The Bronze Wrangler is an award presented annually by the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum to honor the top works in Western music, film, television and literature.

Bronze Wrangler
"The Wrangler" in bronze
DescriptionBest in Western film and television
Country United States
Presented byNational Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
First awarded1961

The awards were first presented in 1961. The Wrangler is a bronze sculpture of a cowboy on horseback, and is designed by artist John Free.

The awards program also recognizes inductees into the prestigious Hall of Great Westerners and the Hall of Great Western Performers as well as the recipient of the Chester A. Reynolds Memorial Award, named in honor of the Museum's founder.

Award categories

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Film and television

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Theatrical Motion Picture

Year Film Creators(s) Publisher(s) Ref.
1960s
1961 The Alamo John Wayne (director), James Edward Grant (screenplay) Batjac/United Artists
1962 The Comancheros Michael Curtiz (director), James Edward Grant (screenplay), Clair Huffaker (screenplay), Paul I. Wellman (original novel) 20th Century Fox
1963 The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance John Ford (director), James Warner Bellah (screenplay), Dorothy M. Johnson (original short story) Paramount Pictures
1964 How the West Was Won John Ford (director), James R. Webb (screenplay) Cinerama/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
1965 Cheyenne Autumn John Ford (director), James R. Webb (screenplay), Mari Sandoz (original story) Warner Bros.
1966 The Sons of Katie Elder Henry Hathaway (director), William H. Wright (screenplay), Allan Weiss (screenplay), Harry Essex (screenplay), Talbot Jennings (original story) Hal B. Wallis/Paramount Pictures
1967 The Appaloosa Sidney J. Furie (director), James Bridges (screenplay), Roland Kibbee (screenplay), Robert MacLeod (original novel) Universal Pictures
1968 The War Wagon Burt Kennedy (director, screenplay), Clair Huffaker (screenplay, original novel) Universal Pictures
1969 Will Penny Tom Gries (director, screenplay) Paramount Pictures
1970s
1970 True Grit Henry Hathaway (director), Marguerite Roberts (screenplay), Charles Portis (original novel) Hal B. Wallis/Paramount Pictures
1971 A Man Called Horse Elliot Silverstein (director), Jack DeWitt (screenplay), Dorothy M. Johnson (original short story) Cinema Center Films/National General Pictures
1972 The Cowboys Mark Rydell (director), Irving Ravetch (screenplay), Harriet Frank Jr. (screenplay), William Dale Jennings (original novel) Warner Bros.
Jeremiah Johnson Sydney Pollack (director), John Milius (screenplay), Edward Anhalt (screenplay), Raymond W. Thorp (story), Robert Bunker (story)
1973 No award given
1974 The New Land Jan Troell (director, screenplay), Bengt Forslund (screenplay), Vilhelm Moberg (original novel) Svensk Filmindustri   SWE
1975 No award given
1976 Bite the Bullet John C. Champion (director), Richard Brooks (director, screenplay) Columbia Pictures
1977–1981 No awards given
1980s
1982 Heartland Richard Pearce (director), Beth Ferris (screenplay), William Kittredge (screenplay), Elinore Randall Stewart (original story) Levitt-Pickman
1983 No award given
1984 Never Cry Wolf Carroll Ballard (director), Curtis Hanson (screenplay), Sam Hamm (screenplay), Richard Kletter (screenplay), Farley Mowat (original story)
1985–1989 No awards given
1990s
1990 Young Guns Christopher Cain (director), John Fusco (screenplay) Morgan Creek Productions
1991 Dances with Wolves Kevin Costner (director), Michael Blake (screenplay, original novel) Orion Pictures
1992 Thousand Pieces of Gold Nancy Kelly (director), Anne Makepeace (screenplay), Ruthanne Lum McCunn (original novel) Mother Lode Productions
1993 Unforgiven Clint Eastwood (director), David Peoples (screenplay) Malpaso Productions/Warner Bros.
1994 Geronimo: An American Legend Walter Hill (director), John Milius (screenplay), Larry Gross (screenplay) Columbia Pictures
1995 Legends of the Fall Edward Zwick (director), Bill Wittliff (screenplay), Jim Harrison (original novella) TriStar Pictures
1996–1998 No awards given
1999 The Hi-Lo Country Stephen Frears (director), Walon Green (screenwriter), Max Evans (original novel) Gramercy Pictures
2000s
2000–2002 No awards given
2003 Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron Kelly Asbury (director), Lorna Cook (director), John Fusco (screenplay) DreamWorks Pictures
2004 Open Range Kevin Costner (director), Craig Storper (screenplay), Lauran Paine (original novel) Tig Productions
2005 No award given
2006 The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada Tommy Lee Jones (director), Guillermo Arriaga (screenplay) EuropaCorp/Javelina Film Company   FRA
2007 Truce Matthew Marconi (director, screenplay) Anthem Pictures
2008 3:10 to Yuma James Mangold (director), Halsted Welles (screenplay), Michael Brandt (screenplay), Derek Haas (screenplay), Elmore Leonard (original short story) Lionsgate
2009 Appaloosa Ed Harris (director, screenplay), Robert Knott (screenplay), Robert B. Parker (original novel) Warner Bros. Pictures
2010s
2010 No award given
2011 True Grit Joel and Ethan Coen (directors, screenplay), Scott Rudin (producer), Charles Portis (original novel) Paramount Pictures
2012 Yellow Rock Nick Vallelonga (director), Lenore Andriel (screenplay), Steve Doucette (screenplay) Enlightenment Films Inc./Vallelonga Productions
2013 Django Unchained Quentin Tarantino (director, screenplay) The Weinstein Company
2014 The Cherokee Word for Water Charlie Soap (director), Tim Kelly (director, screenplay), Louise Rubacky (screenplay), Gary Miranda (screenplay) Kamama Films
2015 The Homesman Tommy Lee Jones (director, screenplay), Kieran Fitzgerald (screenplay), Wesley Oliver (screenplay), Glendon Swarthout (original novel) Javelina Film Company/Ithaca Films   FRA
2016 No award given
2017 Hell or High Water David Mackenzie (director), Taylor Sheridan (screenplay) Film 44/OddLot Entertainment/Sidney Kimmel Entertainment
2018 Wind River Taylor Sheridan (director, screenplay) The Weinstein Company
2019 The Ballad of Buster Scruggs Joel and Ethan Coen (directors, screenplay)

Outstanding Docudrama

Year Film Creators(s) Publisher(s) Ref.
1990s
2013 Hatfields & McCoys Kevin Reynolds (director), Bill Kerby (screenplay), Ted Mann (screenplay), Leslie Greif (executive producer), Nancy Dubuc (executive producer), Dirk Hoogstra (executive producer) History
2014 Gold Fever Stephen David (producer) Discovery Channel
2015 The Road to Valhalla Ken Spurgeon (director, writer) Lone Chimney Films

Television Feature Film

Year Film Creators(s) Publisher(s) Ref.
1990s
1990 Lonesome Dove Simon Wincer (director), William D. Wittliff (screenplay), Larry McMurtry (original novel) CBS
1991 Across Five Aprils Kevin Meyer (director, screenplay), Irene Hunt (original novel) The Family Channel
1992 Conagher Reynaldo Villalobos (director), Sam Elliott (screenplay), Katharine Ross (screenplay), Jeffrey M. Meyer (screenplay) Louis L'Amour (original novel) TNT
1993 O Pioneers! Glenn Jordan (director), Robert W. Lenski (screenplay), Willa Cather (original novel) CBS
1994 Return to Lonesome Dove Mike Robe (director), John Wilder (screenplay) CBS
1995 Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee Frank Pierson (director), Bill Kerby (screenplay), Mary Crow Dog (original story) TNT
1996 Streets of Laredo Joseph Sargent (director), Diana Ossana (screenplay), Larry McMurtry (screenplay, original novel) CBS
1997 Riders of the Purple Sage Charles Haid (director), Gill Dennis (screenplay), Zane Grey (original novel) TNT
1998 Last Stand at Saber River Dick Lowry (director), Ronald M. Cohen (screenplay), Elmore Leonard (original novel) TNT
1999 Two for Texas Rod Hardy (director), Larry Brothers (screenplay) TNT
2000s
2000 Purgatory Uli Edel (director), Gordon T. Dawson (screenplay) TNT
You Know My Name John Kent Harrison (director, screenplay) TNT
2001 The Virginian Bill Pullman (director), Larry Gross (screenwriter), Owen Wister (original novel) TNT
2002 Crossfire Trail Simon Wincer (director), Charles Robert Carner (screenplay), Louis L'Amour (original novel) TNT
2003 King of Texas Uli Edel (director), Stephen Harrigan (screenplay) TNT
2004 Monte Walsh Simon Wincer (director), Michael Brandman (screenplay), Robert B. Parker (screenplay), David Z. Goodman (screenplay), Lukas Heller (screenplay), Jack Schaefer (original novel) TNT   CAN
2005 The Trail to Hope Rose David S. Cass Sr. (director), Kevin Cutts (screenplay) Larry Levinson Productions/Hallmark Channel
2006 Into the West (multiple directors and writers) DreamWorks Television/TNT
2007 Broken Trail Walter Hill (director), Alan Geoffrion (screenplay) AMC
2008 Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee Yves Simoneau (director), Daniel Giat (screenplay) Wolf Films/Traveler's Rest Films/HBO Films
2010s
2011 Temple Grandin Mick Jackson (director), Christopher Monger (screenplay), William Merritt Johnson (screenplay) A Ruby Films/Gerson Saines Production/HBO Films
2012 Love's Christmas Journey David S. Cass Sr. (director), George Tierney (screenplay), Janette Oke (original novel) Larry Levinson Productions/Hallmark Channel
2013 Shadow on the Mesa David S. Cass Sr. (director), Lee Martin (screenplay) Larry Levinson Productions/Hallmark Channel
2014 No award given
2015 Klondike Simon Cellan Jones (director), Paul Scheuring (screenplay), Josh Goldin (screenplay), Rachel Abramowitz (screenplay) Scott Free Productions/Discovery Channel
2016 Texas Rising Roland Joffé (director), Leslie Greif (screenplay), Darrell Fetty (screenplay), George Nihil (screenplay) A&E Studios/ITV Studios America/ThinkFactory Media

