Heinz Awards

Heinz Awards
Awarded for	Innovative contributions in: Arts (visual) Economy Environment
Sponsored by	Heinz Family Foundation
Date	Established 1993 (1993)
Country	United States
Reward	US$250,000
Website	heinzawards.org

The Heinz Awards was an annual philanthropic program presented by the Heinz Family Foundation to recognize outstanding individuals. The program was established in 1993 by Teresa Heinz (chair of the Heinz Family Foundation) ^[1] in honor of her late husband, U.S. Senator H. John Heinz III ^{[2] [3] [4] [5] [6]} and concluded at the end of 2025. ^[7] The Heinz Awards were considered to be among the largest individual achievement prizes in the world. ^{[8] [9]}

From their inception until 2019, the Awards encompassed the categories of Arts and Humanities; Environment; Human Condition; Public Policy; and Technology, the Economy and Employment. Subsequently, they recognized outstanding individuals for their innovative contributions in three areas: the Arts, the Economy and the Environment.

Each recipient received an unrestricted prize of US$250,000 and a cast silver medallion. ^{[10] [11]} In 2009 through 2011, the Awards held Special Focus years on the Environment and Global Change, and expanded its recognition to 10 recipients annually, each receiving US$100,000 and a medallion. ^[12] The Heinz Awards medallion displays the likeness of Senator Heinz and the words "Shared Ideals Realized" on its front side, excerpted from a quote by the late Senator Heinz. Its reverse side features an image of a globe being exchanged between two hands. ^{[9] [13]}

Selection

As written by the Heinz Family Foundation, candidates selected for the Heinz Awards met three standards:

First, nominees exhibited the following personal characteristics: A passion for excellence that went beyond intellectual curiosity; a concern for humanity rooted in a deep sensitivity to the well-being of others; and a broad vision that extended far beyond the particular and embraced something universal.

Second, the work of the nominees met the following criteria: it was significant and not a "quick fix"; it demonstrated enduring and meaningful impact; it was creative and innovative; and it was sufficiently tangible to serve as a model for replication elsewhere.

Third, candidates were actively working in the field in which they were nominated so that the award would enhance their potential for future societal contribution. ^[14]

Nominations were submitted by invited experts, who served anonymously. Submissions were researched and evaluated by Foundation staff and reviewed by jurors appointed by the Heinz Family Foundation. Jurors in each category made recommendations to the program’s board of directors, which selected the Award recipients. ^[15]

Chairman's Medal

In certain years, the Heinz Awards board also chose to honor the lifetime achievement of a particular individual. The award was a non-monetary prize, and the honoree was presented with the Heinz Awards medallion at the same ceremony as the other laureates.

Recipients

Recipients of The Heinz Awards [16]

30th Heinz Awards – 2025
Category	Recipient
Arts	Jennifer Packer
Arts	Marie Watt
Economy	Byron Auguste
Economy	Sara Bronin
Environment	Dana Gunders
Environment	Sacoby Wilson

29th Heinz Awards – 2024
Category	Recipient
Arts	Jennie C. Jones
Arts	Gala Porras-Kim
Economy	Aisha Nyandoro (Springboard to Opportunities, Magnolia Mother’s Trust)
Economy	Jessica Sager and Janna Wagner (All Our Kin)
Environment	Amira Diamond and Melinda Kramer (Women’s Earth Alliance)
Environment	Scott Loarie and Ken-ichi Ueda (iNaturalist)

28th Heinz Awards – 2023
Category	Recipient
Arts	Kevin Beasley
Arts	Roberto Lugo
Economy	Kathryn Finney
Economy	Leah Penniman
Environment	Nicole Horseherder
Environment	Colette Pichon Battle

27th Heinz Awards – 2022
Category	Recipient
Arts	vanessa german
Arts	Cauleen Smith
Economy	Hilary Abell and Alison Lingane
Economy	Chrystel Cornelius
Environment	Rhett Ayers Butler
Environment	Anne Evens

26th Heinz Awards – 2021
Category	Recipient
Arts	Tanya Aguiñiga
Arts	Sanford Biggers
Economy	Dina Bakst and Sherry Leiwant (A Better Balance)
Economy	Bill Bynum
Environment	Gabe Brown
Environment	Jacqueline Patterson

