Nominations are now open for next year’s Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Distinguished Arts Awards.

Albertans are being encouraged to send in their pick for artists who exemplify excellence in their particular field.

“The nominee is really in that elite level of their personal practice of art but also in supporting the artistic community of Alberta,” says Lee Elliot, communications with the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Distinguished Arts Awards.

Elliot adds it’s important to note they don’t have to be artists, they can also be supporters of the arts.

Judges will pick upwards of three winners who will win upwards of $30,000, a prestigious handcrafted medal and the opportunity for a residency at The Banff Centre’s Leighton Artists’ Colony.

The deadline for submissions is February 15, 2013.

Previous award winners have included writers, visual artists and architects.

Winners will be announced at a gala dinner in Red Deer on June 15, 2013.

For more information on how to apply click here.