Factual Narrative

Year Film Creators(s) Publisher(s) Ref.
1990s
1990 Billings Bound Bob Kane (director, producer) CGI Films
1991 ABC World of Discovery: "Cougar: Ghost of the Rockies" Dennis B. Kane (executive producer), Jim Dutcher (producer), David R. O'Dell (writer), Richard Kiley (narrator) ABC
1992 Primetime Live: "Chances With Wolves" Richard Kaplan (producer), Bob Calo (producer), Jay Schadler (correspondent) ABC
1993 Legends of the West Jack Palance (host, producer), Igo Kantor (producer), Tom Daniels (producer), Dennis Casey Park (producer), John "Bud" Cardos (director), Roger Galloway (writer) 819 Productions
1994 Beyond Eden's Gate Steve King (producer), Trish Neiworth (producer) Larry Bollinger (director), Jeff Gustin (photographer) Jack McGowan (narrator) KPTV/Oregon Public Television
1995 Day One: "Poachers' Paradise" Tom Yellin (producer), Kevin Cosgrove (producer), John McKenzie (writer), Kevin Cosgrove (writer), John McKenzie (reporter) ABC
1996 No award given
1997 Austin City Limits: "Sagebrush Symphony" Jim Norman (producer), Terry Lickona (producer), Tim Weeks (producer), Kevin Kipp (producer), Gary Menotti (director), Michael Martin Murphey (narrator) KLRU-TV/PBS
1998 The Oklahoma Traveler In No Man's Land Scott Thompson (producer, writer), Grant Gerondale (photographer) KOTV
1999 The New Explorers: "Betrayal At Little Big Horn" Bill Kurtis (producer), Gary Foreman (producer, writer)
2000s
2000 Biography: "Annie Oakley: Crackshot in Petticoats" Craig Haffner (producer), Donna E. Lusitana (producer), Arthur Drooker (director, producer, writer) A&E
2001 No award given
2002 There's No Place Like California Donald E. Collins (producer), Dr. Peter G. Mehas (producer), Dan Pessano (director) Jack Hannah (narrator, writer) Fresno County Office of Education
2003 Spirit of Colorado: "Cowboys" John W. Burshtan (producer), Lisa D. Olken (producer), Kim Kendrick (producer), Lisa D. Olken (director) KRMA-TV/Rocky Mountain PBS
2004 ABC News Nightline: "The Cowboy Way" Leroy Sievers (executive producer), Tom Bettag (executive producer), Sara Just (senior producer), Ted Koppel (managing editor), Chris Bury (anchor) ABC
2005 EKN Teen Kids News: "Cowgirl Museum" Al Primo (creator), Alan J. Weiss (creator) Alan Weiss Productions
2006 American Masters: "Willa Cather: The Road Is All" Christine Lesiak (producer, writer), Joel Geyer (director, producer) NET/PBS
2007 Gallery: "Young At Art" Bill Perry (producer), Bill Thrash (producer), Randy Hayes (photographer) OETA
2008 100 Years of John Wayne Jeff Hildebrandt (producer), Elizabeth Daly (producer) Starz Encore Westerns

Factual Television Program (awarded from 1961 until 1989)

Year Film Creators(s) Publisher(s) Ref.
1960s
1961 Death Valley Days: "The Great Lounsberry Scoop" Ruth Woodman (producer), Nat Perrin (writer)
1962 Project Twenty: "The Real West" Donald B. Hyatt (producer), Philip H. Reisman Jr. (screenplay), Gary Cooper (narrator) NBC
1963 Death Valley Days: "The Hat that Wore the West" Sidney Salkow (director), Robert Stabler (producer), Irwin Winehouse (writer), A. Sanford Wolf (writer), Frank Buxton (actor)
1964 Discovery '63: "The American Cowboy" Jules Power (producer), Lou Volpicelli (director), Sol Stember (writer), Frank Buxton (actor) ABC
1965 The Hanging Judge Gene Allen (producer), Jerry Powell (writer), Virgil Dominic (narrator) WKY-TV
Hollywood and the Stars: "They Went That-a-Way" Jack Haley Jr. (director), Terry Sanders (producer) NBC
1966 Custer to the Little Bighorn William Hartigan (photographer), John and Helen Jean Rogers (directors), John H. Secondari (producer) ABC
The Journals of Lewis and Clark Dexter Alley (photographer), Richard Norling (photographer), Calvin P. Tompkins (writer), Ted Yates (producer), Lorne Greene (narrator) NBC
1967 Discovery: "An Iron Horse in Silver Pastures" Joseph Hurley (writer), Daniel Wilson (producer), Virginia Gibson (actor), Bill Owen (actor) ABC
1968 Project Twenty: "The End of the Trail" Robert Garthwaite (producer) NBC
1969 The Bonanza Years Aldo H. Constant (general manager) KRON-TV
1970s
1970 Project Twenty: "The West of Charles Russell" Robert Garthwaite (producer), Donald B. Hyatt (producer), Richard Hansen (director), Frederic G. Renner (consultant) NBC
1971 The Last of the Westerners James Benjamin (producer), David Tapper (director), Robert Ryan (narrator) ABC
1972 No awards given
1973 America: "Gone West" Alistair Cooke (writer), Michael Gill (producer), Tim Slessor (director) NBC
1974 Conrad Schwiering, Mountain Painter Duane Barr (director), Jack Rosenthal (producer) KTWO-TV
1975 The American Parade: "The 34th Star" Joel Heller (producer), Robert Markowitz (director), Richard Kiley (actor), Ronnie Claire Edwards (actor) CBS
1976 I Will Fight No More Forever Richard T. Heffron (director), Stan Margulies (producer), David L. Wolper (producer), James Whitmore (actor), Ned Romero (actor), Sam Elliott (actor) ABC
1977 No award given
1978 The American Idea: The Glory Road West Terry Sanders (producer), Henry Fonda (narrator), Chad Everett (narrator), Buffy Sainte-Marie (narrator) ABC
1979 Ishi: The Last of His Tribe Robert Ellis Miller (director), Edward and Mildred Lewis (producers), Christopher Trumbo (screenplay), Dalton Trumbo (screenplay), Eloy Casados (actor) NBC
1980s
1980 John Denver's Rocky Mountain Reunion Mark Stouffer (producer), John Denver (actor) ABC
1981 The Lone Star Cowboy David K. Boles (producer), Kenneth D. Cockroft (photographer) KPRC-TV
1982 Hidden Places Philip Abbott (host), Gene Bunge, (director), Steve Robbins (producer) NET
1983 Light in the West: Photographers of the American Frontier, 1860-1880 Michael Blackwood (producer), Ray Witlin (director)
1984 Cowboy John Bass (producer), Steve Torbeck (producer)
1985 Good Morning America: "Custer's Battlefield" Fred Farrar (producer) ABC
1986 The New Capitalists: Economics in Indian Country Stephen R. Heiser (director), Char B. Rowlinson (executive director), Eric Sevareid (narrator)
1987 Houston: The Legend of Texas Frank Q. Dobbs (producer, writer), John Binder (writer), Peter Levin (director) CBS
1988 20/20: "On the Range" Rob Wallace (producer), Bob Brown (writer) ABC
1989 POV: "Cowboy Poets" Kim Shelton (producer) PBS

Fictional Television Drama

Year Film Creators(s) Publisher(s) Ref.
1960s
1961 Rawhide: "Incident at Dragoon Crossing" Ted Post (director), John Dunkel (screenplay) CBS
1962 Rawhide: "The Sendoff" George Templeton (director), John Dunkel (screenplay) CBS
1963 Stoney Burke: "The Contender" Leslie Stevens (director, screenplay) ABC
1964 Rawhide: "Incident of Iron Bull" Christian Nyby (director), Carey Wilber (screenplay) CBS
1965 Rawhide: "Corporal Dasovic" Bernard L. Kowalski (director), Lionel E. Siegel (screenplay) CBS
1966 The Virginian: "The Horse Fighter" Anton Leader (director), Richard Fielder (screenplay) NBC
1967 The Monroes: "The Intruders" Bernard L. Kowalski (director), Otis Carney (screenplay) ABC
Gunsmoke: "Death Watch" Mark Rydell (director), Calvin Clements Sr. (screenplay) CBS
1968 The Virginian: "Bitter Autumn" Don McDougall (director), Andy and David Lewis (screenplay) NBC
1969 The High Chaparral: "The Buffalo Soldiers" David Dortort (director), Walter Black (screenplay) NBC
1970s
1970 Bonanza: "The Wish" David Dortort (director), Michael Landon (director, screenplay) NBC
1971 Run, Simon, Run George McCowan (director), Lionel E. Siegel (screenplay), Aaron Spelling (producer) ABC
1972 Gunsmoke: "Pike" Bernard McEveety (director), Jack Miller (screenplay) CBS
1973 Hec Ramsey: "The Century Turns" Daniel Petrie (director), Harold Jack Bloom (screenplay) NBC
1974 Pioneer Woman Buzz Kulik (director), Suzanne Clauser (screenplay) ABC
1975 Little House on the Prairie Ed Friendly (producer), Michael Landon (actor), Melissa Sue Anderson (actor), Melissa Gilbert (actor), Karen Grassle (actor) NBC
1976 The Macahans Jim Byrnes (creator, screenplay) ABC
1977 No award given
1978 Peter Lundy and the Medicine Hat Stallion Michael O'Herlihy (director), Jack Turley (screenplay) NBC
1979 Centennial: "The Longhorns" Virgil W. Vogel (director), John Wilder (screenplay) NBC
1980s
1980 The Last Ride of the Dalton Gang Dan Curtis (director), Earl W. Wallace (screenplay) NBC
1981–1982 No awards given
1983 The Legend of Walks Far Woman Mel Damski (director), Evan Hunter (screenplay) NBC
1984 September Gun Don Taylor (director), William Norton (screenplay) CBS
1985 Calamity Jane James Goldstone (director), Suzanne Clauser (screenplay) CBS
1986 The Dream Joseph Pytka (director), Ben Johnson (narrator)
1987 Stagecoach Ted Post (director), James Lee Barrett (screenplay) CBS
1988 Independence John Patterson (director), Gordon T. Dawson (screenplay) NBC
1989 Paradise: "Stray Bullet" Michael Caffey (director), David Jacobs (creator), Robert Porter (creator) CBS
1990s
1990 The Young Riders: "The Kid" Jonas McCord (director), Ed Spielman (screenplay) ABC
1991 The Young Riders: "Requiem for a Hero" Virgil W. Vogel (director), Bruce Reisman (screenplay) ABC
1992 The Young Riders: "The Peacemakers" James Keach (director), Charles Grant Craig (screenplay) ABC
1993 The Young Riders: "Shadowmen" James Brolin (director), Charles Grant Craig (screenplay) ABC
1994 Ned Blessing: The Story of My Life and Times: "Oscar" David Hemmings (director), Stephen Harrigan (writer), William D. Wittliff (screenplay) CBS
1995–1996 No awards given
1997 Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: "Legend" Alan J. Levi (director), Beth Sullivan (screenplay), Carl Binder (screenplay) CBS
1998 Dead Man's Gun: "Buryin' Sam" William Gereghty (director), Ed Spielman (screenplay) Showtime
1999 Dead Man's Gun: "The Judgment of Joe Dean Bonner" René Bonnière (director), Howard Friedlander (screenplay) Showtime
2000s
2000 Dead Man's Gun: "The Regulator" Paul Etherington (director), Rogers Turrentine (screenplay) Showtime
2001–2003 No awards given
2004 Peacemakers: "29 Seconds" Jean de Segonzac (director), Rob Wright (screenplay) USA Network
2005–2010 No awards given
2010s
2011 Yella Fella & The Lady from Silver Gulch Norton Dill (director), Slats Slaton (screenplay)
2012 No award given
2013 Longmire John Coveny, (creator, screenplay), Hunt Baldwin (creator, screenplay) A&E
2014 Hell on Wheels: "One Less Mule" David Straiton (director), Deran Sarafian (director), John Wirth (screenplay), Lolis Eric Elie (screenplay) AMC
2015 Hell on Wheels: "Return to Hell" Billy Gierhart (director), Jami O'Brien (screenplay) AMC
2016 Hell on Wheels: "Hungry Ghosts" Neil LaBute (director), Jami O'Brien (screenplay), Miki Johnson (screenplay) AMC
2017 Longmire: "Chrysalis" Adam Bluming (director), Tony Tost (screenplay) Netflix
2018 Godless: "Homecoming" Scott Frank (director, screenplay) Netflix
2019 Yellowstone Taylor Sheridan (creator, screenplay) Paramount Network

