Minnesota History Awards
From exhibits to organizational capacity building, Minnesota has been a national leader in public. But it didn't have an official awards program to identify this work until 2009, when MALHM created the MN History Awards.
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The awards recognize the exceptional work carried out by local history organizations in Minnesota. In addition to celebrating those who have achieved excellence, the program intends to highlight winners as examples to history peers, with the goal of raising the quality of everyone's work.
2024 Minnesota History Award Recipients
How To Apply
Nominate projects accomplished from July 1, 2023 to October 1, 2024 for the 2025 Minnesota History Awards. Additionally, nominate outstanding individuals who have contributed to Minnesota's local history field for 25 years or more for the LIfetime Achievement Award.
Nominations will open on October 2, 2024 and be accepted until January 15, 2025. Be sure to read the History Award Program Guidelines and Instructions.
All nominations must be submitted by email to the Alliance Coordinator at liz@mnhistoryalliance.org. Nomination materials may also be shared via Google Drive or Dropbox via the same email address.
History Awards Webinar– recorded 12/3/24
History Awards Webinar
Award Categories
Collections
Conservation of a special artifact or collection, improved storage facilities, collection rehousing project, digital preservation, and improved access to collections.
Behind-the-Scenes
Too often the work that goes on behind the scenes is not given its proper due, even though it might help you meet your mission. A successful fundraising campaign, preservation project, or new set of policies that set an example for the rest of the state's organizations.
Publications
Print publications (books and magazines), newsletter, website, or other printed material for public consumption.
Civic Engagement & Public Celebrations
Organizations and communities come together to mark important milestones, anniversaries, and address contemporary history issues that affected them locally, regionally, statewide, or nationally. These celebrations highlight the history of events or organizations and allow a community to come together to celebrate, heal, or address difficult histories through community engagement and civil dialogue from both sides of contemporary history issues.
Interpretive Programs
Exhibition, educational program, film/documentary, or other interpretive program used to educate the public about local, regional, and state history in Minnesota.
Lifetime Achievement
MALHM created the Lifetime Achievement Award to honor the excellent work performed by individuals in Minnesota’s local history community. The intention of the program is to give due recognition to the individuals who have made outstanding contributions and demonstrated leadership to Minnesota's history community on a regional, statewide, or national level with a time service requirement of 25 years or more.