The Governor’s Arts Awards program signifies the important relationship between government and the arts. Established in 1988, the Governor’s Arts Awards recognize individuals and organizations who have made noteworthy contributions to or achieved artistic excellence in Mississippi and is the most prestigious award for living artists in the state. The Mississippi Arts Commission presents the awards each year in partnership with the Governor’s Office.

2026 Governor’s Arts Awards

The 38th Governor’s Arts Awards ceremony will take place on Thursday, February 12, 2026, at 6 p.m. at a NEW location this year, The Westin Jackson!

The Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC), in partnership with the Governor’s Office, is pleased to announce four outstanding artists and one legacy arts organization as recipients of the 2026 Governor’s Arts Awards.

The 2026 recipients and awards are as follows:

Jesse Robinson – Lifetime Achievement
Dottie Armstrong – Excellence in Arts Education
Heather Christian – Excellence in Music Composition
Greg Harkins – Excellence in Traditional Craft
Mississippi Symphony Orchestra – Excellence in Performing Arts

The 2026 recipients will be recognized at the award ceremony on Thursday, February 12, 2026, at a NEW LOCATION, The Westin Jackson.

A public reception will take place at 4:30 p.m. preceding the ceremony at The Westin Jackson. The ceremony will begin at 6 p.m. MAC and Mississippi Public Broadcasting (MPB) partner each year to record and broadcast the award ceremony for television and radio. The ceremony will air on MPB in March of 2026.

2026 Recipients

Jesse Robinson, born in 1944 in Mileston, MS, is a masterful guitarist and vocalist. He began playing guitar at six and moved to Jackson as a teenager, where he became active in the local music scene, competing at the Alamo Theatre and performing at various venues. After a period in Chicago, he became a key figure in the blues and jazz scene, leading bands and collaborating with artists like Sam Myers. Robinson toured with Little Milton and Bobby Rush, and performed frequently in Jackson, contributing to the late-night blues tradition at the Subway Lounge. In 1971, he returned to Jackson and formed the Master Sound Band. Inspired by his time in Chicago, Jesse launched the “Blue Monday” series at Dorsey’s. In 1986, he established the Knee Deep Band and continued to perform actively. A strong supporter of the blues community, he helped found the Central Mississippi Blues Society and performed with the B.B. King Blues Band after King’s passing. As a music education advocate, he worked with Mississippi State University’s “Blues in the Schools” program from 2000 to 2014, reaching out to K-12 schools to inspire students through music. Jesse was honored with a Mississippi Blues Trail marker at The Iron Horse Grill in Jackson, in March of 2025. Throughout his career, Jesse Robinson has been committed to preserving and celebrating the blues as an essential American art form.

Dorothy “Dottie” Armstrong grew up on a dairy farm in Jacksonville, Florida, entertaining her six younger siblings with sock puppet shows. Despite her passion for creating, she believed she lacked artistic talent in her youth, missing opportunities as a student at Florida State University and the University of Southern Mississippi. Her artistic journey flourished when she became a high school English teacher, creating posters and illustrations for her lessons. Encouraged by her superintendent, she pursued a master’s degree in art education and advocated for an art program in the Newton School District. She developed the arts program, including the curriculum. For nearly half a century, Dottie has taught and inspired thousands of students through art. In addition to her teaching, Dottie created murals and public art in Newton and the surrounding areas. She helped promote local talent by hosting art shows. After retiring from teaching in 1999, she offered private classes in her studio known as “The Secret Garden Art Studio” built by her husband. Even after undergoing open-heart surgery in 2025, she continued to nurture students of all ages in her studio, a vibrant space for creativity.

