McKnight Distinguished Artist Award
Nominate an artist or culture bearer who has made significant lifelong contributions to Minnesota and created locally, regionally, or nationally significant art.
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Get matched →- Deadline
- annual cycle, check dates
- Entry fee
- Not listed - check the source
- Award
- $100,000
- Location
- Minnesota
About
Overview
The annual McKnight Distinguished Artist Award recognizes artists and culture bearers who have made a lifelong commitment to creating art that is locally, regionally, and/or nationally significant. These artists have chosen to make their lives and careers in Minnesota, thereby making the state a more culturally rich place. They have produced creatively incisive art reflecting their particular and extraordinary point of view, inspired other artists and culture bearers, earned acclaim from audiences, patrons, critics, and other arts professionals, and some have founded and strengthened arts organizations.
Award
- $100,000 annual award
- One artist recognized every year
- $1.5M in awards distributed since 1998
Key Dates
- Nomination deadline: May 1, 2026
- Nominations received by May 1, 2026 will be considered for the current year's award cycle; those submitted after that date will be reviewed for the following year
- Award
- $100,000 annual award
- Theme
- Recognizing artists and culture bearers who have made significant lifelong contributions to Minnesota through creatively incisive art and community enrichment.
- Eligibility
- Artists and culture bearers who have made lifelong commitment to creating art that is locally, regionally, and/or nationally significant and have chosen to make their lives and careers in Minnesota.
Every listing links to the organizer's official page. Always confirm deadlines, fees, and entry rules there before you apply.