A distinction is a recognition that names a building as notable in itself. Nobody competed for it and no threshold was measured, which is what separates it from the other kinds of recognition.

An award is decided by a jury choosing between entries, and a certificate states that a defined standard was met. A distinction does neither. A listing on a heritage register or an entry on a national inventory belongs here.

The absence of a contest is the test. Where a body compared candidates and picked one, record the result as an award instead.