Heather Christian is a Drama Desk and two-time Obie Award-winning composer/playwright/performer known for her music-centered shows and rituals. A Natchez native, she has won notable awards, including the 2021 Richard Rodgers Award and the 2024 New York Drama Critics Circle Award. Recent projects include Oratorio for Living Things (Ars Nova, Signature Theater), Animal Wisdom (The Bushwick Starr), and I Am Sending You the Sacred Face (Theater In Quarantine/YouTube—Vulture’s Top Theater Experience of 2020). She is currently working on a Broadway-bound adaptation of the beloved children’s book A Wrinkle in Time with playwright Lauren Yee, set to premiere in 2027. She has been named the NYC Signature Theater’s new resident and will premiere three new productions across their 2025-2026 season. Christian has composed for film and TV, including The Craft: Legacy and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. Additionally, she has released 11 records, taught vocal-based music composition at NYU and Princeton, and owns and operates her own recording studio in Beacon, NY. She can be seen regularly in concert halls and dive bars as Heather Christian & the Arbornauts.

Greg Harkins is a Master Chairmaker with 50 years of experience creating heirloom-quality furniture and is famously known for his iconic rocking chairs. He has achieved national and international recognition through festivals, exhibitions, and features in various media. Despite his travels, Mississippi remains his home, providing him with clarity, purpose, and inspiration. Raised in Jackson, Greg is a seventh-generation Mississippi Irish Catholic. He spent summers in Thomastown, where he began an apprenticeship in 1976 with Master Chairmaker Tom Bell. By 1978, he founded Harkins Woodworks in Vaughan, and two years later, he gained fame by presenting a rocking chair to President and Mrs. Reagan at the Neshoba County Fair. Greg’s craftsmanship is celebrated globally, with furniture in all 50 states and over 35 countries. He has gifted chairs to six Presidents and Pope John Paul II, but it’s the working families for whom he makes chairs that he views as his heroes. As a cultural ambassador for Mississippi, Greg’s creations embody the state’s heritage and hospitality, such as the 10-foot-tall Harkins Chair at the Mississippi Agricultural Museum. After five decades, he continues to mentor his apprentice, Hodges Boland, and plans to establish the St. Anne School of Arts and Crafts in Canton.

The Mississippi Symphony Orchestra (MSO) is the largest professional performing arts organization in the state and has been a cornerstone of Mississippi’s culture since its founding in 1944. Based in Jackson but serving the entire state of Mississippi, MSO is dedicated to enriching, inspiring, and educating communities through the power of live orchestral music. Under the leadership of Music Director and Conductor Crafton Beck, MSO presents a vibrant season of concerts ranging from masterworks of the classical repertoire to pops, chamber music, outdoor performances, and special collaborations that highlight the richness of Mississippi’s artistic landscape. With a mission to bring music to all Mississippians, MSO reaches thousands each year through statewide touring, community partnerships, and educational initiatives. Its education programs—including school concerts, string instruction, and outreach to young musicians—help cultivate the next generation of artists and audiences across urban and rural communities alike. From the grandeur of its symphonic series to the beloved annual Pepsi Pops at the Reservoir, the Mississippi Symphony Orchestra serves as both a cultural ambassador and a unifying force, celebrating the shared experience of music while continuing to expand access and impact throughout the state.

Presenting Partner

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BECOME A SPONSOR

We could not honor these incredible artists without your partnership and support! The history of legacy-building contributions for this awards program is a testament to Mississippians’ resounding support for the arts. Your tax-deductible sponsorship of the Governor’s Arts Awards will show your investment in the arts throughout our state and help ensure the continuation of this event.

To sponsor the 2026 Governor’s Arts Awards, please complete the online sponsorship form through the Community Foundation for Mississippi (CFM). When you fill out the online sponsorship form, the number shown is not associated with the number of tickets; it is the number of sponsorships at the level selected.

Presenting Sponsor: $10,000

10 reserved seats at the Governor’s Arts Awards Ceremony
10 invitations to the Governor’s Mansion VIP Reception & photo opportunity
Framed event poster signed by the Governor and recipients
Logo recognition on the program and the poster
Mention in the Executive Director’s speech during the ceremony

Premier Partner: $5,000

6 reserved seats at the Governor’s Arts Awards Ceremony
6 invitations to the Governor’s Mansion VIP Reception & photo opportunity
Framed event poster signed by the Governor and recipients

Principal Partner: $2,500

4 reserved seats at the Governor’s Arts Awards Ceremony
4 invitations to the Governor’s Mansion VIP Reception
Framed event poster signed by the Governor and recipients

Grand Patron: $1,500

2 reserved seats at the Governor’s Arts Awards Ceremony
2 invitations to the Governor’s Mansion VIP Reception
Framed event poster signed by the Governor

Patron: $750

2 reserved seats at the Governor’s Arts Awards Ceremony
Framed event poster signed by the Governor

Donor: $500

2 reserved seats at the Governor’s Arts Awards Ceremony

If you would like to sponsor with a check, please print and fill out the printable sponsorship form.