Western Documentary

Year Film Creators(s) Publisher(s) Ref.
1960s
1961 Four Seasons West Max Howe (director, producer) Max Howe Film Productions
1962 101 Scott Berner (director), Gary Allen (producer) WKY-TV
1963 Appaloosa Brown Meggs (director, writer) Fred Rice Productions
1964 Pioneer Painter Cliff Atkins (director), Gene Allen (producer) WKY-TV
1965 Age of the Buffalo Nicholas Balla (director), Austin Campbell (director), M. Charles Cohen (author) National Film Board of Canada
1966 The Beautiful Tree Clyde B. Smith (director), William R. Heick (photographer) Chishkale-University of California
1967 The Five Civilized Tribes: An Unfinished Journey Jack Morris (director), Harold Statum (photographer), Bob Gregory (author) KTUL-TV
1968 Colorado: Prehistoric Man Kenneth A Meyer (director) Barbre Productions Inc./State Historical Society for Colorado
Time of the West Charles Guggenheim (director) Guggenheim Productions/Jefferson National Expansion Memorial
1969 Born to Buck Casey Tibbs (producer), Richard McCarty (photographer) Casey Tibbs Productions
1960s
1970 The Golden Spike Kenneth A. Meyer (director), Royal Dano (narrator) Barbre Productions Inc./National Park Service
1971 Rodeo Carroll Ballard (director), Gaby Monet (producer) Concepts Unlimited Inc./Contemporary Films-McGraw Hill
1972 The Last of the Wild Mustangs Norman Muse (producer), Gus Jekel (director), Orson Welles (narrator) Leo Burnett Co./Marlboro Cigarettes
1973 Bighorn! Marty Stouffer (producer)
1974 The Great American Cowboy Kieth Merrill (director, producer)
1975 Goin' Down the Road Kieth Merrill (director, producer) R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.
1976 Red Sunday: The Battle of the Little Bighorn Jack Graff (producer), James R. Graff (producer), Robert A. Henkel (producer), James B. Kelly (director), John McIntire (narrator), Mary Actor (author) Pyramid Films
1977 No award given
1978 More Than Bows & Arrows Roy Williams (producer), Conrad W. Denke (director), N. Scott Momaday (narrator), Ron Forsell (author) Cinema Associates Inc.
1979 Lucy Covington: Native American Indian Steve Heiser (director) Encyclopedia Britannica Educational Corporation/Odyssey Productions
1980s
1980 Art in Taos: The Early Years Dana E. Balibrera (director, producer, writer) Danamar Film Productions
1981 No award given
1982 Oklahoma Gems Steve Newmann, Lee Allen Smith KTVY-TV
1983 Edward Fraughton, of Heroes and Horses Kenneth and Claudia Meyer (producers), William G. Kerr Ken Meyer Productions
1984 Buffalo Cokedale Jim Redmond (producer) Colorado Cowboy Life
1985 1915: Panama Pacific Fair Burton Benedict (producer, narrator), Monica Fletcher (director) University of California at Berkeley
1986 Cowgirls: Portraits of American Ranch Women Nancy Kelly (director, producer), Teresa Jordan (writer) PBS
1987 The Indomitable Teddy Roosevelt Harrison Engle (producer), Marilyn S. Engle (producer), Theodore Strauss (writer), George C. Scott (narrator) ABC
1988 A $10 Horse and a $40 Saddle Bryan Dew (director, producer), John Crowley (writer), Levon Helm (narrator) American Frontier Project/Direct Cinema Limited
1989 Indians, Outlaws and Angie Debo Martha Sandlin (producer), Barbara Abrash (producer) Oklahoma State University
1990s
1990 Oklahoma Passage Kenneth A. Meyer (director), Bill Thrash (producer), Robert L. Allen (producer) OETA
1991 Custer's Last Trooper Bill Armstrong (producer) A&E
1992 The Platte River Road Michael Farrell (director, producer, writer) NETV
1993 American Experience: "The Donner Party" Ric Burns (director, producer, writer), Judy Crichton (producer), Lisa Ades (producer) Steeplechase Films/WGBH
1994 The Real West Craig Haffner (executive producer), Donna E. Lusitana (executive producer), Steven Lewis (executive producer), Kenny Rogers (narrator) Greystone Communications/A&E
1995 Ishi: The Last Yahi Jed Riffe (producer), Pamela Roberts (producer), Stephen Lighthill (photographer), Anne Makepeace (writer) Ishi Film Project
1996 How The West Was Lost Chris Wheeler (producer), Sonny Hutchison (director), Michael Winship (writer) KUSA-TV/Discovery Channel
1997 Bloomers To Ballots Lisa D. Olken (producer, photographer), Sherry Niermann (series producer) KRMA-TV
1998 Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery Ken Burns (director, producer), Dayton Duncan (producer, writer) WETA-TV/PBS
1999 The New Explorers - Betrayal At Little Big Horn Bill Kurtis (producer), Gary Foreman (producer, writer) Kurtis Productions
2000s
2000 TimeWatch: "Tales of the Oklahoma Land Runs" Jonathan Gili (producer, writer), Laurence Rees (producer) BBC Two   UK
2001 Time Machine: "The Real Cowboy: Portrait of An American Icon" Bill Kurtis (producer), Nicole Ewing (producer, writer), Gary L. Foreman (producer, writer) The History Channel
2002 Seth Eastman: Painting the Dakota Fred de Sam Lazaro (producer), Kristian Berg (director, producer, writer), Peter Coyote (narrator) Afton Historical Society Press/Twin Cities Public Television
2003 Daniel Boone and The Westward Movement Gary Foreman (producer), Carolyn Raine (producer), Paul Hutton (writer), Scott New (narrator) Native Sun Productions
2004 Images of Indians: How Hollywood Stereotyped the Native American Jason Witmer (director), Chris O'Brien (director), Brock DeShane (producer, writer) Starz Encore Westerns
2005 Sam Peckinpah's West: Legacy of a Hollywood Renegade Tom Thurman (director), Tom Marksbury (writer) FBN Productions/Starz Encore
2006 Independent Lens: "The Last Cowboy" Jon Alpert (director, producer) DCTV/PBS
2007 Ride Around the World Jeff Fraley (producer), Brady Dial (producer), Harry Lynch (director, producer, writer) Trinity Films Corp./Giant Screen Films/Janson Media
2008 Cowboys in Tall Grass Ken Greenwood (producer) Cox Communications
2009 The Challenge of Champions: The Story of Lane Frost & Red Rock David Wittkower (producer), Clyde and Elsie Frost (narrators), John Growney (narrator) Lighthouse Productions
2010s
2010 Cowboys & Outlaws: "The Real Wyatt Earp" Pip Gilmour (director, writer), Sean Gallagher (producer), Abby Greensfelder (producer), Paul Cabana (producer) The History Channel
Born to Ride: Cody Wright and the Quest for a World Title Jon Smith (producer), Lyman Hafen (director, writer), Wilford Brimley (narrator) SUTV/Southern Utah University
My Friend Flicka Letitia C. Langord (director), Ruby Calvert (producer), Kyle Nicholoff (producer) Wyoming PBS
2011 American Experience: "Wyatt Earp" Mark Samels (producer), Rob Rapley (producer) PBS
2012 Main Street, Wyoming Ruby Calvert (producer), Tom Manning (producer, writer), Kyle Nicholoff (director) PBS
2013 The Dust Bowl Ken Burns (director), Dayton Duncan (writer) PBS
2014 Behind the Gate Jack Lucarelli (director), Mark Giardino (director, writer) GGG Productions
2015 Stateline: "Cowboys of Color" Bill Perry (producer), Robert Burch (producer), Dave Tamez (producer) OETA
2016 Unbranded Phillip Baribeau (director) Fin & Fur Films/Implement Productions
2017 What Was Ours Mat Hames (director) Alpheus Media Inc.
2018 Floating Horses: The Life of Casey Tibbs Justin Koehler (director) Nowlin Town Productions/Static Age Productions

