The 2023 Texas Medal of Arts Awards Honored Miranda Lambert, Taylor Sheridan, Luke Wilson, and More

What: Held every other year, the 2023 Texas Medal of Arts Awards took place from February 21 to 22, honoring luminaries and organizations from across the state for their contributions to the creative arts. Hosted by the Texas Cultural Trust, the biennial event has honored talents such as Matthew McConaughey, Willie Nelson, Brandon Maxwell, Dan Rather, and Eva Longoria, along with companies such as H-E-B and Neiman Marcus, since its inaugural ceremony in 2001.

Where: The biennial festivities kicked off with the Arts Alive! cocktail reception at the Commodore Perry Estate on Tuesday evening, followed by a  medal ceremony at the Texas Governor’s Mansion on Wednesday morning. The event concluded with a glamorous red carpet reception and awards show at the Long Center for Performing Arts on the evening of February 22nd.

The Scene: Peabody award-winning broadcaster and producer Elliott Forrest, a native of Midland, Texas, hosted the 2023 Texas Medal of Arts awards ceremony on Wednesday evening, which was fueled by live performances. Various artists took the stage between honoree speeches, from Oscar, Golden Globe, and Grammy Award-winning musician Christopher Cross (accompanied by conductor Peter Bay and the Barton Strings) to Grammy Award-winning singer Miranda Lambert, who was joined by Jack Ingram, Jon Randall, Grammy Award-winning musician Ray Benson.

The Texas natives and organizations awarded this year’s honors included:

Music/Songwriter: Miranda Lambert (of Lindale, Texas)
Film/Actor: Luke Wilson (of Dallas, Texas)
Film/Product: Taylor Sheridan (of Weatherford, Texas)
Music: Christopher Cross (of San Antonio, Texas)
Arts/Health: The Center of Performing Arts Medicine (in Houston, Texas)
Visual Arts: Deborah Roberts (of Austin, Texas)
Architecture: Miró Rivera Architects (in Austin, Texas)
Design: Lela Rose (of Dallas, Texas)
Literary Arts: Benjamin Alire Sáenz (of El Paso, Texas)
Dance: Septime Webre (of Brownsville, Texas)
Lifetime Achievement in Musical Theatre: Carole Cook (of Abilene, Texas)

Until 2025!