Let’s honor those who further S.C.’s unique traditional arts
Deadline extended for Folk Heritage Awards
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.
After a hiatus resulting from changes at USC in Columbia, the SCAC is excited to have the awards back in 2026. We announced the opening of nominations in September, but are here to give you a quick refresher.
Changes for the 2026 cycle of the Folk Heritage Award include:
- SCAC is happy to welcome the University of South Carolina Lancaster as a joint manager of the program.
- A scoring rubric is now available to guide nominators as to what makes for a strong nomination.
- The Folk Heritage Award nomination process also begins with a form submission accepted through the USCL website.
Nomination form submissions are now due Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025 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.