Literary

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Art Books

Year Author(s) Novel Publisher or publication Ref.
1968 E. Maurice Bloch George Caleb Bingham: The Evolution of an Artist University of California Press
1969 Edward Maddin Ainsworth The Cowboy in Art World Publishing Co.
1970 William Reed Olaf Wieghorst Northland Press
1971 Robert F. Karolevitz Where Your Heart Is: The Story of Harvey Dunn North Plains Press
1972 Paul A. Rossi and David C. Hunt The Art of the Old West Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
1973 Walt Reed Harold Von Schmidt Draws and Paints the Old West Northland Press
1974 Frank Getlein The Lure of the Great West Country Beautiful Corporation
1975 Harold G. Davison Edward Borein: Cowboy Artist Doubleday and Company
1976 Emmie D. Mygatt and Roberta Carkeek Cheney Hans Kleiber: Artist of the Bighorn Mountains Caxton Printers
1977 No award given
1978 John K. Goodman Ross Stefan: An Impressionistic Painter of the Contemporary Southwest Northland Press
1979 Searles R. Boynton The Painter Lady: Grace Carpenter Hudson Interface Corporation
1980 Sandra Dallas Sacred Paint: Ned Jacob Fenn Galleries Publishing
1981 Patricia Janis Broder Taos: A Painter's Dream New York Graphic Society
1982 Larry Pointer and Donald Goddard Harry Jackson Harry N. Abrams
1983 William Albert Allard Vanishing Breed: Photographs of the Cowboy and the West New York Graphic Society/Little, Brown & Co.
1984 Forrest Fenn The Beat of the Drum and the Whoop of the Dance
1985 Jose Cisneros Riders Across the Centuries Texas Westerners Press
1986 David J. Weber Richard H. Kern: Expeditionary Artist in the Far Southwest, 1848-1853 University of New Mexico Press
1987 Edwin L. Wade Arts of the North American Indian Hudson Hills Press
1988 Frederick J. Dockstander Song of the Loom; New Traditions in Navajo Weaving Hudson Hills Press
1989 Lois Essary Jacka and Jerry D. Jacka Beyond Tradition: Contemporary Indian Art and its Evolution Northland Publishing
1990 Laura Wilson Watt Matthews of Lambshead Texas State Historical Association
1991 Alan Axelrod Art of the Golden West Abbeville Press
1992 Nancy K. Anderson and Linda S. Ferber Albert Bierstadt: Art and Enterprise Hudson Hills Press
1993 Howard Terpning and Elmer Kelton The Art of Howard Terpning Bantam Doubleday Dell and Greenwich Workshop
1994 Brian W. Dippie Charles M. Russell, Word Painter Arnon Carter
1995 Rick Stewart Charles M. Russell - Sculptor Arnon Carter
1996 Patricia Trenton Independent Spirits: Women Painters of the American West, 1890-1945 Autry Museum of Western Heritage
1997 Anne Morand Thomas Moran: The Field Sketches University of Oklahoma Press
1998 Nancy Anderson Thomas Moran Yale University Press
1999 Phil Kovinick and Marian Yoshiki-Kovinick An Encyclopedia of Women Artists of the American West University of Texas Press
2000 Larry Len Peterson Charles M. Russell, Legacy Falcon Publishing
2001 Kurt Markus Cowpuncher Wild Horse Island Press
2002 Larry Len Peterson Philip R. Goodwin: America's Sporting and Wildlife Artist Coeur d' Alene Art Auction
2003 Michael Duty Cowboy Artists of America The Greenwich Workshop Press
2004 Nancy K. Anderson Frederic Remington: The Color of Night Princeton University Press
2005 Don Hedgpeth Joe Beeler: Life of a Cowboy Artist Diamond Tail Press
2006 Joni L. Kinsey Thomas Moran's West: Chromolithography, High Art and Popular Taste University Press of Kansas
2008 B. Byron Price Charles M. Russell: A Catalogue Raisonne University of Oklahoma Press
2009 Peter H. Hassrick and Elizabeth J. Cunningham In Contemporary Rhythm: The Art of Ernest L. Blumenschein University of Oklahoma Press
2010 Joan Carpenter Troccoli The Masterworks of Charles M. Russell: A Retrospective of Paintings and Sculpture University of Oklahoma Press
2011 Don Hedgpeth Robert Lougheed Follow the Sun Diamond Trail Press
2012 Jane Ford Aebersold, Christina E. Burke, James Peck, B. Byron Price, W. Jackson Rushing III, Mary Jo Watson and Mark A. White The Eugene B. Adkins Collection: Selected Works University of Oklahoma Press
2013 Adam Duncan Harris Bob Kuhn: Drawing on Instinct University of Oklahoma Press
2014 W. Raymond Wood and Robert M. Lindholm Karl Bodmer's America Revisited: Landscape Views Across Time University of Oklahoma Press
2015 Jennifer Bottomly-O'Looney and Kirby Lambert Montana's Charlie Russell: Art in the Collection of the Montana Historical Society Montana Historical Society Press
2016 Peter H. Hassrick and Mindy N. Besaw Painted Journeys
2017 Susan Hallsten McGarry Pure Quill: Photographs by Barbara Van Cleve SF Design/Fresco Books
2018 Thomas Brent Smith and Mary-Dailey Desmarais Once Upon a Time...The Western: A New Frontier in Art and Film 5 Continents Editions/Denver Art Museum and Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

Folklore Books

Year Author(s) Novel Publisher or publication Ref.
1978 Bill Brett The Stolen Steers: A Tale of the Big Thicket Texas A&M University Press

Juvenile Books

Year Author(s) Novel Publisher or publication Ref.
1962 Gene Caesar King of the Mountain men E. P. Dutton & Co.
1963 Charles Clifton The Book of the West Bobbs-Merrill Co.
1964 Betty Baker Killer-of-Death Harper & Row
1965 Paul Iselin Wellman The Greatest Cattle Drive Houghlin-Mifflin Co.
1966 Carl G. Hodges Land Rush Duell-Sloan-Pearce Co.
1967 Marguerite Henry Mustang: Wild Spirit of the West Rand McNalley and Co.
1968 Eric Scott Down the Rivers, Westward Ho! Meredith Press
1969 Weyman B. Jones Edge of Two Worlds Dial Press
1970 Jessie Hosford An Awful Name to Live Up To Meredith Press
1971 Betty Baker And One Was a Wooden Indian The Macmillan Co.
1972 Richard Edward Wormser The Black Mustanger William Morrow & Co.
1975 Harold Keith Susy's Scoundrel Thomas Y. Crowell Co.
1976 N. Scott Momaday Owl in the Cedar Tree Northland Press
1979 Harold Keith The Obstinate Land Thomas Y. Crowell Co.
1980 Barbara M. Walker The Little House Cookbook Harper & Row
1984 Russell Freedman Children of the Wild West Clarion Books
1986 Pam Conrad Prairie Songs Harper & Row
1987 Arlene B. Hirshfelder Happily May I Walk Charles Scribner's
1988 Lynn H. Scott The Covered Wagon and Other Adventures University of Nebraska Press
1989 Francis G. Tunbo Stay Put, Robbie McAmis Texas Christian University Press
1990 Marj Gurasich Letters to Oma Texas Christian University Press
1991 Diane Johnston Hamm Bunkhouse Journal High Plains Press
1992 Vee Brown and Baje Whitehorne? Monster Slayer: A Navajo Folktale Northland Press
1993 Russell Freedman An Indian Winter Holdiay House
1994 Albert Marrin Cowboys, Indians and Gunfighters Maxwell Macmillan International
1995 Robert Crum Eagle Drum Simon & Schuster
1996 Linda Theresa Raczek and Katalin Olah Ehling? The Night the Grandfathers Dance Northland Publishing
1997 Dayton Duncan The West Little, Brown and Company
1998 Diane Johnston Hamm Daughter of Suqua Albert Whitman & Company
1999 Kathryn Lasky Alice Rose & Sam Hyperion Books for Children
2000 Louise Erdrich The Birchbark House Hyperion Books for Children
2001 Sharon E. Heisel Precious Gold, Precious Jade Holiday House
2002 Jo Harper Delfino's Journey Texas Tech University
2003 Lisa Waller Rogers The Great Storm: The Hurricane Diary of J.T. King Texas Tech University Press
2004 Hershell H. Nixon The Long Way West Texas Tech University Press
2005 Simon J. Ortiz The Good Rainbow Road University of Arizona Press
2006 Charlotte Foltz Jones Westward Ho! Eleven Explorers of the American West Holiday House
2007 James M. McPherson Into The West: From Reconstruction To The Final Days Of The American Frontier Atheneum Books for Young Readers/Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
2008 Melodie A. Cuate Journey to San Jacinto Texas Tech University Press
2009 Melodie A. Cuate Journey to Gonzales Texas Tech University Press
2010 Suzanne Morgan Williams Bull Rider McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster Childrens Publishing
2011 Michael P. Spradlin and Layne Johnson Off Like the Wind! The First Ride of the PonyExpress Walker & Company
2012 Emerita Romero-Anderson Milagro of the Spanish Bean Pot
2013 Sandra Dallas The Quilt Walk Sleeping Bear Press
2014 Nasario Garcia Grandmas Santo on Its Head/El santo patas arriba de mi abuelita University of New Mexico Press
2015 Linda L. Osmundson How The West Was Drawn: Women's Art Pelican Publishing Company Inc.
2016 Mike Kearby "Texas Tales Illustrated: The Trail Drives"
2017 S.J. Dahlstrom The Green Colt Paul Dry Books
2018 Lois V. Harris Lotta Crabtree: Gold Rush Fairy Star Pelican Publishing Co.

