The North Dakota Governor’s Awards for the Arts is a biennial program presented by the Governor’s Office and North Dakota Council on the Arts (NDCA) to recognize organizations and individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the arts in the state.
**NDCA is NOW accepting nominations for the 2025 ND Governor's Awards for the Arts through December 6, 2024.
The public is invited to nominate North Dakota artists and arts-related organizations for their good work in the field. NDCA will review the nominations and then final candidates will be submitted to the Governor for selection of the award winners. A special reception and award ceremony will be held at the Heritage Center (Bismarck) on Thursday, February 6, 2025. *E-mail NDCA with any questions: arts@nd.gov.
Submit a Nomination
Awards are presented in six categories:
- Individual Achievement (artist, staff, or volunteer)
- Nonprofit Arts Organization
- For-profit Arts Organization or Private Business
- Arts in Education (teaching artist, educator, school, or administrator)
- Individual Cultural Heritage Award
- Champion for the Arts (nominated by NDCA Board and staff)
Criteria for the awards include:
- Expanding arts opportunities to new audiences
- Improving the quality of arts experiences
- Length of service in the arts
- Creating an appreciation for North Dakota’s cultural heritage
- Making the arts more central to education and an integral part of community life
Please note:
- All nominations and materials must be submitted/received by December 6, 2024.
- Must complete a separate form for each submission.
- Not all categories may be awarded and/or there could be more than one recipient in a single category.
- Applications will be held on file for possible consideration in the next biennium or for up to four years.
- Additional support materials may be requested if a nominee is selected for an award or if materials are needed during the review process.
Watch recording of 2023 ND Governor's Awards for the Arts Ceremony
2023: Arts in Education: Donald E. Larew (Fargo); Arts Organization: Empire Arts Center (Grand Forks); Individual Achievement: Pieper Fleck Bloomquist (Grand Forks); Individual Cultural Heritage: Bill Lowman (Sentinal Butte); Private Business: Makoche Recording Studio (Bismarck); Champion of the Arts: former state Senator Joan Heckaman (Dickinson)
2021: Arts in Education: Dr. Jo Ann Miller (Fargo); Arts Organization: Minot Area Council of the Arts (Minot); Individual Achievement: Melissa Gordon (Bismarck) and David "WhiteThunder" Trottier (Rugby); Individual Cultural Heritage: Rex Cook (Dickinson); Private Business: Maryhill Manor with Enderlin Fine Arts Association (Enderlin)
2019: Arts in Education: Annette Hovey (New Rockford); Arts Organization: Jamestown Fine Arts Association (Jamestown); Cultural Treasure: John Gross (Napoleon); Individual Achievement: David Borlaug (Bismarck) and Jessie Veeder (Watford City); Private Business: Office Sign Company (Fargo)
2017: Paul Noot (Bismarck), The Arts Partnership (Fargo), Deb Belquist (New Rockford), Bennett Brien (Belcourt), Jon Offutt (Fargo) ~ NDCA would also like to thank Matt Fern, Owner of The Creative Treatment, for filming and creating this wonderful video of the 2017 Governor’s Awards for the Arts Ceremony. The video is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gATmrhAEZFM&t=4s.
2015: Keith Bear (New Town), Linda Christman (Bismarck), Chuck Suchy (Mandan), Marilyn Johnson (Bismarck), Annette Rorvig (McVille)
2013: Taylor Barnes (Jamestown), Eddie “King” Johnson (Rolla), Dr. Thomas Porter (Bismarck), North Dakota Art Gallery Association (Minot), Greater Grand Forks Community Theatre (Grand Forks)
2011: North Valley Arts Council (Grand Forks), Northern Lights Arts Council (Langdon), Sleepy Hollow Summer Theater (Bismarck), Hardy Lieberg (Minot), The Hotel Donaldson (Fargo)
2009: Bradley Bachmeier (Fargo), Scott Prebys (Bismarck), Agnes Palanuk (Dickinson), Dakota Prairie Regional Center for the Arts (New Rockford), Tom and Frances Leach Foundation, Inc. (Bismarck)
2007: Beth Gigante Klingenstein (Valley City), Little Country Theatre/NDSU Theatre (Fargo), Laurel Reuter (Grand Forks), Cynthia Schumaier-Jelleberg (Belcourt)
2005: Bill Eckroth (Bismarck), Gene Okerlund (Fargo), Glory Monson (Rugby), Walter Piehl (Minot), International Music Camp (Minot/International Peace Gardens)
2003: Mary Louise Defender Wilson (Shields), Jack Dyville and B. Michael Quale (Williston), Grand Forks Public Schools (Dr. Mark Sanford, Superintendent), Trollwood Performing Arts Schools (Fargo)
2001: Dr. Timothy J. Kloberdanz (Fargo), Sue Jacobson (Bottineau), David Hamilton (Fargo-Moorhead), Nelson County Arts Council (Pekin)
1999: Linda Whitney (Valley City), Rebecca Engelman (Bismarck), Gwinner Junior Players (Gwinner), Summer Performing Arts Company (Grand Forks), Hornbacher’s Foods (Fargo-Moorhead)
1997: Fargo-Moorhead Community Theatre (Fargo), Wayne and Bernice Stroup (Garrison)
1995: Cando Arts Council (Cando), Hal and Kathy Gershman (Grand Forks), James D. Ployhar (Fargo)
1993: David Hanna (Fargo), Jean Waldera (Dickinson), Fargo-Moorhead Civic Opera (Fargo)
1991: Rosemary Landsberger (Bismarck), Peter Schickele (New York City)
1989: Alma Studness (Devils Lake), Catherine Mulligan (Fargo)
1987: Frederick Walsh (Fargo), The Grand Forks Herald (Grand Forks)
1985: Vern Bennett (Fargo), Rose and Francis Cree (Dunseith)
1983: Winifred B. Stump (Dickinson), The Straus Company of North Dakota
1982: Fritz Scholder (Scottsdale, Arizona)
1981: Anne-Marit Bergstrom (Devils Lake), Phyllis Frelich (New York City), Anne W. Ness (Fort Ransom), Fargo-Moorhead Orchestral Association (Fargo)
1979: Mary Gray (Valley City), Belle Mehus (Bismarck), Plains Art Museum (Fargo)
1978: Alene Larson (Fargo), Arlene Saugstad (Minot), Prairie Arts and Humanities Council (Hettinger)
1977: John Hove (Fargo), Nellie Solberg (Bismarck), Merton Utgaard (Bottineau), Sheyenne Valley Arts and Crafts Association (Fort Ransom)