Created by the General Assembly in 1961 and administered by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, the award recognizes “notable accomplishments by North Carolina citizens” in the fields of literature, science, fine arts and public service.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the awards, which have been presented annually since 1964.

Award nominations may be submitted by anyone. A simplified nomination form is available online. After reviewing the initial nominations, the North Carolina Awards Committee will request additional information from nominators as needed. The committee will make its final selections this summer.

The 2024 North Carolina Award recipients will be honored at an event later this year. Past award recipients have included some of the country’s most distinguished artists, poets, writers, performers, journalists, scientists and public servants.

Previous awardees include Maya Angelou, Doc Watson, William Friday, Gertrude Elion, Branford Marsalis and other noteworthy North Carolinians.

Information on the award and the online nomination process are available here. To receive forms by mail or e-mail contact Jennifer Fontes at Jennifer.fontes@dncr.nc.gov or (919) 814-6756.