Nominations for the 2015 North Carolina Awards — “the highest civilian honor bestowed by the state,” according to a media release — are open until Friday, April 24. This prestigious title recognizes exemplary accomplishments in literature, science, fine arts and public service.
Nominees will be reviewed and winners selected later this summer. Winners will be honored by the governor in November.
Here is more information from the NC Department of Cultural Resources:
RALEIGH, N.C. — Nominations are now being accepted for the 2015 North Carolina Awards, the highest civilian honor bestowed by the state and awarded by the governor, through Friday, April 24. Created by the General Assembly in 1961, and administered by the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, the award recognizes “notable accomplishments by North Carolina citizens” in the fields of literature, science, fine arts and public service.
Award nominations may be submitted by anyone and must include a completed nomination form, cover letter and the nominee’s biography or resume. In addition, at least three letters of support must be included and examples of the nominee’s work will also be accepted. Six copies of all materials should be sent to the North Carolina Awards Committee, N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, 4601 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, N.C. 27699-4601.
“This is the opportunity for us to pay tribute to the North Carolinians who better our experiences by their extraordinary involvement in this state,” says Susan Kluttz, Secretary of the N. C. Department of Cultural Resources. “Please nominate a co-worker, community leader or friend who has served North Carolina with distinction.”
The North Carolina Awards Committee will review the nominations and make its selections this summer. The recipients will be honored by the governor during ceremonies in Raleigh this November. Past award recipients have included some of the country’s most distinguished artists, poets, writers, performers, journalists, scientists and public servants.
The 2014 honorees were Dr. Betsy M. Bennett of Chapel Hill for Public Service; Robert A. Ingram of Durham for Public Service; Lenard D. Moore of Raleigh for Literature; Dr. Jagdish (Jay) Narayan of Raleigh for Science; Alan Shapiro of Chapel Hill for Literature and Ira David Wood III of Raleigh for Fine Arts.
Past recipients include William Friday, Romare Bearden, James Taylor, Gertrude Elion, John Hope Franklin, David Brinkley, Maya Angelou, Billy Graham and Branford Marsalis.
The nomination form and guidelines are available online at www.ncdcr.gov/NCAwards/Nominations/Submit. To receive a form by mail or by email, please contact jennifer.fontes@ncdcr.gov or call (919) 807-7256.
About the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Cultural Resources (NCDCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state’s cultural resources to build the social, cultural, educational and economic future of North Carolina. Led by Secretary Susan Kluttz, NCDCR’s mission is improve our state’s quality of life by creating opportunities that promote economic development, stimulate learning, preserve the state’s history and spark creativity to experience excellence in the arts, history and libraries in North Carolina. NCDCR was the first state organization in the nation to include all agencies for arts and culture under one umbrella.Through arts efforts led by the N.C. Arts Council, the N.C. Symphony and the N.C. Museum of Art, NCDCR offers the opportunity for enriching arts education for young and old alike and spurring the economic stimulus engine for our state’s communities. NCDCR’s Divisions of State Archives, Historical Resources, State Historic Sites and State History Museums preserve, document and interpret North Carolina’s rich cultural heritage to offer experiences of learning and reflection. NCDCR’s State Library of North Carolina is the principal library of state government and builds the capacity of all libraries in our state to develop and to offer access to educational resources through traditional and online collections including genealogy and resources for people who are blind and have physical disabilities.
NCDCR annually serves more than 19 million people through its 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, the nation’s first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the N.C. Arts Council and the State Archives. NCDCR champions our state’s creative industry that accounts for more than 300,000 jobs and generates nearly $18.5 billion in revenues. For more information, please call (919) 807-7300 or visit www.ncdcr.gov.
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