Please make checks out to “Community Foundation for Mississippi” with “Fund for Excellence in the Arts” in the memo line. Please mail your check with your completed sponsorship form to the Mississippi Arts Commission • 455 N. Lamar Street • Suite 2A • Barefield Complex • Jackson, Mississippi 39202. The Community Foundation for Mississippi will send you a tax deduction form.

To be recognized on print materials, sponsorships must be made by January 7, 2026.

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NOMINATE AN ARTIST OR ORGANIZATION

Each year, members of the public are invited to nominate outstanding individuals and organizations to receive a Governor’s Arts Award—nominations for the 2027 Governor’s Arts Awards will be accepted in April 2026!

Who is eligible?
Artists or organizations that have made significant contributions to the arts will be considered to receive this award. Nominated artists do not have to reside in the state currently, but must have significant ties to the state through some years of residency. Self-nominations are not accepted, but you can ask someone to nominate you. Awards are given once; previous recipients are ineligible. Also, no posthumous nominations will be accepted. If selected, the nominee must agree to receive the award in person at the ceremony in Jackson, Mississippi.

Nomination and Selection Process
Nominations open each spring. The public is encouraged to submit nominations for the Governor’s Arts Awards once the nomination period opens. Once the nominations are submitted, a panel of judges, many of whom possess a deep knowledge of Mississippi’s visual and performing arts, selects several nominees to receive a Governor’s Arts Award. 

Nomination Information

MAC is using our grants system for the nomination process this year. Utilizing this system will allow nominators to save their progress, collaborate with others, and easily reapply if their nominee is not selected. If you are still unfamiliar with the system or need to create an account, the video below will guide you through the process.

When you create an account, please enter your information only. Once the account is created, you will see an option to fill out a nomination form. The form is where you will enter the details of the person you are nominating.

If you have an account within the system and want to use something other than that account for your nomination, or if you are with an organization and would like to nominate someone NOT on behalf of your organization, you must create a new account with a different e-mail.

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2025 Governor’s Arts Awards

The 2025 recipients were recognized at the 37^th Governor’s Arts Awards ceremony, which took place on Thursday, February 6, 2025, at 6 p.m. at the Two Mississippi Museums in Jackson.

Click here to learn more about the 2025 Governor’s Arts Awards recipients.

Each year, MAC and Mississippi Public Broadcasting (MPB) partner to record and broadcast the awards ceremony on MPB Television and MPB Radio. We are grateful for MPB’s continued support!

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PAST AWARDEES

Download a complete listing of previous Governor’s Arts Award recipients by name (Excel spreadsheet)

2025

• Eddie Cotton Jr. – Excellence in Music
• Walt Grayson – Lifetime Achievement
• Jane C. Hiatt – Stephen C. Edds Patron of the Arts
• Robert Poore– Excellence in Landscape Architecture and Visual Arts
• Rising Stars Fife and Drum Band – Excellence in Traditional Arts
• Tate Taylor – Excellence in Motion Picture

2024

• 100 Men Hall – Arts in Community
• Earl Poole Ball – Lifetime Achievement
• Cedric Burnside – Excellence in Music
• Brent Funderburk – Excellence in Visual Arts and Education
• Peter Zapletal – Excellence in Performing Arts

2023

• Dr. Ann Fisher-Wirth – Excellence in Literature & Poetry
• Betsy Bradley – Leadership in Visual Arts & Community
• Ed McGowin – Lifetime Achievement
• Ke Francis – Excellence in Visual Arts
• King Edward Antoine – Excellence in Music
• Ralph Eubanks – Excellence in Literature & Cultural Ambassador
• Robert M. Hearin Support Foundation – The Stephen C. Edds Patron of the Arts Award