Magazine Article

Year Author(s) Novel Publisher or publication Ref.
1961 W. Bruce Bell "The Old Chisholm Trail" Kiwanis Magazine
1962 Mari Sandoz "The Look of the Last Frontier" American Heritage
1963 George R. Stewart "The Prairie Schooner Got Them There" American Heritage
1964 Herman Lehmann "Nine Years Among the Indians" Frontier Times
1965 J. Frank Dobie "Titans of Western Art" The American Scene
1966 Donald Dean Jackson "How Lost Was Zebulon Pike" American Heritage
1967 Jack Guinn "The Red Man's Last Struggle" Empire Magazine/Denver Post
1968 Carolyn Woirhaye "The Snows of Rimrock Ridge" The Farm Quarterly
1969 Donnie D. Good "W. R. Leigh: The Artist's Studio Collection" The American Scene
1970 May Howell Dobson "Bennett Howell's Cow Country" Frontier Times
1971 James Edsall Serven "Cattle, Guns and Cowboys" Arizona Highways
1972 David Humphreys Miller "Echoes of the Little Big Horn" American Heritage
1973 James Edsall Serven "Horses of the West" Arizona Highways
1974 Spike Van Cleve "40 Years Gatherins" The Dude Rancher
1975 James R. Jennings "George Humphreys, Half Century with 6666" Quarter Horse Journal
1976 Patricia Janis Broder "The Pioneer Woman: Image in Bronze" American Art Review
1977 No award given
1978 John L. Sinclair "Where the Cowboys Hunkered Down" New Mexico Magazine
1979 Richard Rhodes "The Farther Continent of James Clyman" American Heritage
1980 David McCullough and Tomas Sennett "Glory Days in Medora" GEO Magazine
1981 William Broyles Jr. "The King Ranch, The Last Empire" Texas Monthly
1982 Alice J. Hall "Buffalo Bill and the Enduring West" National Geographic
1983 Patricia Nell Warren "Saga of an American Ranch" Reader's Digest
1984 Tom Blasingame "Eight Decades a Cowboy" The Quarter Horse Journal
1985 Max Evans "Showdown at Hollywood Park" Southern Horseman Magazine
1986 John L. Sinclair "Santa Rita del Cobre" New Mexico Magazine
1987 C. L. Sonnichsen "The Remodeling of Geronimo" Arizona Highways
1988 Robert A. Trennart "Fairs, Expositions and the Changing Image of Southwestern Indians, 1976-1904" New Mexico Historical Review
1989 E. N. Coons "Blizzard" American Heritage
1990 Oakley Hall "Powder River Country" American Heritage
1991 Jerry Keenan "Yellowstone Kelly" Montana The Magazine of Western History
1992 Kathryn Marshall "Strange and Benevolent Monsters" American Way Magazine
1993 Peter H. Hassrick "Western Art Museums: A Question of Style or Content" Montana The Magazine of Western History
1994 Raphael Cristy "Charlie's Hidden Agenda," Montana The Magazine of Western History
1995 Robert Draper "The Twilight of the Texas Rangers" Texas Monthly
1996 Paul Andrew Hutton "Showdown At the Hollywood Corral" Montana The Magazine of Western History
1997 Greg Michno "Lakota Noon At The Greasy Grass" Wild West Magazine/Cowles History Group
1998 Dan L. Flores "When The Buffalo Roamed" Wild West Magazine/Cowles History Group
1999 Paul Andrew Hutton "T. R. Takes Charge" American History
2000 Lou Dean "Halloween Hermit" Guideposts
2001 Renee Kientz "The Gillette Brothers" Houston Chronicle
2002 Sally Denton "What Happened at Mountain Meadows?" American Heritage
2003 Robert Utley "Tales of the Texas Rangers" American Heritage Magazine
2004 Paul A. Canada "The Water Crisis Continues" The Paint Horse Journal/American Paint Horse Association
2005 Paul Andrew Hutton "‘It was but a Small Affair': The Battle of the Alamo" Wild West
2006 Jeffrey V. Pearson "Tragedy at Red Cloud Agency: The Surrender, Confinement, and Death of Crazy Horse" Montana – The Magazine of Western History
2007 John R. Erickson "Six Days Ablaze" American Cowboy Magazine
2008 Paul Hutton "Silver Screen Desperado: Billy the Kid in the Movies" New Mexico Historical Review
2009 Dan Flores "Bringing Home All the Pretty Horses" Montana, The Magazine of Western History
2010 John H. Monnett "My Heart Now Has Become Changed to Softer Feelings" Montana, The Magazine of Western History
2011 Frederick J. Chiaventone "Taking Stock of the Pony Express" Wild West Magazine/Weider History Group
2012 Louis Kraft "When Wynkoop Was Sheriff" Wild West Magazine/Weider History Group
2013 Jim Logan "The Other Trail" Oklahoma Today
2014 Dan Flores "Coyote: An American Original" Wild West Magazine/Weider History Group
2015 Bob Welch "Not For Sale" American Cowboy Magazine
2016 Renee M. Laegreid "Finding the American West in Twenty-First Century Italy"
2017 Gabriella Schiavino "Warriors to Ride the River With" American Cowboy Magazine
2018 Gregory Nickerson "All American Indian Days and the Miss Indian America Pageant" Montana The Magazine of Western History
2019 Christine Hamilton, Ross Hecox and Susan Morrison "Long Live the King"
2020 David Beyreis ""If You had Fought Bravely I would have Sung for You” The Changing Roles of Cheyenne Women During Nineteenth-Century Plains Warfare"
2021 Tempe J. Javitz "Transitions in the Changing West: The Photographic Legacy of Jessamine Spear Johnson"
2022 Tracey Hanshew "Here She Comes, Wearin’ Them Britches!" Montana The Magazine of Western History
2023 Matthew Kerns "Texas Jack Takes an Encore" Wild West Magazine/HistoryNet

News Featurette

Year Author(s) Novel Publisher or publication Ref.
1991 Rodeo Cowboys Phil Archer (producer), Judy Overton (producer) KPRC-TV
1992 Strangers in Their Own Land Mary Ann Eckstein (producer), Linda Cavanaugh (producer), Randy Williams (director), Tony Stizza (photojournalist) KFOR-TV
1993 Matagorda Cattle Drive Phil Archer (reporter), Kevin Benz (photojournalist) KPRC-TV
1994 Orphan Train Linda Cavanaugh (producer), Tony Stizza (producer), Randy Williams (director), Linda Cavanaugh (reporter), Tony Stizza (photojournalist) KFOR-TV
1995 Riders of the Osage Randy Renner (reporter), Barry Levy (photographer), Dave Tamez (photographer) KWTV-9
1996 Good Morning America: Montana Cowgirls , ABC; Jeff Jayson, producer; Amy Atkins, reporter.
1997 The Vale's Baby Scott Thompson (reporter), Grand Gerondale (photographer) KOTV
1998 Range Riders John Pronk (reporter and photographer), Melissa Johnson (field producer), Mike Raye (editor) WFAA-TV
2001 The Salt Grass Trail Phill Archer (reporter), Mark Muller (photographer) KRPC-TV
2002 The Real Cowboys Michael Jenkins (reporter), Rob DuPuis (photographer) KVUE-TV

Nonfiction Book

Year Author(s) Novel Publisher or publication Ref.
1962 Alvin M. Josephy Jr. The American Heritage Book of Indians American Heritage Publishing Co.
1963 John Rolfe Burroughs Where the Old West Stayed Young William Morrow & Co.
1964 John Upton Terrell Furs by Astor William Morrow & Co.
1965 C. Gregory Crampton Standing Up Country Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
1966 Alvin M. Josephy Jr. The American Heritage History of the Great West American Heritage Publishing Co.
1967 George W. Groh Gold Fever William Morrow & Co.
1968 John Arkas Hawgood America's Western Frontiers Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
1969 Robert R. Dykstra The Cattle Towns Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
Laura Gilpin The Enduring Navaho University of Texas Press
1970 Merrill J. Mattes The Great Platte River Road Nebraska State Historical Society
1971 Harry Sinclair Drago The Great Range Wars Dodd, Mead & Co.
1972 Odie B. Faulk and Seymour V. Connor North America Divided: The Mexican War Oxford University Press.
1973 S.L.A. Marshall Crimsoned Prairie Charles Scribner's Sons
Tom McHugh The Time of the Buffalo Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
1974 George F. Ellis Bell Ranch As I Knew It The Lowell Press
Richard M. Ketchum Will Rogers, His Life and Times American Heritage Publishing Co.
Mike Hanley and Ellis Lucia Owyhee Trails Caxton Printers.
David Muench and N. Scott Mornaday Colorado Summer/Fall/Winter/Spring Rand McNally and Co.
1975 Benjamin Capps The Warren Wagontrain Raid Dial Press.
Robert O. Beatty Idaho: A Pictorial Overview Idaho First National Bank
Roy P. Stewart Born Grown Fidelity Bank
C.L. Sonnichsen Colonel Greene and the Copper Skyrocket University of Arizona Press.
1976 Jeff C. Dykes Fifty Great Western illustrators Northland Press
Turbese Lummis Fiske Charles F. Lummis: The Man and His West University of Oklahoma Press
Don James Keith Butte's Memory Book Caxton Printers
1977 No award given
1978 Angie Debo Geronimo: The Man, His Time, his Place University of Oklahoma Press.
Time McCoy and Ronald McCoy Tim McCoy Remembers the West Doubleday & Co., Inc.
1979 Nelle Snyder Yost Buffalo Bill: His Family, Friends, Fame, Failures and Fortunes Swallow Press
1980 John D. Unruh Jr. The Plains Across University of Illinois Press.
1981 Bartlett Richard Bartlett Richards: Nebraska Sandhills Cattleman
Donald Jackson Gold Dust: Saga of the Forty-Niners Allen and Unwin Ltd.
1982 Russell H. Beatie Saddles University of Oklahoma Press
David Dary Cowboy Culture: A Saga of Five Centuries Alfred A. Knopf
1983 Margaret Maxwell A Passion for Freedom: The Life of Sharlot Hall University of Arizona Press
Bryan and Frances Sterling A Will Rogers Treasury: Reflections and Observations Crown Publishers
1984 Gary E. Moulton Atlas of the Lewis & Clark Expedition University of Nebraska Press.
1985 Francis Paul Prucha The Great Father University of Nebraska Press.
1986 Robert L. Sharp Bob Sharp's Cattle Country University of Arizona.
1987 Robert G. Athearn The Mythic West in Twentieth Century America University Press of Kansas.
1988 Robert Marshall Utley High Noon in Lincoln: Violence on the Western Frontier University of New Mexico Press.
1989 Robert Marshall Utley Cavalier in Buckskin: Geaorge Armstrong Custer and the Western Military Frontier University of Oklahoma Press
1990 Elliot West Growing Up With the Country University of New Mexico Press
1991 Richard W. Slatta Cowboys of the Americas Yale University Press
1992 Richard White It's Your Misfortune and None of My Own: A New History of the American West University of Oklahoma Press
1993 David J. Weber The Spanish Frontier in North America Yale University Press
1994 Terry G. Jordan North American Cattle-Ranching Frontiers University of New Mexico Press
1995 Clyde A. Milner II, Carol A. O'Connor and Martha A. Sandweiss The Oxford History of the American West Oxford University Press
1996 Elliott West The Way To The West University of New Mexico Press
1997 Richard W. Etulain Re-Imagining The Modern American West: A Century of Fiction, History, and Art University of Arizona Press
1998 Louis S. Warren The Hunter's Game Yale University Press
1999 Howard Roberts Lamar The New Encyclopedia of the American West Yale University Press
2000 Michael Wallis The Real Wild West: The 101 Ranch and the Creation of the American West St. Martin's Press
2001 Rovert V. Hine and John Mack Faragher The American West: A New Interpretive History Yale University Press
2002 Dan O'Brien Buffalo for the Broken Heart Random House
2003 Douglas B. Green Singing in the Saddle Country Music Foundation Press/Vanderbilt University Press
2004 Sally Denton American Massacre Alfred A. Knopf.
2005 David Dary The Oregon Trail: An American Saga Alfred A. Knopf
2006 Howard Lamar Charlie Siringo's West University of New Mexico Press
2007 Timothy Egan The Worst hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl Houghton Mifflin Company
2008 Max Evans For the Love of a Horse University of New Mexico Press
2009 Marsha V. Gallagher The North American Journals of Prince Maximilian of Weid University of Oklahoma Press
2010 Elliott West The Last Indian War: The Nez Perce Story Oxford University Press
2011 Will Bagley So Rugged and Mountainous: Blazing the Trail to Oregon and California, 1812-1848 University of Oklahoma Press
2012 Paul L. Hedren After Custer: Loss and Transformation in Sioux Country University of Oklahoma Press
2013 Robert M. Utley Geronimo Yale University Press
2014 David M. Wrobel Global West, American Frontier: Travel, Empire and Exceptionalism form Manifest Destiny to the Great Depression University of New Mexico Press
2015 Castle McLaughlin A Lakota War Book from the Little Bighorn: The Pictographic Autobiography of Half Moon Peabody Museum Press
2016 Gary and Margaret Kraisinger The Western Cattle Trail
2017 Dan Flores American Serengeti: The Last Big Animals of the Great Plains University Press of Kansas
2018 Steve Friesen Lakota Performers in Europe: Their Culture and the Artifacts University Press of Oklahoma Press