25th Heinz Awards – 2020
Category	Recipient
Arts and Humanities	Gabriela Lena Frank
Environment	Linda Behnken
Human Condition	Molly Baldwin
Public Policy	Katy Kozhimannil
Technology, the Economy and Employment	Alfa Demmellash and Alex Forrester
Special Award Commemorating the 25th Heinz Awards Anniversary	David Autor

24th Heinz Awards – 2019
Category	Recipient
Arts and Humanities	Kevin Jerome Everson
Environment	Rue Mapp
Human Condition	Sarah Szanton
Public Policy	Amanda Nguyen
Technology, the Economy and Employment	Brandon Dennison

23rd Heinz Awards – 2018
Category	Recipient
Arts and Humanities	Ralph Lemon
Environment	Ming Kuo
Human Condition	Norman Atkins
Public Policy	Sherri Mason
Public Policy	Enric Sala
Technology, the Economy and Employment	Linda Rottenberg

22nd Heinz Awards – 2017
Category	Recipient
Arts and Humanities	Natasha Trethewey
Environment	Gregory Asner
Human Condition	Angela Blanchard
Public Policy	Mona Hanna
Technology, the Economy and Employment	Joseph DeSimone

21st Heinz Awards – 2016
Category	Recipient
Arts and Humanities	Troy Andrews
Environment	Hal Harvey
Human Condition	Nadine Burke Harris
Public Policy	Michelle Alexander
Technology, the Economy and Employment	Matthew Mullenweg

20th Heinz Awards – 2015
Category	Recipient
Arts and Humanities	Roz Chast
Environment	Frederica Perera
Human Condition	William McNulty and Jacob Wood
Public Policy	Aaron Wolf
Technology, the Economy and Employment	Sangeeta Bhatia

19th Heinz Awards – 2013
Category	Recipient
Arts and Humanities	Abraham Verghese
Environment	Jonathan Foley
Human Condition	Salman Khan
Public Policy	Sanjeev Arora (physician)
Technology, the Economy and Employment	Leila Janah

18th Heinz Awards – 2012
Category	Recipient
Arts and Humanities	Mason Bates [17]
Environment	Richard J. Jackson
Human Condition	Freeman Hrabowski III
Public Policy	KC Golden [18]
Technology, the Economy and Employment	Jay Keasling [19]

17th Heinz Awards with Special Focus on the Environment – 2011
Category	Recipient
Special Focus on the Environment	John Luther Adams [20]
Special Focus on the Environment	Richard Alley [21]
Special Focus on the Environment	Janine Benyus
Special Focus on the Environment	Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis [22]
Special Focus on the Environment	Louis Guillette [23]
Special Focus on the Environment	Joan Kleypas [24]
Special Focus on the Environment	Nancy Knowlton [25]
Special Focus on the Environment	Nancy Rabalais [26]
Special Focus on the Environment	Sandra Steingraber [25]

16th Heinz Awards with Special Focus on Global Change – 2010
Category	Recipient
Special Focus on Global Change	James Balog [27]
Special Focus on Global Change	Terrence Collins
Special Focus on Global Change	Gretchen Daily [28]
Special Focus on Global Change	Richard Feely
Special Focus on Global Change	Cary Fowler [29]
Special Focus on Global Change	Lynn Goldman [30]
Special Focus on Global Change	Elizabeth Kolbert
Special Focus on Global Change	Michael Oppenheimer
Special Focus on Global Change	Daniel Sperling [31]
Special Focus on Global Change	Frederick vom Saal [32]

15th Heinz Awards with Special Focus on the Environment – 2009
Category	Recipient
Special Focus on the Environment	Robert Berkebile [33]
Special Focus on the Environment	P. Dee Boersma
Special Focus on the Environment	Christopher Field [34]
Special Focus on the Environment	Ashok Gadgil [35] [36]
Special Focus on the Environment	Chip Giller
Special Focus on the Environment	Deborah Rice
Special Focus on the Environment	Joel Salatin
Special Focus on the Environment	Kirk R. Smith [35]
Special Focus on the Environment	Thomas Smith
Special Focus on the Environment	Beverly Wright

14th Heinz Awards – 2008
Category	Recipient
Arts and Humanities	Ann Hamilton [37]
Environment	Thomas FitzGerald [11]
Human Condition	Brenda Krause Eheart
Public Policy	Robert Greenstein
Technology, the Economy and Employment	Joseph DeRisi [10] [38]

