The Heinz Awards are individual achievement honors given annually by the Heinz Family Foundation. The Heinz Awards each year recognize outstanding individuals for their innovative contributions in three areas: the Arts, the Economy and the Environment. The award was established in 1993 by Teresa Heinz, the chairwoman of the Heinz Family Foundation,[1] in honor of her late husband, U.S. Senator H. John Heinz III.[2][3][4][5][6] The Heinz Award is considered to be among the largest individual achievement prizes in the world.[7][8]
| Heinz Awards | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Awarded for | Innovative contributions in:
|
| Sponsored by | Heinz Family Foundation |
| Date | Established 1993 |
| Country |  United States |
| Reward(s) | US$250,000 |
| Website | heinzawards |
Two recipients in each of the three categories receive an unrestricted prize of US$250,000 and a cast silver medallion.[9][10] In 2009 through 2011, the Awards instead did a Special Focus on the Environment, and widened the awards to 10 people, each winner receiving US$100,000 and a medallion.[11] The Heinz Award medallion displays the likeness of Senator Heinz and the words "Shared Ideals Realized" on its front side, which is a quote from the late Senator Heinz. On the medallion's reverse side the image of a globe being exchanged between two hands is displayed.[8][12]
Selection process
Criteria
As written by the Heinz Family Foundation, the candidates who are chosen must meet three standards:
First, nominees must exhibit the following personal characteristics: A passion for excellence that goes beyond intellectual curiosity; a concern for humanity rooted in a deep sensitivity for the well-being of others; and a broad vision which extends far beyond the particular and embraces something universal.
Second, work of the candidates for a Heinz Award must meet the following criteria: Be significant and not a "quick fix"; Have an enduring and meaningful impact; be creative and innovative; and be sufficiently tangible to serve as a model for replication elsewhere.
Third, candidates should be actively working in the field in which they are nominated so that this award will enhance their potential for future societal contribution.[13]
Selection
Members of an anonymous Council of Nominators are chosen for their expertise in the fields relevant to the award for which they will be nominating.[8] After the nominators have recommended the candidates, the nominations are forwarded to a jury consisting of noted experts in each of the three categories. The jury then chooses the final recipients and sends these to the program's Board for final approval.[14]
The Chairman's Medal
In certain years, the Heinz Awards Board has also chosen to honor the lifetime achievement of a particular individual. The award is a non-monetary prize, and the honoree is presented with the Awards' medallion at the same ceremony as the other laureates.
Special Focus on the Environment
In 2009, in honor of the awards' 15th anniversary, an award for special focus on the environment was created in lieu of the traditional five awards. A larger group of 10 individuals were awarded US$100,000 each, honoring those working in innovative ways to address the environment through the lens of the existing five categories.[11][15]
Similarly, in 2010 and 2011 the Special Focus was continued, and in both years 10 individuals were again each awarded US$100,000 each.[16] In 2012, the Awards returned to the core five categories.[17]
Recipients
| Recipients of The Heinz Awards[18] |
|---|
| 1st Heinz Awards – 1995 | |
|---|---|
| Category | Recipient |
| Arts and Humanities | Henry Hampton[19] |
| Environment | Paul and Anne Ehrlich[20] |
| Human Condition | Geoffrey Canada[19] |
| Public Policy | James Goodby[21] |
| Technology, the Economy and Employment | Andrew Grove[19] |
| 2nd Heinz Awards – 1996 | |
|---|---|
| Category | Recipient |
| Arts and Humanities | Beverly Sills[22] |
| Environment | Herbert Needleman[23] |
| Human Condition | Marian Wright Edelman |
| Public Policy | C. Everett Koop |
| Technology, the Economy and Employment | William J. Rutter |
| 3rd Heinz Awards – 1997 | |
|---|---|
| Category | Recipient |
| Arts and Humanities | Rita Dove[24] |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 5th Heinz Awards – 1999 | |
|---|---|
| Category | Recipient |
| Arts and Humanities | Walter Turnbull |
| Environment | Florence Robinson and Lois Gibbs[25] |
| Human Condition | Luis Acosta and Frances Lucerna |
| Public Policy | Daniel Patrick Moynihan[26] |
| Technology, the Economy and Employment | Dean Kamen[8] |
| 6th Heinz Awards – 2000 | |
|---|---|
| Category | Recipient |
| Arts and Humanities | Peter Matthiessen[27] |
| Environment | Paul Gorman |
| Human Condition | Robert P. Moses |
| Public Policy | Edward Zigler[6] |
| Technology, the Economy and Employment | Mary Good |
| 7th Heinz Awards – 2001 | |
|---|---|
| Category | Recipient |
| Arts and Humanities | Jacques d'Amboise (co-awardee)[28] |
| 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[29] |
| The Chairman's Medal | Dorothy Height[30] and Russell Train |
| 8th Heinz Awards – 2002 | |
|---|---|
| Category | Recipient |
| Arts and Humanities | Dudley Cocke (co-awardee) |
| Arts and Humanities | Rick Lowe (co-awardee) |
