2026 Public Humanities Awards
Join us for the 2026 Public Humanities Awards!
We are thrilled to bring back the Public Humanities Awards for 2026! Join us on September 23, 2026, at 5:30 PM as we celebrate and honor Illinois humanities champions whose work strengthens our communities through the arts and humanities, advocacy, and community building.
This special evening will recognize individuals and organizations whose dedication helps keep the humanities vibrant, accessible, and impactful across Illinois. The event will bring together supporters, partners, and community members to celebrate the power of the humanities to connect, inspire, and enrich public life.
Awardees and venue details will be announced soon! Stay tuned for more information!
About the Public Humanities Awards Ceremony
Established in 1984, Illinois Humanities' Public Humanities Awards Ceremony celebrates people who have made an indelible impact on our state through their work in and support of the humanities, honoring them with the Public Humanities Award. This event is Illinois Humanities’ most important annual fundraiser and enables us to provide grants and free public humanities programs throughout Illinois.
Launched in 2020 as part of the Public Humanities Awards Ceremony, the Beacon Award honors an individual who or an organization that has been a champion for – or investor in – the humanities in Illinois, elevating the work of humanists in ways that have improved the quality of the state for its residents.
View the list of Past Recipients
- 2024:
Ada Cheng, Sherry Williams, and Mark and Nadine York
Beacon Award Recipient: Jane M. Saks - 2023:
Rebecca Ginsburg, Stephanie Manriquez, and Alyson Thompson
Beacon Award Recipient: Tracie D. Hall - 2022:
Nicole Bond, Lorenzo Savage, and Sue Scott
Beacon Award Recipient: Art for Justice - 2021:
Tonika Lewis Johnson
Beacon Award Recipient: Dawoud Bey - 2020:
Sylvia Ewing and Eve L. Ewing
Beacon Award Recipient: Weinberg/Newton Gallery - 2019: Cheryl Lynn Bruce and Kerry James Marshall
- 2018: Danielle Allen and Mannie Jackson
- 2017: Jeanne Gang
- 2016: Dr. Walter E. Massey
- 2015: Howard Tullman
- 2014: Jay Franke and David Herro
- 2013: Lisa Yun Lee
- 2012: Bruce Sagan and Bette Cerf Hill
- 2011: John A. Wing
- 2010: Anna Eleanor Roosevelt
- 2008: Carlos Tortolero
- 2007: Barbara Gaines
- 2006: Mary A. Dempsey
- 2005: The Honorable Abner and Zoe Mikva
- 1994: Martin E. Marty, Stanley J. Ikenberry, Richard J. Franke, Chicago Tribune
- 1993: Francis J. Pettis
- 1992: Nancy Anderson Stevenson
- 1990: Bridget Lamont
- 1989: Cyrus Colter
- 1988: Brena and Lee Freeman
- 1987: The Honorable Dawn Clark Netsch and Walter Netsch
- 1986: Mary Ward Wolkonsky
- 1985: J. Michael Lennon
- 1984: John Hope Franklin, Stuart Struever, The Honorable Jim Edgar, The Honorable Paul Simon, The Honorable Sidney Yates, Louise Año Nuevo Kerr
Public Humanities Awards Highlights
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Illinois Humanities Executive Director Gabrielle Lyon pauses for a photo op at the 2024 Public Humanities Awards (PHA). (All photos by GlitterGuts.)
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2024 Public Humanities Award recipients Mark and Nadine York.
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Left, 2024 Beacon Award recipient Jane Saks and 2024 Public Humanities Award recipient Dr. Ada Cheng.
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In the center, 2024 Public Humanities Award recipient Sherry Williams.
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2019 Public Humanities Award recipient Cheryl Lynn Bruce performs an original piece in honor of Jane Saks at the 2024 PHA.
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Illinois Humanities Board Chair Rikeesha Phelon mingling with guests at the 2023 PHA
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2023 Public Humanities Award Recipient Alyson Thompson Rebecca Ginsburg
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2023 Public Humanities Award Recipient
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2023 Public Humanities Award Recipient Stephanie Manriquez
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Mary Davis Fournier's table at the 2023 PHA with Beacon Award Recipient Tracie D. Hall
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2023 PHA Table Center Piece
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2023 PHA swag
Contact
Suite 650, 125 South Clark St.
Chicago, IL 60603
312.422.5580 312.374.6787 Fax
Illinois Humanities is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Illinois General Assembly [through the Illinois Arts Council], as well as by contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporations.
Illinois Humanities respects the privacy of its audiences and will at no time sell or distribute personal information to any party not directly affiliated with Illinois Humanities and its programs.
Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed by speakers, program participants, or audiences do not necessarily reflect those of the NEH, Illinois Humanities, our partnering organizations, or our funders.
© Copyright 2026 Illinois Humanities