Nominations Open For 31st Annual Governor’s Arts Awards

Nominations are now open for the 31st annual Governor's Arts Awards, which will be presented in six categories to individuals and businesses who have made substantial and outstanding contributions to arts and culture in Arizona.

Winners will be announced at the Governor's Arts Awards in March at the Herberger Theater, 222 E. Monroe. The Governor's Arts Awards are presented by Arizona Citizens for the Arts in partnership with the Arizona Commission on the Arts and the Office of the Governor.

Since 1981, 144 artists, individuals, arts and cultural organizations, educators and businesses have received Governor's Arts Awards.

Nomination categories are:
• Artist: recognizing an Arizona artist of significant merit, leadership or renown whose creations or contributions enrich the state and the field of the arts. This category is open to artists of all disciplines.
• Individual: recognizing an individual for significant contributions to the arts in Arizona in arts leadership, support and/or volunteerism.

• Community: recognizing a community organization or institution that has demonstrated significant support of or participation in community-based programs or services fostering excellence in, appreciation of, or access to the arts in Arizona. Schools or school districts are not eligible in this category.

• Arts In Education Organization: recognizing a nonprofit arts organization or school that has demonstrated significant support or participation in activities which foster excellence in, appreciation of, or access to arts education in Arizona.

• Arts In Education Individual: recognizing educators, teaching artists, school administrators or school volunteers who have demonstrated significant support or participation in activities fostering excellence in, appreciation of, or access to arts education in Arizona.
• Business: recognizing small to large businesses demonstrating significant support through time, energy and/or financial support or by participation in activities which foster excellence in, appreciation of, or access to the arts throughout the state.

Honorees will be selected by an independent panel of judges. Nominees must be living residents of Arizona, a business operating in and for the benefit of Arizona, a school or a community organization. Business, arts organizations or school honorees that have won the award may be nominated again if at least five years has passed since receiving the award. Previous individual Governor's Arts Awards recipients in any category are not eligible.

Nominations must be completed online by 5 p.m., December 16. To complete a nomination application, go to www.governorsartsawards.org.

The seventh annual Shelley Award also will be presented to an Arizona individual who has advanced the arts through strategic and innovative work in creating or supporting public policy beneficial to the arts in Arizona. The award is named for Shelley Cohn, who spent more than 25 years as executive director of the Arizona Commission on the Arts.