The 2009 recepeints were:

•  A Standing Ovation Award was presented to former First Lady Laura Bush of Midland and Dallas. 
•  Lifetime Achievement Award: posthumously to artist Robert Rauschenberg, born in Port Arthur. 
•  Music: Clint Black of Katy, country music singer/songwriter.
•  Literary: T.R. Fehrenbach of San Antonio. Mr. Fehrenbach, born in San Benito, is the author of 18 nonfiction books, including Lone Star: A History of Texas and Texans.
•  Visual arts: Keith Carter of Beaumont, photographer.
•  Theater arts: Betty Buckley of Fort Worth, Tony Award winner and film actress.
•  Multimedia: Austin City Limits, the 30-year television series.
•  Film: Robert Rodriguez of Austin. Mr. Rodriguez, born in San Antonio, is a film director and writer.
•  Architecture: David Lake of Austin and Ted Flato of Corpus Christi, both now working in San Antonio.
•  Arts education: Pianist James Dick of Round Top, founder of the International Festival-Institute there.
•  Individual arts patron: Edith O’Donnell of Dallas.

The 2007 recipients were:

• A Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to broadcast newsman Walter Cronkite of Houston. He was inducted into the national Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame in 1985.

• Music: Ornette Coleman of Fort Worth, jazz saxophonist.

• Dance: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. The late Alvin Ailey, born in Rogers, was a creator of African American dance works.

• Literary: Sandra Brown of Waco. Ms. Brown, raised in Fort Worth, is the author of more than 50 New York Times best sellers.

• Visual arts: Jesús Moroles of Corpus Christi/Rockport, internationally known sculptor.

• Theater arts: Judith Ivey of El Paso. Tony Award winner, also in TV series Designing Women.

• Multimedia: Bill Wittliff of Taft and Austin, publisher, writer, photographer, director, producer.

• Arts education: Paul Baker of Hereford/Waelder. Headed drama departments at Baylor and Trinity universities.

• Individual arts patron: Diana and Bill Hobby of Houston.

• Corporate arts patron: Neiman Marcus, Dallas.

• Foundation arts patron: Sid W. Richardson Foundation of Fort Worth.

The 2005 recipients were:

•  A Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to singer Vikki Carr of El Paso. She has won three Grammy Awards and released 59 best-selling recordings.

•  Television/theater: Phylicia Rashad of Houston, actress on The Cosby Show and winner of a Tony Award for her leading role in A Raisin in the Sun.

• Music: singer/songwriter Lyle Lovett of Klein.

• Dance: Ben Stevenson of Houston and Fort Worth, helped turn Houston Ballet into an internationally acclaimed company.

• Literary arts: Naomi Shihab Nye of San Antonio, poet, essayist and writer of novels and short stories for teens.

• Visual arts: Jose Cisneros of El Paso, artist and illustrator of Spanish colonial period in Southwest.

• Theater: Robert Wilson of Waco, known for experimental theater pieces.

• Arts education: Ginger Head-Gearheart of Fort Worth, advocate of arts education in public schools.

• Individual arts patron: Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long of Austin, philanthropists.

• Foundation arts patron: Nasher Foundation of Dallas.

In 2003, the awards were:

•  A Lifetime Achievement Award for writer John Graves of Glen Rose, author of Goodbye to A River.

• Media-film/television acting: Fess Parker of Fort Worth, star of Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone.

• Music: Country singer Charley Pride of Dallas.

• Dance: Choreographer, singer, director and dancer Tommy Tune of Wichita Falls and Houston.

• Theater: Enid Holm of Odessa, actress and former executive director of Texas Nonprofit Theatres.

• Literary arts: Novelist Sandra Cisneros of San Antonio.

• Visual arts: Sculptor Glenna Goodacre of Dallas.

• Folk arts: Tejano singer Lydia Mendoza of San Antonio.

• Architecture: State Capitol Preservation Project of Austin, headed by Dealey Herndon.

• Arts education: Theater teacher Marca Lee Bircher of Dallas.

• Individual arts patron: Philanthropist Nancy B. Hamon of Dallas.

• Corporate arts patron: Exxon/Mobil, based in Irving.

• Foundation arts patron: Houston Endowment Inc.

The first group of artists and patrons to receive the award in 2001 were:

• Lifetime Achievement: Van Cliburn of Fort Worth, cited as "acclaimed concert pianist and mentor."

 • Film: Actor Tommy Lee Jones of San Saba.

• Music: Singer-songwriter Willie Nelson of Austin.

• Dance: Debbie Allen of Houston, choreographer, director, actress and composer.

• Theater: Texas musical-drama producer Neil Hess of Amarillo.

• Literary arts: Playwright Horton Foote of Wharton.

• Visual arts: Muralist John Biggers of Houston.

• Folk arts: Musician brothers Santiago Jimenez Jr. and Flaco Jimenez of San Antonio.

• Architecture: Restoration architect Wayne Bell of Austin.

• Arts education: Theater arts director Gilberto Zepeda Jr. of Pharr.

• Individual arts patron: Philanthropist Jack Blanton of Houston.

• Corporate arts patron: SBC Communications Inc. of San Antonio.

• Foundation arts patron: Meadows Foundation of Dallas.