This tradition of honoring persons that have made significant contributions to the arts in Alabama extends back over thirty-four years to 1971 when the Council presented it’s first Certificates of Distinguished and Loyal Service.
In 1972 at a large public ceremony, Council Chairman Mrs. David (Cecil) Roberts of Birmingham presented Nancy Hanks, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, with a kiosk for the NEA offices. The presentation to Nancy Hanks, in appreciation for the assistance given to Alabama by the NEA, was followed by a reception hosted by Mrs. Roberts. Internationally acclaimed contralto Marian Anderson and U.N. Ambassador and Mrs. George Bush attended the reception. The Council presented an identical kiosk a few months later to Governor George Wallace in appreciation for having established a state level arts council in Alabama and for his ongoing support for the arts. Governor Wallace had the kiosk installed outside the State Department of Education in Montgomery so that arts groups from around the state would have a prominent location near the capitol for the display of their posters.
A more structured program began in 1974 at the first Alabama Arts Convention held in Selma. At an awards luncheon held at Craig Air Force Base, Council Vice-Chairman Aubrey Green presented “ …certificates of merit to those leaders in the arts nominated by local arts councils across the state.” Certificates of Appreciation were also presented to past member of the Alabama State Council on the Arts. Recipients of the first Merit Awards were Emily Eastburn (Performing Arts Association of Foley), Emil Hess (Greater Birmingham Arts Alliance), Helen Johnson (Decatur Arts Council), Betty Jones (Cleburne County Arts and Crafts League), Doris Leapard (Arts and Humanities Council of Tuscaloosa County), Annie Bestar Mitchell (Sumpter County Fine Arts Council), Donald Smith, Sr. (Allied Arts Council of Metropolitan Mobile), Loyd B. Tygett (The Arts Council of Huntsville), and Beth Wallace Yates (Sylacauga Area Council on the Arts and Humanities).
An outgrowth of that Alabama Arts Convention was the formation of the Alabama Association of Community Arts Council that later became the Alabama Assembly of Community Arts Councils. The Assembly’s annual convention included an awards luncheon that featured the presentation of the Council’s Merit Awards. A second group of recognition award, Media in the Arts Awards, was added at the 1976 convention. The two award groups became known as an annual awards program to recognize “…outstanding service to the arts through news media coverage or other community activities.” Eight certificates of merit were presented at that convention along with the new Media in the Arts Awards. Recipients of the first Media Awards were the Anniston Star, the Montgomery Advertiser, the Tuscaloosa News, the Hartselle Inquirer, Azalea City News (Mobile), WKRG-TV (Mobile), WSFA-TV (Montgomery), WHMA-TV (Anniston) and WKLH-FM (Montgomery). The Council continued to present approximately 25 such awards on an annual basis until 1980.
For the 1980 awards program, the Awards of Merit and the Media in the Arts Awards were combined into the Governor’s Arts Award Program. The first recipients of the Governor’s Arts Awards were M. P. Wilkerson (Montgomery), University Television Service (Tuscaloosa), Parisian’s (Huntsville), Alabama Shakespeare Festival (Anniston), Fantasy Playhouse (Huntsville), The Birmingham Ballet, Alabama Dance Theatre (Montgomery), The New Cadek Piano Quartet (Tuscaloosa), The Mobile Opera, Kentuck Association (Northport), Eastern Shore Art Association (Fairhope), Macon County Fine Arts Manifesto (Tuskegee) and the Jasmine Hills Arts Council (Wetumpka). Between 12 and 15 Governor’s Arts Awards were presented annually until 1987.
In 1986 the Lifetime Achievement Award was added as a separate category from the Governor’s Arts Awards. The first recipient of that award was James Hatcher of Birmingham who had been instrumental in establishing the State Arts Council and was the long-time director of Birmingham’s Town and Gown Theatre. Subsequent Alabamians to be honored by the Council for lifetime achievement were Jonnie Dee Little (Auburn), J. L. Lowe (Birmingham), Wynton Blount (Montgomery), Louise Rodgers (Huntsville), Hugh Thomas (Birmingham), Allen Bales (Tuscaloosa), Jack Warner (Tuscaloosa), Elton B. Stephens (Birmingham), James Nelson (Birmingham) and most recently Philip Sellers (Montgomery). This diverse group of artists, arts patrons, civic leaders and educators represent a lifetime of service, support and devotion to the advancement of the arts in Alabama. In 1989, the Lifetime Achievement Award was named in memory of Jonnie Dee Little of Auburn, a former member of the State Arts Council known for her arts advocacy efforts.
Beginning in 1987, the awards program was changed from an annual to biannual event. The Council continued to give the Governor’s Arts Awards; however, the number of awards given was gradually reduced to approximately 4 or 5 every two years. The specific category for Media and the Arts was folded into the Governor’s Arts Awards Program. Also during that same period, the Council added the Alabama Folk Heritage Award to recognize master folk artists who have made outstanding contributions to their artistic traditions. The first recipient was Japheth Jackson (Ozark). Other artists recognized with this award over the years includes Jonny Shines (Tuscaloosa), Nora Ezell (Eutaw), Noah Lacy (Ider), Gail Thrower (Atmore), Lomia Nunn (Graham), Bettye Kimbrell (Mt. Olive), Arthur Deason (Centerville), the Sterling Jubilee Singers (Bessemer), Bo McGee (Tuscaloosa), and Jerry Brown (Hamilton).
In 1995, the Council added a third award, The Distinguished Artist Award. The award honors Alabama artists that have made significant contributions to their art forms and to the arts in Alabama. The first recipient of the Distinguished Artist Award was actor Jim Nabors (Maui). Other recipients are William Christenberry (Washington), Frank Fleming (Birmingham), Fannie Flagg (Birmingham, Fairhope) and Albert Murray (Nokomis, and New York).
The Council welcomes nominations for the awards program. The nominations submitted in early January 2005 will have award presentations on May 4, 2005.
The next nominations will be due in early January 2007 with award presentations taking place in May 2007.