Outstanding Photography Book

Year Author(s) Novel Publisher or publication Ref.
2005 Debra Bloomfield Four Corners University of New Mexico Press
2006 Robb Kendrick Revealing Character: Texas Tintypes Bright Sky Press
2007 Stephen Trimble Lasting Light – 125 Years of Grand Canyon Photography Northland Publishing
2008 Nancy Wood Eye of the West University of New Mexico Press
2009 Paul Mobley and Katrina Fried American Farmer: The Heart of Our Country Welcome Books
2010 Craig Varjabedian Ghost Ranch and the Faraway Nearby University of New Mexico Press
2011 Krstina L. Southwell and John R. Lovett Life at the Kiowa, Comanche, and Wichita Agency University of Oklahoma Press
2012 J. Don Cook Shooting from the Hip: Photographs and Essays University of Oklahoma Press
2013 Rich Clarkson and James C. McNutt National Geographic Greatest Photographs of the American West National Geographic Books
2014 Andy Wilkinson A Family of the Land: The Texas Photography of Guy Gillette University of Oklahoma Press
2015 Debra Bloomfield Wilderness University of New Mexico Press
2016 Lee Marmon and Tom Corbett Laguna Pueblo University of New Mexico Press
2017 No award given
2018 Thomas Brent Smith and Mary-Dailey Desmarais Once Upon a Time...The Western: A New Frontier in Art and Film 5 Continents Editions/Denver Art Museum/Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

Poetry Book

Year Author(s) Novel Publisher or publication Ref.
1973 George Keithley The Donner Party George Brazziller
1974-1985 No awards given
1986 Hal Cannon Cowboy Poetry: A Gathering Gibbs M. Smith
1987 Hal Cannon (editor) Songs of the Sage: The Poetry of Curley Fletcher Gibbs M. Smith
1988 No award given
1989 Lois Prante Stevens and Jewell Malm Newburn Pomo, Dawn of Song California History Center
1990 Walter McDonal Rafting the Brazos University of North Texas Press
1991 Jane Candia Coleman No Roof But Sky High Plains Press
1992 Walter McDonald The Digs in Escondido Canyon Texas Tech University Press
1993 Walter McDonald All that Matters Texas Tech University Press
1994 Thomas West and Hal Cannon (editors) Buckaroo: Visions and Voices of the American Cowboy Calloway/Simon & Schuster
1995 Jane Candia Coleman The Red Drum High Plains Press
1996 Anne Heath Widmark (editor) Between Earth And Sky: Poets Of The Cowboy West W.W. Norton & Company
1997 Paul Zarzyski All this Way For The Short Ride Museum of New Mexico Press
1998 J.B. Allen The Medicine Keepers Grey Horse Press
1999 Andy Wilkinson My Cowboy's Gift Grey Horse Press
2000 Walt McDonald and Janet Jeugebauer Whatever The Wind Delivers Texas Tech University Press
2001 Linda Hasselstrom Bitter Creek Junction High Plains Press
2002 Linda Hussa Blood Sister, I Am To These Fields Black Rock Press
2003 Larry D. Thomas Amazing Grace Texas Review Press
2004 Miles Wilson Harm: Poems University of Nevada Press
2005 Stacy Gillett Coyle Cloud Seeding High Plains Press
2006 Mary Beath Refuge of whirling light University of New Mexico
2007 Bruce Roseland The Last Buffalo North Dakota Institute for Regional Studies.
2008 David Mason Ludlow Red Hen Press
2009 John Dofflemyer Poems from Dry Creek Starhaven
2010 Jeanetta Calhoun Mish Work Is Love Made Visible West End Press
2011 Ken Hada Spare Parts Mongrel Empire Press
2012 Patricia Frolander Married Into It High Plains Press
2013 John Dofflemyer Proclaiming Space Dry Crik Press
2014 Caroline Joy "CJ" Hadley (editor) Brushstroke's and Balladeers Range Conservation Foundation & Range Magazine
2015 Larry D. Thomas The Goatherd Maria Maloney/Mouthfeel Press
2016 Red Shuttleworth Woe to the Land Shadowing Blue Horse Press
2017 Tiffany Midge The Woman Who Married a Bear: Poems University of New Mexico Press
2018 Karla Morton Wooden Lions Texas Review Press

Short Stories

Year Author(s) Novel Publisher or publication Ref.
1961 Steve Frazee "All Legal and Proper" Ellery Queen Magazine
1962 Fred Grove "Comanche Son" Boy's Life
1963-1990 No awards given
1991 Roland Sodowsky "Interim in Desert" Texas Christian University Press
1992 Jane Candia Coleman "Stories From Mesa Country" Swallow Press/Ohio University Press
1993 Judy Alter "Fool Girl" This Place of Memory (Texas Christian University)
1994 Robert R. Gass "Three Lakota Women" The Tampa Tribune
1995 John Jakes "Manitow and Ironhand" New Trails (Doubleday)
1996 Robert Flynn "Living with the Hyenas" Texas Christian University Press
1997 David Kranes "Salvage" Low Tide in the Desert: Nevada Stories (University of Nevada Press)
1998 Judy Alter "Sue Ellen Learns To Dance" Texas Short Stories (Browder Springs Press)
1999-2000 No awards given
2001 Loren D. Estleman "Iron Dollar" Berkley Books
2002 Ray Gonzalez "The Ghost of John Wayne" University of Arizona Press

Western Novel

Year Author(s) Novel Publisher or publication Ref.
1962 James David Horan The Shadow Catcher Crown Publishers
1963 Edward Abbey Fire on the Mountain Dial Press
1964 Robert A. Roripaugh Honor Thy Father William Morrow and Co.
1965 Thomas Berger Little Big Man Dial Press
1966 Vardis Fisher Mountain Man William Morrow & Co.
1967 Bill Gulick They Came to a Valley Doubleday & Co., Inc.
1968 Robert Flynn North to Yesterday Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
1969 The Buffalo Runners Fred Grove Doubleday & Co., Inc.
1970 Benjamin Capps The White Man's Road Harper & Row
1971 A.B. Guthrie Arfive Dodd, Mead and Co.
1972 Frank Waters Pike's Peak: A Family Saga The Swallow Press
1973 Will Henry Chiricahua J.B. Lippincott Co.
1974 Elmer Kelton The Time It Never Rained Doubleday & Co.
1975 James A. Michener Centennial Random House Publishers
1976-1977 No awards given
1978 Dorothy M. Johnson Buffalo Woman Dodd, Mead and Co.
1979 Elmer Kelton The Good Old Boys Doubleday & Co. Inc.
1980 Ruth Beebe Hill Hanta Yo Doubleday & Co. Inc.
1981-1983 No awards given
1984 Frank Calkins The Long Riders' Winter Doubleday & Co. Inc.
1985 Ivan Doig English Creek Atheneum Publishers
1986 A.B. Guthrie, Jr. Playing Catch-Up Houghton Mifflin Co.
1987 Greg Matthews Heart of the Country W. W. Norton and Co.
1988 Elmer Kelton The Man Who Rode Midnight Doubleday & Co. Inc.
1989 Glendon Swarthout The Homesman Weidenfeld & Nicolson
1990 Chad Oliver Broken Eagle Bantam Books
1991 Larry McMurtry Buffalo Girls Simon & Schuster
1992 Judith Freeman Set for Life W. W. Norton and Co.
1993 Cormac McCarthy All the Pretty Horses Alfred A. Knopf Inc.
1994 Barbara Kingsolver Pigs in Heaven HarperCollins Publishers
1995 Max Evans Bluefeather Fellini in the Sacred Realm University Press of Colorado
1996 Jane Kirkpatrick A Sweetness To The Soul Questar Publishers
1997 Kate Lehrer Out Of Eden Harmony Books
1998 Rilla Askew The Mercy Seat Viking Books
1999 Loren D. Estleman Journey of the Dead Forge Books
2000 Dan O'Brien The Contract Surgeon The Lyons Press
2001 Stephen Harrigan Gates of the Alamo Alfred A. Knopf Inc.
2002 Loren D. Estleman The Master Executioner Forge Books
2003 Frederick J. Chiaventone Moon of Bitter Cold Forge Books
2004 Johnny Boggs Spark on the Prairie: The Trial of the Kiowa Chiefs Signet
2005 Randy Lee Eickhoff And Not to Yield Tom Doherty Associates
2006 Rosemary Agonito and Joseph Agonito Buffalo Calf Road Woman, The Story of a Warrior of the Little Bighorn The Globe Pequot Press/Two Dot Books
2007 Alan Geoffrion Broken Trail Fulcrum Publishing
2008 Rilla Askew Harpsong University of Oklahoma Press
2009 Mary Clearman Blew Jackalope Dreams University of Nebraska Press
2010 Dusty Richards The Sundown Chaser Berkley Books Penguin Group
2011 Gabrielle Burton Impatient with Desire Hyperion Books
2012 Thomas Fox Averill Rode University of New Mexico
2013 D.B. Jackson Unbroke Horses Goldminds Publishing
2014 Philipp Meyer The Son Harper Collins
2015 Michael Zimmer The Poacher's Daughter Five Star/Cengage Gale
2016 C.J. Box Endangered: A Joe Pickett Novel
2017 Robert Knott Robert B. Parker's Blackjack G. P. Putnam's Sons
2018 Matthew P. Mayo Stranded: A Story of Frontier Survival Five Star Publishing

