Yekaterinburg launches E1.RU People's Prize 2026

In 2026, Yekaterinburg entered the top 300 cities in the world for quality of life. The success of the capital of the Urals is the achievement of teachers, doctors, entrepreneurs, and thousands of other residents. The annual recognition of the city«s best companies takes place as part of the People»s Prize, established by the largest city portal E1.RU. Since 2017, awards have been given to businesses voted for by residents.

The first stage of the ninth prize began on July 20. Until August 17, every resident of Yekaterinburg can nominate their favorite business that deserves public recognition. This can be done on a special page of the prize.

The list of nominations changes every year to cover as many areas of life as possible. In 2025, residents chose driving schools, educational centers, and pet salons. In 2026, new categories appeared, and some old ones underwent changes.

Editor-in-chief of E1.RU Marina Malkova explained the innovations: «In addition to traditional ones, we have new categories. First, it is «Automobile Business of the Year», where we expect any companies somehow related to cars: from tire fitting workshops to car dealerships and driving schools. We also slightly changed the «Restaurant of the Year» category and this year we are expecting catering establishments with the best national cuisine. The category is called «National Cuisine of the Year». In addition, the category for companies where employee comfort comes first is now called «Employer of the Year in Yekaterinburg» — we expect companies from Sverdlovsk Oblast that are not subsidiaries, franchisees, or branches of federal business structures.»

An important change: the winners of the 2024–2025 prize in the categories «Medical Center of the Year», «Educational Center of the Year», «National Cuisine of the Year» (formerly «Restaurant of the Year»), «Beauty Salon and Cosmetology of the Year», and «Sports Center of the Year» will not be able to participate in the 2026 prize. They will receive the status of special guests and experts. The organizers plan to reach out to these companies to learn the secret of their success and tell about it on the portal.

Stages of the prize: from July 20 to August 17 — acceptance of applications from residents. On August 18 and 19, the editorial staff will form a shortlist of ten finalists in each category. From August 19 to September 24, readers of the portal will vote. The winners will be announced on September 25 at a gala ceremony at the KKT Kosmos (concert hall).

You can nominate a company on the prize page at e1.ru/award. The full list of 2025 winners is available on the portal«s website, and a report from the award ceremony is published in the city news section.