13th Heinz Awards – 2007
Category	Recipient
Arts and Humanities	Dave Eggers [39]
Environment	Bernard Amadei (co-awardee)
Environment	Susan Seacrest (co-awardee)
Human Condition	David Heymann [40]
Public Policy	Donald Berwick
Technology, the Economy and Employment	Hugh Herr [9]

12th Heinz Awards – 2006
Category	Recipient
Arts and Humanities	James Nachtwey [5]
Environment	Paul Anastas
Human Condition	William Thomas
Public Policy	Bruce Katz [41]
Technology, the Economy and Employment	Leroy Hood [42]
The Chairman's Medal	Elma Holder [1] [5]

11th Heinz Awards – 2005
Category	Recipient
Arts and Humanities	Mark di Suvero [43]
Environment	Jerry_F._Franklin [44]
Human Condition	Joseph Rogers
Public Policy	Sidney Drell [45]
Technology, the Economy and Employment	Mildred Dresselhaus [4]
The Chairman's Medal	Richard Goldman

10th Heinz Awards – 2004
Category	Recipient
Arts and Humanities	August Wilson
Environment	Peggy Shepard [9]
Human Condition	Robert Butler
Public Policy	Julius Richmond [46]
Technology, the Economy and Employment	Robert Langer
The Chairman's Medal	Richard Lugar and Sam Nunn

9th Heinz Awards – 2003
Category	Recipient
Arts and Humanities	Bernice Johnson Reagon
Environment	Mario Molina (co-awardee)
Environment	John Spengler (co-awardee) [47]
Human Condition	Paul Farmer [9]
Public Policy	Geraldine Jensen
Technology, the Economy and Employment	Paul MacCready

8th Heinz Awards – 2002
Category	Recipient
Arts and Humanities	Dudley Cocke (co-awardee)
Arts and Humanities	Rick Lowe (co-awardee)
Environment	Jane Lubchenco [48]
Human Condition	Cushing Dolbeare
Public Policy	George Lee Butler
Technology, the Economy and Employment	Anita Borg [49]
The Chairman's Medal	Ruth Patrick

7th Heinz Awards – 2001
Category	Recipient
Arts and Humanities	Jacques d'Amboise (co-awardee) [50]
Arts and Humanities	Arthur Mitchell (co-awardee)
Environment	James Hansen [3]
Human Condition	Aaron Beck
Public Policy	John Holdren
Technology, the Economy and Employment	Steve Wozniak [51]
The Chairman's Medal	Dorothy Height [52]
The Chairman's Medal	Russell Train

6th Heinz Awards – 2000
Category	Recipient
Arts and Humanities	Peter Matthiessen [53]
Environment	Paul Gorman
Human Condition	Robert P. Moses
Public Policy	Edward Zigler [6]
Technology, the Economy and Employment	Mary Good

5th Heinz Awards – 1999
Category	Recipient
Arts and Humanities	Walter Turnbull
Environment	Lois Gibbs (co-awardee) [54]
Environment	Florence Robinson (co-awardee)
Human Condition	Luis Acosta and Frances Lucerna
Public Policy	Daniel Patrick Moynihan [55]
Technology, the Economy and Employment	Dean Kamen [9]

4th Heinz Awards – 1998
Category	Recipient
Arts and Humanities	John Harbison
Environment	Amory Lovins
Human Condition	Carol Gilligan
Public Policy	Ernesto Cortes
Technology, the Economy and Employment	Ralph E. Gomory

3rd Heinz Awards – 1997
Category	Recipient
Arts and Humanities	Rita Dove [56]
Environment	George Woodwell
Human Condition	James Comer
Public Policy	Ralph Cavanagh
Technology, the Economy and Employment	George Hatsopoulos
The Chairman's Medal	William R. Hewlett and David Packard

2nd Heinz Awards – 1996
Category	Recipient
Arts and Humanities	Beverly Sills [57]
Environment	Herbert Needleman [58]
Human Condition	Marian Wright Edelman
Public Policy	C. Everett Koop
Technology, the Economy and Employment	William J. Rutter

1st Heinz Awards – 1995
Category	Recipient
Arts and Humanities	Henry Hampton [59]
Environment	Paul and Anne Ehrlich [60]
Human Condition	Geoffrey Canada [59]
Public Policy	James Goodby [61]
Technology, the Economy and Employment	Andrew Grove [59]

See also

• List of awards for contributions to culture
• List of awards for contributions to society
• List of environmental awards

References

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External links

• HeinzAwards.org