Alabama Humanities Honors - Alabama Humanities Alliance

Alabama Humanities Fellows

The title of Fellow represents the highest humanities honor bestowed in the state of Alabama, recognizing individuals for their outstanding life’s work in the humanities. Honorees are as diverse as the humanities themselves; our Fellows include authors, historians, philosophers, lawyers, artists, musicians, storytellers, and more. Their respective efforts make our state and nation a smarter, kinder, more vibrant place to live. Meet our Fellows below.

2026 Bill Baxley, Kathryn Braund, