Extension for 2027 Folk Heritage Awards

Honoring practitioners and advocates of traditional artforms

NOMINATION DEADLINE: Sunday, October 18, at 11:59 p.m. ET

The South Carolina Arts Commission and University of South Carolina-Lancaster are extending the nomination period to recognize persons or organizations in South Carolina who exhibit the highest levels of achievement, influence, or support of and traditional artforms.

Honorees will be recognized with recipients of the Governor’s Awards for the Arts in spring 2027 during the South Carolina Arts Awards streaming production.

About the Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Award

The South Carolina General Assembly created the Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Award in 1987 to recognize lifetime achievement in the traditional arts and presents them annually to honor the work of stewarding and furthering the traditional arts significant to communities throughout the state.

The University of South Carolina Lancaster is a joint manager of the program. The Folk Heritage Award nomination process also begins with a website form submission that is accepted through the USCL website. A scoring rubric is available to guide nominators as to what makes for a strong nomination.

Nomination form submissions are due Sunday, Oct. 18, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET. For complete nomination guidelines, category descriptions and other information, visit the USCL website or contact Professor Brittany Taylor-Driggers at taylorbd@mailbox.sc.edu.