| Environment | Jane Lubchenco[31] |
| Human Condition | Cushing Dolbeare |
| Public Policy | George Lee Butler |
| Technology, the Economy and Employment | Anita Borg[32] |
| The Chairman's Medal | Ruth Patrick |
| 9th Heinz Awards – 2003 | |
|---|---|
| Category | Recipient |
| Arts and Humanities | Bernice Johnson Reagon |
| Environment | Mario Molina (co-awardee) |
| Environment | John Spengler (co-awardee)[33] |
| Human Condition | Paul Farmer[8] |
| Public Policy | Geraldine Jensen |
| Technology, the Economy and Employment | Paul MacCready |
| 10th Heinz Awards – 2004 | |
|---|---|
| Category | Recipient |
| Arts and Humanities | August Wilson |
| Environment | Peggy Shepard[8] |
| Human Condition | Robert Butler |
| Public Policy | Julius Richmond[34] |
| Technology, the Economy and Employment | Robert Langer |
| The Chairman's Medal | Richard Lugar and Sam Nunn |
| 11th Heinz Awards – 2005 | |
|---|---|
| Category | Recipient |
| Arts and Humanities | Mark di Suvero[35] |
| Environment | Jerry Franklin[36] |
| Human Condition | Joseph Rogers |
| Public Policy | Sidney Drell[37] |
| Technology, the Economy and Employment | Mildred Dresselhaus[4] |
| The Chairman's Medal | Richard Goldman |
| 12th Heinz Awards – 2006 | |
|---|---|
| Category | Recipient |
| Arts and Humanities | James Nachtwey[5] |
| Environment | Paul Anastas |
| Human Condition | William Thomas |
| Public Policy | Bruce Katz[38] |
| Technology, the Economy and Employment | Leroy Hood[39] |
| The Chairman's Medal | Elma Holder[1][5] |
| 13th Heinz Awards – 2007 | |
|---|---|
| Category | Recipient |
| Arts and Humanities | Dave Eggers[40] |
| Environment | Bernard Amadei (co-awardee) |
| Environment | Susan Seacrest (co-awardee) |
| Human Condition | David Heymann[41] |
| Public Policy | Donald Berwick |
| Technology, the Economy and Employment | Hugh Herr[8] |
| 14th Heinz Awards – 2008 | |
|---|---|
| Category | Recipient |
| Arts and Humanities | Ann Hamilton[42] |
| Environment | Thomas FitzGerald[10] |
| Human Condition | Brenda Krause Eheart |
| Public Policy | Robert Greenstein |
| Technology, the Economy and Employment | Joseph DeRisi[9][43] |
| 15th Heinz Awards with Special Focus on the Environment – 2009 | |
|---|---|
| Category | Recipient |
| Special Focus on the Environment | Robert Berkebile[44] |
| Special Focus on the Environment | P. Dee Boersma |
| Special Focus on the Environment | Christopher Field[45] |
| Special Focus on the Environment | Ashok Gadgil[15][46] |
| 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 Smith[15] |
| Special Focus on the Environment | Thomas Smith |
| Special Focus on the Environment | Beverly Wright |
| 16th Heinz Awards with Special Focus on Global Change – 2010 | |
|---|---|
| Category | Recipient |
| Special Focus on Global Change | James Balog[47] |
| Special Focus on Global Change | Terrence Collins |
| Special Focus on Global Change | Gretchen Daily[48] |
| Special Focus on Global Change | Richard Feely |
| Special Focus on Global Change | Cary Fowler[49] |
| Special Focus on Global Change | Lynn Goldman[50] |
| Special Focus on Global Change | Elizabeth Kolbert |
| Special Focus on Global Change | Michael Oppenheimer |
| Special Focus on Global Change | Daniel Sperling[51] |
| Special Focus on Global Change | Frederick vom Saal[52] |
| 17th Heinz Awards with Special Focus on the Environment – 2011 | |
|---|---|
| Category | Recipient |
| Special Focus on the Environment | John Luther Adams[53] |
| Special Focus on the Environment | Richard Alley[54] |
| Special Focus on the Environment | Janine Benyus |
| Special Focus on the Environment | Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis[55] |
| Special Focus on the Environment | Louis Guillette[56] |
| Special Focus on the Environment | Joan Kleypas[57] |
| Special Focus on the Environment | Nancy Knowlton[16] |
| Special Focus on the Environment | Nancy Rabalais[58] |
| Special Focus on the Environment | Sandra Steingraber[16] |
| 18th Heinz Awards – 2012 | |
|---|---|
| Category | Recipient |
| Arts and Humanities | Mason Bates[59] |
| Environment | Richard J. Jackson |
| Human Condition | Freeman Hrabowski III |
| Public Policy | KC Golden[60] |
| Technology, the Economy and Employment | Jay Keasling[61] |
| 19th Heinz Awards – 2013 | |
|---|---|
| Category | Recipient |
| Arts and Humanities | Abraham Verghese |
| Environment | Jonathan Foley |
| Human Condition | Salman Khan |
| Public Policy | Sanjeev Arora |
| Technology, the Economy and Employment | Leila Janah |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 22nd Heinz Awards – 2017 | |
|---|---|
| Category | Recipient |
| Arts and Humanities | Natasha Trethewey |
| Environment | Gregory Asner |
| Human Condition | Angela Blanchard |
| Public Policy | Mona Hanna-Attisha |
| Technology, the Economy and Employment | Joseph DeSimone |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 26th Heinz Awards – 2021 | |
|---|---|
| Category | Recipient |
| Arts | Tanya Aguiñiga |
| Arts | Sanford Biggers |
| Economy | A Better Balance (Dina Bakst and Sherry Leiwant) |
| Economy | Bill Bynum |
| Environment | Gabe Brown |
| Environment | Jacqueline Patterson |
| 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 |
| 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 |