2022

• Alcorn State University Jazz Festival – Arts in Community
• Myrna Colley-Lee – Excellence in Costume Design & Arts Patron
• Larry Gordon – Lifetime Achievement in Motion Pictures & Television
• Holly Lange – Governor’s Choice Award
• Mary Lovelace O’Neal – Excellence in Visual Art
• The Williams Brothers – Lifetime Achievement in Music

2021

• Arthur Jafa – Excellence in Media Arts
• Nellie McInnis – Excellence in Music
• Raphael Semmes – Cultural Ambassador
• Tutwiler Quilters – Arts in Community
• Jesmyn Ward – Excellence in Literature
• Benjamin Wright – Lifetime Achievement

2020

• Henry Danton – Lifetime Achievement in Dance
• Steve Forbert – Excellence in Music
• Jackson Southernaires – Lifetime Achievement in Music
• Richard Kelso – Excellence in Visual Art
• Tougaloo College Art Collections – Preservation of the Arts

2019

• London Branch – Excellence in Music and Education
• The Canton Spirituals – Lifetime Achievement
• Ruth Miller – Excellence in Visual Arts
• New Stage Theatre – Excellence in Theatre
• Hartley and Mary Peavey – Governor’s Choice Award
• James Patterson – Excellence in Photography and Community Support
• Julia Reed – Cultural Ambassador

2018

• Steve Azar – Governor’s Choice Award
•  David Keary – Leadership in Performing Arts
•  Joe Overstreet – Excellence in Visual Art
•  V. A. Patterson – Community Arts Leader
•  Yoknapatawpha Arts Council – Arts in Community

2017

• William R. Ferris – Lifetime Achievement
• Sammy Britt – Excellence in Visual Art
• Vasti Jackson – Arts Ambassador
• Lucy Richardson Janoush – Arts Patron
• Jaimoe Johnie Johnson – Excellence in Music
• Mississippi Opera – Artistic Excellence

2016

• Tom ‘Bones’ Malone
• Scott Barretta
• Claudia Cartee
• Tig Notaro
• Dr. Tommie ‘Tonea’ Stewart

2015

• Lane Chapel Quintet
• Chesney Blankenstein Doyle
• Maude Schuyler Clay
• MSU Riley Center
• Craig Wiseman

2014

• Lesley Silver
• John Maxwell
• William Baggett
• Jim Weatherly
• James Cotton

2013

• Kathryn Lewis
• Bay St. Louis Little Theatre
• Beth Henley
• Eddie “Chank” Willis
• Bobby Rush

2012

• Althea Jerome
• Howard Bahr
• WellsFest
• Carl Jackson
• McCarty Pottery
• Mose Allison

2011

• Charles A. Rhoads
• Natchez Literary & Cinema Celebration
• Gwendolyn Magee
• Mac McAnally
• Joe Willie “Pinetop” Perkins

2010

• Lenagene Waldrup
• Bessie Johnson
• Grassroots Radio Show
• Wyatt Waters
• David “Honeyboy” Edwards

2009

• University of Southern Mississippi Symphony Orchestra
• WINGS Performing Arts Program of the Lynn Meadows Discovery Center
• Wolfe Studio
• Cassandra Wilson
• John Grisham
• Andrew Bucci

2008

• Mississippi Museum of Art
• Emma McCain
• Lallah Miles Perry
• Natasha Trethewey
• Charley Pride

2007

• Nora Davis Magnet School
• Viking Range Corporation
• Sam Gilliam
• Sam Carr
• Bo Diddley

2006

• Sam Myers
• Craftsmen’s Guild of Mississippi
• Bruce Levingston
• Fletcher Cox
• Casey Elementary School
• Trustmark National Bank
• Elizabeth Spencer

2005

• Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science
• Pearl Public School District
• Thacker Mountain Radio
• Gladys Kemp Lisanby
• Sela Ward
• Will D. Campbell

2004

• Greenville Arts Council
• James “Super Chikan” Johnson
• Rankin County School District
• Malcolm White
• Mary Katherine Loyacono McCravey

