The Guangzhou International Award for Urban Innovation (the Guangzhou Award) is co-sponsored by the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), the World Association of the Major Metropolises (Metropolis) and the City of Guangzhou. It aims to recognize innovation in improving social, economic and environmental sustainability in cities and regions and, in so doing, to advance the prosperity and quality of life of their citizens.

The Guangzhou Award, presented biennially, is open to all cities and local governments with successful initiatives in urban innovation. The initiative that is entered for the Guangzhou Award should be an ongoing or recently completed (within the past two years) project, measure or policy that produces practical effect or substantial influence, boasting originality, exemplariness and transferability.

The assessment of each cycle’s Guangzhou Award is conducted by international experts independently. The Technical Committee selects up to 15 shortlisted cities and no more than 30 deserving cities from approved applications. From the shortlist, the Jury makes a final selection of up to five award winning cities. Each winner is granted USD 20,000 cash prize, a trophy, and a commemorative certificate designed for the Award. Started from the 5th Guangzhou Award, besides the winners, the remaining short-listed initiatives will be recognized in the form of a Medal of Honor. 

Since 2012, six cycles of the Guangzhou Award have been held, each of which receives initiatives from more than 150 cities of over 50 countries and regions. These six cycles have made the Guangzhou Award a treasure trove of over 1,600 initiatives which cover a wide range of areas, including infrastructure and public services, participatory planning and good governance, partnerships, technology, resilience, social inclusion and gender equality.

The previous winners of the Guangzhou Award are as follows:

Winners of the 1st Guangzhou Award (2012): 

• Kocaeli (Turkey)
• Lilongwe (Malawi)
• Seoul (South Korea)
• Vancouver (Canada)
• Vienna (Austria)

Winners of the 2nd Guangzhou Award (2014): 

• Antioquia (Colombia)
• Bristol (United Kingdom)
• Christchurch (New Zealand)
• Dakar (Senegal)
• Hangzhou (China)

Online Popular City: Hangzhou (China)

Media Focused City: Bristol (United Kingdom)

Public Recommended City: Antioquia (Colombia)

Winners of the 3rd Guangzhou Award (2016): 

• Boston (United States)
• Copenhagen (Denmark)
• Qalyubeya (Egypt)
• La Paz (Bolivia)
• Songpa (South Korea)

Online Popular City: La Paz (Bolivia)

Special Mention City: Yiwu (China)

Winners of the 4th Guangzhou Award (2018): 

• Wuhan (China)
• Milan (Italy)
• Guadalajara (Mexico)
• Mezitli (Turkey)
• New York City (United States)

Online Popular City: Surabaya (Indonesia)

Winners of the 5th Guangzhou Award (2021):

• Chongqing (China)
• Vienna (Austria)
• Union of Dannieh Municipalities (Lebanon)
• Quito (Ecuador)
• Departmental Council of Saint Loius (Senegal)

Online Popular City: Odisha (India)

Winners of Medal of Honor: 

• Los Angeles (United States of America)
• City of Cape Town  (South Africa)
• Breda (Netherlands)
• Municipality of Antananarivo (Madagascar)
• Bandung City Government (Indonesia)
• Berhampur (India)
• Odisha (India)
• Capital Region (Denmark)
• São José Dos Pinhais (Brazil)

Winners of the 6th Guangzhou Award (2023):

• Bogotá, Colombia
• Chalandri, Greece
• Gwangju, Republic of Korea
• Kampala, Uganda
• Xianning, China
  

The City of Your Choice: Xianning, China

Winners of Medal of Honor: 

• Antalya, Türkiye
• Cape Town, South Africa
• Iztapalapa, Mexico
• Jakarta, Indonesia
• Kazan, Russia
• Mannheim, Germany
• Pimpri Chinchwad, India
• Ramallah, Palestine
• São Paulo, Brazil
• Tehran, Iran