Nominations are now closed!

The Nebraska Arts Council is now accepting nominations for the 2023 State Arts Awards. The biennial awards program is Nebraska’s premier event in recognizing individuals and organizations that shape our state’s artistic landscape. The impact of the arts, and these honorees, is felt in the classroom, the economy, and the community.

New nomination deadline: Nominations will be accepted until midnight on July 16, 2023.

The awards ceremony and reception will be held at the Embassy Suites in downtown Lincoln on October 19th, 2023.

Previous Awardees List

Please refer to the list of previous awardees before submitting a nomination (Previous winners since 2008 are not eligible to receive an award in 2023).

Nominate individuals/organizations in the following categories.

Access to the Arts:

Awarded to an individual, business, or community organization leading the cause of outreach and inclusion in the arts.

Outstanding Artist:

An individual artist practicing in any discipline whose work or career has made a significant contribution to their art form and to the state of Nebraska.

Leadership in the Arts:

An individual arts administrator, patron, or artist who, through their leadership, has made a significant impact on the arts in Nebraska.

Excellence in Arts Education:

Awarded to an educator, arts education program, or community organization that has made a long-term, outstanding contribution to arts education in Nebraska.

Heritage Award:

Awarded to an individual, group or organization that exemplifies excellence within a cultural tradition.

Organizational Achievement Award:

An arts organization whose achievements demonstrate a consistently high level of excellence in programming and outreach.

Thomas C. Woods III Partner in the Arts Award:

An individual, business, school district, or community organization that has shown outstanding commitment by its continued support of the arts through time, energy, expertise, and/or financial support.