Nominations due Feb. 2 for MN History Awards & Lifetime Achievement Awards

2017 Lifetime Achievement Award winners (front row): Kathleen Bergan (Iron Range Historical Society), Chris Schuelke (Otter Tail County Historical Society), Vickie Wendel (Anoka County Historical Society), Mark Peihl (Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County). 2017 Minnesota History Award winners (back row): Washington County History Society book “Company K in the Border War: The Stillwater National Guard in Texas 1916” (accepted by Executive Director Brent Peterson), Discovery Center exhibit on the Mesabi Iron Range strike (accepted by Curator Allyse Freeman), Cokato Museum and Akerlund Studio for its digitization project of its Akerlund photo collection (accepted by Museum Director Mike Worcester and Dave A. Johnson), Pope County Historical Society for its documentary "Pope County 150, 1866-2016” (accepted by Collections Manager Ann Grandy).

Even though the year is far from over, it’s not too early to start thinking about nominations for the 2018 annual  Minnesota History Awards, for projects completed during 2017, or the Lifetime Achievement Award, for individuals who have 25 years or more of contributing to the state's local history field.

Nominate projects for awards in  the following categories: Behind the Scenes, Collections, Partnerships, Publications, Public Programs, and Preservation. For the Lifetime Achievement Award, nominate people who have demonstrated leadership within their organization, their community, and to Minnesota’s history community in the preservation and promotion of local and state history.  Experience should total 25 years in Minnesota.

Applications are due Feb. 2, 2018 and winners will be honored at the 2018 MALHM Conference, April 25-26, in Marshall, Minnesota.

See our Awards page for  more information about all categories and definitions, as well as examples of winners from past years to inspire you.

Nominations should be complete but concise and use the  Lifetime Achievement Awards or Minnesota History Awards packets. To fill in the form, use Adobe Acrobat as your default PDF viewer.

The Minnesota Alliance of Local History Museums created the awards in 2008 to honor the excellent work performed in Minnesota’s public history community. In addition to highlighting those who have achieved excellence, the program intends to use the example of winners to show the rest of our peers how outstanding project can be accomplished, with the goal of raising the quality of everyone’s work.

Please contact  Minnesota History Awards Chair Jill Wohnoutka at 320-235-1881 or by email if you have any questions.