Music

edit

Outstanding New Artist

Year Creator(s) Work Publisher or publication Ref.
2008 Lynn Anderson "Cowgirl" Showboat Records
2009 Gary S. Pratt "The Other Side"
2010 Steve Moulton "Cowboys & Campfires"

New Horizons

Year Creator(s) Work Publisher or publication Ref.
2013 Miss Devon & the Outlaw, Rich O'Brien (producer) Where in the Dickens RU?
2014 Mikki Daniel Gota Be A Cowgirl
2015 Hannah Huston
2016 No award given
2017 Trinity Seely

Music

Year Creator(s) Work Publisher or publication Ref.
1961 Dimitri Tiomkin (composer) The Alamo
1962 William J. May "Charles Russell Cantata" Historical Society of Montana
1964 Alfred Newman (music), Ken Darby (lyrics) "How the West Was Won"
1965 Rudy Schrager (composer), Herschel Burke Gilbert (composer), Bernard L. Kowalski (director), Bruce Geller (producer) Rawhide: "Damon's Road"
1966 Elmer Bernstein (score), Ernie Sheldon (lyrics) "Hallelujah Trail"
1967 No award given
1968 Robert Russel Bennett (composer) Project Twenty: "The End of the Trail"
1970 Elmer Bernstein (score), Don Black (score) "True Grit"
1971 John Parker (composer) Gunsmoke: "Snowtrain"
1972 John Williams (score) "The Cowboys"
1973 Dominic Frontiere (score) "The Train Robbers"
1974 Elmer Bernstein (score) "Cahill U.S. Marshall"
1975 David Rose (composer) "Little House on the Prairie"
1976 Alex North (score) "Bite the Bullet"
1977 No award given
1978 Jerry Fielding (score) "The Outlaw Josie Wales"
1979 Michael Small (score) "Comes a Horseman"
1980 Bob Cobert (score) "Last Ride of the Daltons"
1981 Charles Gross (score) "Heartland"
1982 Jim Bob Tinsley (author) "He Was Singin' This Song"
1983 No award given
1984 Charlie Seemann (annotator, programmer) "Back in the Saddle Again"
1985 Jimmy Webb (composer) "The Cowboy Hall of Fame"
1986-1988 No awards given
1989 Kyle Evans (composer), Gene Breeden (producer) "Celebrate the Century"
1990 Muzzie Braun (composer, producer) "Muzzie Braun and the Little Braun Brothers"
1991 Riders in the Sky (lyrics, music) "The Line Rider" Buzz Stone/MCA Records

Outstanding Original Western Composition

Year Creator(s) Work Publisher or publication Ref.
1992 Michael Martin Murphey (composer, recording artist), Wendy Waldman (lyrics), Carol Elliott (lyrics) Cowboy Christmas: "Corn, Water and Wood"
1993 Gary McMahan (composer), Douglas B. Green (composer), Gary McMahan (producer), Chris Camp (producer) A Cowboyin' Day: "The First Cowboy Song"
1994 Red Steagall (composer, recording artist), Steve Gibson (producer) Born to this Land: "Born to this Land" Warner Western
Warner Brothers Records
1995 Andy Wilkinson (composer, recording artist), Lloyd Maines (producer) "Charlie Goodnight: His Life"
1996 Red Steagall (composer, recording artist), Steve Gibson (producer), Mark Abbot (lyrics), Richard O'Brien (lyrics), Buck Reams (lyrics) "Faith And Values"
1997 The Road Is Still The Road: "The Freedom Song" Andy Wilkinson (composer, recording artist), Lloyd Maines (producer), Kerry Ford (producer) Grey Horse Press
1998 Red Steagall (composer, recording artist), Steve Gibson (producer) "Dear Mama, I'm A Cowboy" Warner Western Production Company
1999 Michael Martin Murphey (composer, recording artist), Joey Miskulin (producer) "Summer Ranges" Westfest Records
2000 Sons of the San Joaquin (recording artists), Jack Hannah (composer), Baxter Black (composer), Rich O'Brien (producer) "He Just Can't Be Seen From the Road" Western Jubilee Recording Company
2001 Jack Hannah, Sons of the San Joaquin (recording artists), Rich O'Brien (producer), Scott O'Malley (producer) Sing One For The Cowboy: "Charlie and the Boys" Western Jubilee Recording Company
2002 Cindy Walker (composer) Rich O'Brien (recording artist) "Old Town Taos"
2003 Ian Tyson (composer, recording artist), Rich Fenton (producer) Live at Longview: "Bob Fudge" Stony Plain Recording Company
2004 Don Edwards (composer) "Chant of the Night Songs"
2005 Dale Burson (composer, recording artist) Dancing With Daddy: "A Life More Than This"
2006 Red Steagall and Rich O'Brien The Wind, The Wire And The Rail: "How Green Was The Grazin' Back Then"
2007 Michael Martin Murphey (composer, recording artist) Hearland Cowboy: Cowboy Songs, Vol. 5: "Long and Lonesome Ride to Dalhart"
2008 Red Steagall (recording artist), Rich O'Brien (producer) "Dawson Le Gate"
2009 Red Steagall (recording artist), Dan Roberts (composer), Roy Robinson (composer), Bobby Wood (composer) "A Cowboys Special Christmas"
2010 LeRoy Jones, Dave Copenhaver (producer), Terry Scarberry (producer), LeRoy Jones (producer) "The Great Western Trail"
2011 R.W. Hampton (composer, recording artist), Joe DiBlasi (producer), Gary Bright (producer) Austin To Boston: "Shortgrass"
2012 R.J. Vandygriff (recording artist), Ronny Light (producer) "Keep the Campfire A Burnin"
2013 Waddie Mitchell (composer) "Trade Off by The Gillette Brothers"
2014 Eli Barsi "Portrait of a Cowgirl"
2015 Wylie & the Wild West (recording artists) "Where Horses are Heroes"
2016 Mary Kaye "Ride a Wide Circle"
2017 Ryan Fritz (recording artist), Eli Barsi (producer), John Cunningham (producer) "Keeper of the West"
2018 K.R. Wood (recording artist), Michael Martin Murphey (recording artist), K. R. Wood (composer) "A Nickel A Head"

Outstanding Traditional Western Album

Year Creator(s) Work Publisher or publication Ref.
1992 Don Edwards (recording artist) Chant of the Wanderer
1993 Buck Ramsey (recording artist), Lanny Fiel, Joe Stephenson (producer), Buck Ramsey (producer) Rolling Uphill from Texas
1994 John McEwen (composer) The Wild West Mogull Entertainment
1995 Buck Ramsey (composer, recording artist), Lanny Fiel (producer), Buck Ramsey (producer) My House It Was In Texas
1996 Riders In The Sky (recording artists), Joey Miskulin (producer) Always Drink Upstream From The Herd
1997 Don Edwards (recording artist), Jim Rooney (producer) West Of Yesterday Warner Western Production Company
1998 Robert Wagoner (recording artist) The Wonder Of It All
1999 David Wilkie (composer, recording artist) Cowboy Ceilidh Red House Records
2000 Red Steagall (composer, recording artist), Steve Gibson (producer) Love of the West Warner Brothers
2001 Don Edwards (recording artist), Waddie Mitchell (recording artist), Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra (recording artist), Rich O'Brien (producer), Kathleen Fox Collins (producer) A Prairie Portrait Western Jubilee Recording Company
2002 Don Edwards (recording artist), Rich O'Brien (producer) Kin To The Wind/Memories of Marty Robbins Western Jubilee Recording Company
2003 Red Steagall (recording artist), Rich O'Brien (producer) Wagon Tracks Western Jubilee Recording Company
2004 Buck Ramsey (recording artist, posthumanous), Charlie Seemann Buck Ramsey: Hittin' The Trail Smithsonian Folkways Recordings
Western Folklife Center
2005 Les Gilliam (recording artist), Jim Farrell (producer) It's Time To Sing A Song Prairie Rose Records
2006 Sons of the San Joaquin (recording artist), Rich O'Brien (producer) Way Out Yonder Western Jubilee Recording Company
2007 Don Edwards (recording artist) Moonlight and Skies Western Jubilee Recording Company
2008 R.W. Hampton (recording artist), Rich O'Brien (producer), Edna Mae Holden (executive producer) Oklahoma...Where the West Remains
2009 Juni Fisher (composer, recording artist), Rich O'Brien (producer) Gone for Colorado
2010 Andy Wilkinson (recording artist), Andy Hedges (recording artist), Lloyd Maines (producer) Welcome to the Tribe
2011 Gillette Brothers (recording artist), Craig Swancey (producer) Gillette Brothers Cowboys, Mistrels and Medicine Shows
2012 Dan Roberts (recording artist), Roberts Allsup (producer), Tommy Allsup (producer) 'Dan Roberts: The Best Of (Vol. 1)
2013 Bill Barwick (recording artist), Jim Ratts (producer) The Usual Suspects
2014 Don Edwards (recording artist) Just Me And My Guitar
2015 Randy Huston (recording artist), Hannah Huston (recording artist), Randy Huston (producer) Cowboys and Girls
2016 Waddie Mitchell & Pipp Gillette (recording artists) Singing Songs by Waddie & Pipp
2017 Doug Figgs, Jim Jones and Mariam (recording artists) The Cowboy Way
2018 Maye Kaye Take Me Back to Texas Don't Fence Me In Records