2003

• Dr. David Stuart Blackburn
• Thallis Lewis
• Charles Burnett
• Mississippi Alliance for Arts Education
• USA International Ballet Competition
• William Eggleston
• Rust College A’Cappella Choir
• Little Milton (Campbell)

2002

• B.B. King
• John Paul
• Bologna Performing Arts Center
• Sally W. Carmichael
• The Village of Taylor
• Andrew Cary Young
• William Carey College Theatre
• Dr. Russell Thomas, Jr.
• Stephen E. Ambrose

2001

• Abie “Boogaloo” Ames
• George Berry
• Roger D. Malkin
• Samuel Mockbee
• Pierce Street Elementary School
• Ronald Otto Schnell
• Lester Senter
• Martha Layton Richardson Tatum

2000

• Larry Brown
• Senator Thad Cochran
• Crossroads Quilters
• Sarah Gillespie
• Hattiesburg Arts Council
• Andrew Lark, Jr.
• Charlie Musselwhite
• John Palmer
• Stewart Family Pottery

1999

• Johnnie Billington
• Ellen Douglas (Josephine Haxton)
• P. Sanders McNeal
• Mississippi State Hospital—Community Services Homeless Program
• Museum of Southern Jewish Experience
• Colman Pearce
• Kenneth Quinn
• Roebuck “Pops” Staples
• Marty Stuart

1998

• Beechwood Elementary School
• Vicksburg Warren School District—For Project ABC (Arts in the Basic Curriculum)
• The Cotton Blossom Singers of the Piney Woods School
• Dr. David Daigeneault
• Eastman Memorial Foundation for support of the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art
• Milt Hinton
• Natchez Opera Festival, Inc.

1997

• Dr. Paul E. Ballard
• Marshall Bouldin
• Dr. Samuel Marshall Gore
• International Paper
• The Knight Foundation through The Sun Herald
• The City of Biloxi
• The George E. Ohr Arts and Cultural Center
• The Library of Hattiesburg, Petal and Forrest County
• Malaco Records
• Dr. Jean Simmons

1996

• Entergy/MP&L Company
• Morgan Freeman
• Sid Graves
• Lisa N. Howorth
• Dorothy Moore
• Dan Overly
• University Press of Mississippi
• Theo Inman Vaughey

1995

• Thomas Jones Biggs
• Shelby Foote
• Gum Tree Festival
• Bill Mitchell
• William D. Mounger
• New Stage Theatre Education Program
• Lida Rogers
• Billie Jean Young

1994

• Robert Parker Adams
• B & P Interiors, Hinds County Public Schools, and Hinds County Department of Human Services
• Nelle DeLoach Elam
• Keith Dockery McLean
• Mississippi Action for Community Education/Delta Arts Project
• Willie Morris
• Jim Timms

1993

• Patti Carr Black
• Vicki Bodenhamer
• Eleanor Ferris
• Richard Ford
• Thomas Somerville Howorth
• Mississippi Educational Television Network, Mtel, USA International Ballet Competition
• Othar Turner

1992

• Dr. Margaret Walker Alexander
• Walter Anderson Museum of Art, City of Ocean Springs, and Jackson County Board of Supervisors
• Crosby Arboretum
• Jane Reid-Petty
• South Central Bell
• West Tallahatchie High School
• Mary Jayne Whittington

1991

• Center for the Study of Southern Culture
• Chevron USA
• Corinth Area Arts Council
• William Dunlap
• Jackson Public Schools and Mississippi Symphony Orchestra
• Ethel Wright Mohamed
• Malcolm C. Norwood

1990

• Stuart C. Irby, Jr.
• Thalia Mara
• Mississippi Cultural Crossroads and Claiborne County Board of Supervisors
• Mississippi Mass Choir
• Noxubee County Library
• Starkville High School
• Eudora Welty

1989

No award ceremony took place this year.

1988

• The Arts Alliance of Jackson & Hinds County
• Deposit Guaranty National Bank
• Barry Hannah
• City of Jackson
• Jackson Public Schools/Academic and Performing Arts Complex Performing Arts Division
• Jean Chisolm Lindsey
• Leontyne Price