Each member of the Consell de Ciutat may put forward up to four candidates: two individuals, one woman and one man, plus two entities or institutions.
Proposals can be submitted until 9 November. After nominations close, the council will select candidates to send to Alcaldía. Public voting through Decidim Barcelona is scheduled for 30 November to 21 December.
The timetable was exceptionally brought forward because of the expected electoral calendar. The 2027 nomination process coincides with the 2026 Medals of Honour ceremony, scheduled for 10 November.
Barcelona distinguishes between the Medalla d’Or de la Ciutat and the Medalla d’Or al Mèrit Cívic. The medals recognise contributions to the city’s civic life and the development of civic values. They also highlight the city’s diverse associative and cultural networks and initiatives affecting collective life. In 2026, the municipal plenary approved four recipients across the two categories: journalist and writer Lluís Permanyer received the City Gold Medal, while Pilar Malla, lawyer Jesús María Sánchez García and business leader Ramon Agenjo received Gold Medals for Civic Merit. The awards to Permanyer and Malla were posthumous. The 2026 decisions were approved by the plenary on 5 November, with votes varying by recipient: the awards for Permanyer and Sánchez were unanimous, while Malla’s and Agenjo’s received different patterns of support, opposition and abstention among council groups. The civic remit differs from the religious recognition at the centre of the Madrid ceremony.
