What are the awards categories?

The main awards are given for their partnerships with the arts, which demonstrate exceptional involvement with the arts that enrich the workplace, education, and the community. Past honorees include Aetna, Hallmark, Microsoft, and Walt Disney World Resort.

The BCA Leadership Award is given in recognition of a person's leadership in supporting the arts. Past awardees include Jorge M. Pérez, Christopher "Kip" Forbes, Martha R. Ingram, and Chandrika Tandon. 

The David Rockefeller Fund Award recognizes an exceptional project, program, or initiative that represents a true alliance, collaboration, or exchange between the two. Our past two winners are Square + Cheyenne River Youth Project and Gensler + Access Gallery.

Who can nominate a company?
Anyone can do it—an individual, an arts organization, PR company or business employee.

Which companies are eligible?

Businesses of all sizes that support the arts in the United States are eligible. Tax-exempt nonprofit organizations are ineligible (except for hospitals). Once a company has been selected as an honoree, there is a 3-year period of ineligibility before another nomination can be submitted. Eligible businesses also can be nominated for the David Rockefeller pARTnership Award, in tandem with a tax-exempt arts organization, or an individual artist (public schools are not eligible to receive the David Rockefeller Award). Nominations received for the David Rockefeller Award also will be reviewed for the main 6 awards.

Businesses who have leadership serving on the Business Committee for the Arts or Americans for the Arts are not eligible.

For the BCA Leadership Award, senior executives are eligible.

What information is needed to nominate a company?
You are asked to submit a 600-word nomination statement. This statement should address how the nominee supports the arts including: leadership, long-term commitment, impact, addressing community needs, employee and customer involvement, and encouraging other companies to support the arts.

What happens after a nomination form is submitted?
After a nomination form is submitted, Americans for the Arts will reach out by email, using the company contact information provided in the nomination form, with a questionnaire designed to elicit more specific information about the company's arts engagement and support. Completed questionnaires (typically between 3 and 6 pages in length) and nomination forms will be sent to our panel of judges, who are representatives from the worlds of arts and business. All nominators and nominees will be notified of the results once the decisions have been tallied. The BCA Leadership Award and David Rockefeller Fund pARTnership Award are selected by our Business Committee for the Arts.

Learn more about the Awards. Questions? Send an email to [email protected].

The following companies have recently been honored at the Arts and Business Partnership Awards gala for their outstanding support of the arts. They are currently ineligible for the 2021 Arts and Business Partnership Awards. We congratulate them on their recent honor!

21c Museum Hotels
The Betsy-South Beach
Cardinal Health
Churchill Downs
David Machado Restaurants
Doyle Coffin Architecture
Duke Energy
Erie Insurance
Fifth Third Bank
Fosun International Shanghai CN (New York Office)
Grounds for Thought
Guitar Center Inc.
Halekulani Corporation
Houston Methodist
Humana Inc.
Jiffy Lube of Indiana

Kaiser Permanente Colorado
Lincoln Financial Group
Magic Hat Brewing Company
The Marcus Corporation
Nokia Bell Labs
Northwestern Mutual
Omaha Steaks
Phillips 66
Square
The Standard
Uniqlo
UMB Financial Corporation
VF Corporation
Warby Parker
West Bend Mutual Insurance Company
Zions Bank