About the Awards

The Governor’s Arts Awards celebrate excellence in the arts in West Virginia. The awards focus attention on the importance of arts to economic development in the Mountain State by honoring individuals and organizations whose creative achievements and significant contributions to the arts enhance life in West Virginia.

Eligibility

Nominees must be West Virginia residents or organizations based in West Virginia. Members of the selection committee; members of the West Virginia Commission on the Arts; and West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History staff; and their immediate family members are not eligible. Posthumous nominations are not accepted. Nominations must be submitted through the nomination form linked below by February 12, 2024.

Selection

Award winners will be chosen by a selection committee that may include West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History staff, members of the West Virginia Commission on the Arts, and arts representatives from around the state. The selection committee may choose to give more than one award or no award in any category. The committee will recommend the top three scoring nominees for the Governor’s Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement to the Governor who will then select the awardee.

For more details or to fill out the nomination form, click here.