Oakville youth take centre stage at 2026 Youth Awards celebration

The Town of Oakville, in partnership with the Oakville Youth Action Committee (OYAC) and presenting sponsor Starlane Homes, is proud to announce the recipients of the 2026 Oakville Youth Awards. 

Rolling out the red carpet for the community’s rising stars, 12 outstanding youth were recognized for their achievements, community involvement, and leadership at the awards celebration on May 7 at the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts. In total, 154 exceptional young people were nominated for their contributions to Oakville.

This year’s award recipients are:

• Youth Artist Award – Meicheng Wang (Junior), Carter Whatley (Senior)
• Youth Emerging Leader Award – Hargun Kaur (Junior), Omar Elnably (Senior)
• Youth Environment Award – Caleb Jiwani (Junior), Bonnie Luo (Senior)
• Youth Involvement Award – Charlotte Andaloro (Junior), Jay Xu (Senior)
• Youth Sport Award – Sophie Makrygiannis (Junior), Jessie Xu (Senior)
• Youth STEM Award – Aryan Mohanty (Junior), Imran Allarakhia (Senior)

The red carpet-inspired celebration featured live performances by singers Varsha Sridhar, Nikki Damirchi and Arnav Naraharisetti, along with the band Friday Project. The awards ceremony was also live-streamed for family and friends who could not attend in person, and a recording is available on the Oakville Youth Awards webpage.

The event marked the grand finale of National Youth Week, which offered free activities and learning opportunities for youth across the community. More than 400 guests gathered to honour these inspiring young changemakers.

Learn more about Youth Services including the Oakville Youth Awards on the Youth Services page.

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“The Oakville Youth Awards never let you forget how bright Oakville's future is. Our young leaders are helping shape a more connected community through their leadership, compassion and drive. On behalf of Council, I congratulate all nominees and recipients for raising the bar and inspiring those around you.”

— Mayor Rob Burton