Exactly who is this Tommie, anyway?

Thompson Okanagan Housing Awards, affectionately nicknamed the Tommies, are the premier recognition program within the region’s home building, development and supplier community.

Annually, the Tommies run two major campaigns, which are likened to being the Oscars of the local home building sector.

In December of every year, five finalists are named in up to 46 categories.

Each of those nominees is awarded a silver Tommie, a special achievement in its own right.

And then, in January, the winners in each category are announced at the Tommie gala at the Delta Grand hotel in Kelowna and are awarded a gold Tommie statuette.

No finalist list is announced for the grand Tommies.

They are named at the gala and receive their grand prize there too.

They are for residential renovator of the year, multi-family builder of the year, single-family home builder of the year (small volume of 10 or fewer homes built that year), single-family home builder of the year (large volume of 11 or more homes built that year) and home of the year.

Gord Turner was the big winner in 2017 winning two grand Tommies for renovator of the year and home of the year for a custombuilt Waterfront Estate.

Tickets to the Tommies gala on Jan. 27 at The Grand are $175 at CHBACO.com.

— The Okanagan Weekend