taylor, Linda Trotter, Andrea Lyles-Walker, Dale Dobbins, Mrs. Patricia Wright, Dianna Ciurleo, Senaria Davis and Felicia Millz.

Congratulations as well to our 2026 Southfield Photo Prize winners: Mikiyo Takemoto-Ford (1st Place), Nancy Kulish (2nd Place) and Dr. Darren Hood (3rd Place), whose photos made all of us look twice at the city we see every day. A special thank you to our Photo Prize finalists who came out to be recognized: Dalin Allshouse, Keir Pittman, Cindy J. Briggs, Angela Hood, Vanassa Gandy, Rhonda Terry, Benjamin J. Covault, Sarah Takacs, Reuben Cheney, Renji Inuzuka and Michael Marmorstein. Each finalist received an award for sharing their talent and their view of Southfield, and together you filled the room and made the night feel like a gallery opening. Thank you all for helping make Southfield shine!

With gratitude

Thank you to Mayor Kenson Siver and Community Relations Director Janell Hearns for presenting this year's awards, to City Council members, the Total Living Commission and our volunteer judges for their time and care, to the Southfield Public Library for hosting us, and to the Community Relations team for bringing it all together.

Southfield is a community for all, and nights like this prove it. Keep planting, keep shooting and keep showing your pride. We can't wait to see what you do in 2027!

Questions? Contact Community Relations at (248) 796-5130 or info@cityofsouthfield.com.