Special categories

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Hall of Great Western Performers

Trustees Award

Year Recipient(s) Notes Ref.
1965 Tim Babcock For World's Fair Display on the American West
W. E. McIntosh Principal chief of the Creek Nation
1967 University of Oklahoma Press For publication of Western Americana
Ben K. West For service to the Western Heritage Awards Committee
1970 Arizona Highways Magazine
Swiss National Television Network For Far West: The Indians
1971 Yakima Canutt For more than 50 years of outstanding contributions to motion pictures.
1972 John Rolfe Burroughs For Guardian of the Grasslands
John Ford For outstanding contribution to the motion picture industry.
Dorothy Harmsen For Harmsens Western Americana
Winchester-Western
Wyoming Stock Growers Association
1973 Dale Robertson For Outstanding Contribution to Western Film.
William H. Clothier For Outstanding Contribution to the Motion Picture industry through Cinema photography.
Ben K. Green For unique contribution to the pure enjoyment of our western heritage and knowledge of an heretofore unconsidered aspect of this heritage in Some More Horse Tradin.
Agnes Spring For Outstanding Contribution to Preservation of Western Heritage as historian.
1974 Dimitri Tiomkin For Outstanding Musical Contribution to Western Motion Pictures.
Alfrey Y. Allee For Outstanding Career as a Courageous Texas Ranger.
Carl G. Degen, Jr. For Excellent Educational Western Documentary film, The Excavation of Mound Seven.
Howard Hawks For Outstanding Contribution to the West through Motion Pictures.
Luke Short For illustrious career as an author of western stories.
Korczak Ziolkowski For unique contribution to preserving Western Heritage through the Crazy Horse Memorial.
1975 James Whitmore For Superb One-Man Show based on the Life of the illustrious Will Rogers.
Robert Adams For The Architecture and Art of Early Hispanic Colorado, which best illuminates a little known aspect of the American West.
Delmer Daves For outstanding contribution as director and producer of great Western Motion pictures.
Watt Matthews For preserving Western history.
Oklahoma Today For outstanding editorial and pictorial effort in presenting information about Oklahoma to its citizens.
Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys For "The Last Time", an outstanding contribution to historical preservation
1976 Spike Van Cleve For Spike Van Cleve: An American Portrait, an outstanding short documentary reflecting the West of today.
David Hoffman
Harry Wiland
Gordon Bowman
John Champion For outstanding family entertainment in a Western motion picture (Mustang Country)
Joel McCrea
Margaret Harper For being founder and driving force of the truly Western Americana pageant, Texas.
W. L. Lawrence For being widely recognized student, collector, and historian of the American fur trade.
George O'Brien For outstanding career portraying the Western movie hero.
George H. Shirk For outstanding author, lecturer, and leader in historical preservation.
1977 Luis Ortega For lifetime achievement
1983 Thomas Hornsby Ferril
Luke Decatur Sweetman For Gotch, the Story of a Cow Horse and Back Trailing on the Open Range
1984 Ed Quigley
Carl Sherwin For contributions to the preservation of western heritage
Harry E. Webb
1985 Louis L'Amour
Montana Stock Growers Association
Otha Wearin For support of the preservation of western heritage

Other special awards

  • Special Award: John B. Stetson Company for The Hat That Wore the West-Death Valley Days (1963)
  • Special Award: Yakima Canutt for more than 50 years of outstanding contributions to Motion Pictures (1971)
  • Special Award: Craig Fisher for the documentary film Survival on the Prairie (1971)
  • Special Merit Award: Union Pacific and The Westerner in recognition of great western motion pictures made prior to 1960 (1975)
  • Special Award: Seuil Audiovisual (producer) for Frontier Heritage; Claude Fleouter (writer-director); Denys Limon (writer); (1978)
  • Special Award: Harold Warp, creator of pioneer village in Minden, Nebraska (1978)
  • Special Award: Paul Aaron, host of Cowboy Joe's Radio Ranch and Prairie Echoes (1978)
  • Special Award: Ed Rutherford, collector of Western artifacts (1980)
  • Special Award: James A. Michener (author) (1980)
  • John Ford Award: Sam Peckinpah (1980)
  • Special Award: Alfred A. Knopf, publisher (1981)
  • Special Award: John Mantley, television producer (1981)
  • Special Award: Buck Taylor, actor (1981)
  • Special Award: Elsa Spear Byron, author/photographer (1982)
  • Special Award: Johnny Grant, entertainer (1982)
  • Entertainment Arts Gold Medal: Burl Ives (1984)
  • Special Award: Bill Kelly (producer) and Allison Brown (producer) for "Joe Wietsky: Cowboy" (1987)
  • Special Award: Geoffrey Bell (producer) for "The Movies Go West" (1987)
  • Special Award for Outstanding Achievement in a New Format: Kieth Merrill (director, producer) for "Alamo: The Price of Freedom" (IMAX Format) (1989)
  • Special Award for Significant Scholarly Research: Merrill J. Mattes (editor) and University of Illinois Press (publisher) for Platte River Road Narratives (1989)
  • Special Music Award: Arlene Markinson (producer) for "Santa Fe Spirit" (1990)
  • Special Television Feature Award: E.W. Swackhammer (director), Chuck Sellier (producer) Alex McArthur (actor) for "Desperado" (1990)
  • Lifetime Contribution to Western Art Award: Robert Lougheed, posthumanous award accepted by his widow Cordy Lougheed (1990)
  • Special Award for Historical Excellence: Richard Farnsworth (narrator), Gwendolyn Clancy (producer) and the University of Nevada, Reno (producer) for "The Man They Call Will James" (1991)
  • Special Award for the Preservation of Authentic Western Music: Michael Martin Murphey (composer, producer) for "Cowboy Logic" (1991)
  • Directors' Award for Excellence in a Theatrical Presentation: Tommy Tune (director, choreographer), Cy Coleman (composer), Betty Comden (lyrics), Adolph Green (lyrics), Keith Carradine (actor), Pierre Cossette (producer), Martin Richards (producer), Sam Crothers (producer), James M. Nederlander (producer), Stewart Lane (producer) and Max Weitzenhoffer (producer) for "The Will Rogers Follies" (1992)
  • Directors' Award for Excellence in a Television Presentation: Marino Amoruso (director, screenplay, producer), Ben Johnson (actor) and Harry Carey Jr. (actor) for "Legends of the American West" (1992)
  • Directors' Award for Outstanding Study of Western Material Culture: R.L. Wilson (author) and Random House (publisher) for "The Peacemakers: Arms and Adventures in the American West" (1993)
  • Directors' Award for Outstanding Contributions to Western Music: "Sons of the Pioneers" (1995)
  • Outstanding Achievement in Art: Wilson Hurley following formal dedication of his five monumental "Windows to the West" triptychs (1996)
  • Special Award: TNN in recognition of their leadership for providing the Hall's first national television special "A Cowboy Jubilee: Celebrating the National Cowboy Hall of Fame" in April 1995 (1996)
  • Special Award for Innovation in Western Music: Michael Martin Murphey (recording artist) and Jim Ed Norman (producer) for "Sagebrush Symphony" (1996)
  • Directors' Award For Special Literary Achievement: Peter H. Hassrick (author), Melissa J. Webster (author) and the Buffalo Bill Historical Center for "Frederic Remington: A Catalogue Raisonne of Paintings, Watercolors and Drawings" (1997)
  • Directors' Award For Special Recognition: Frank "Pistol Pete" Eaton (1997)
  • Directors Award for Excellence in Original Western Television Production: TNT (1997)
  • Special Directors' Award: R.L. Wilson (author), Greg Martin (author) and Random House (publisher) (1999)
  • Director's Award For Outstanding News Magazine Feature: Victor Neufeld (executive director), Rob Wallace (producer) and Hugh Downs (reporter) for ABC News 20/20: "Wild Horses" (1999)
  • Special Directors Award For Special Recognition: Robert L. Klemme for marking the location of the Chisholm Trail, where it was located between the years of 1871-1874, across the state of Oklahoma (1999)
  • Directors' Award for Television Feature Film: Uli Edel (director), Gordon Dawson (screenplay), Sam Shepard (actor), Randy Quaid (actor), Eric Roberts (actor), Brad Rowe (actor), David Rosemont (executive producer) and Daniel Schneider (producer) for "Purgatory" (TNT)
  • Directors Award for Excellence in Dramatic Presentation and Original Music Composition: R.W. Hampton (composer), Lisa Hampton (executive producer), Rich O'Brien (producer) for "The Last Cowboy – His Journey"
  • Directors' Award: Bob Brown, leather maker and costume designer to the Hollywood stars of early western films (2001)
  • Special Directors' Award: Arthur Allan Seidelman (director), Jacqueline Feather (screenplay), David Seidler (screenplay), Richard Crenna (actor), David Carradine (actor), Randall C. Badger (executive producer), Dan Paulson (executive producer), Robert Halmi Jr. (executive producer), Bob Chmiel (executive producer) for By Dawn's Early Light (2001)
  • Board of Directors' Lifetime Achievement Award: A.C. Lyles, producer for Paramount Pictures (2006)
  • Board of Directors' Lifetime Achievement Award: Dean Smith, Hollywood stuntman, actor and gold medalist in the 1952 Olympics (2007)

References

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General https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/western-heritage-award-winners/

Specific

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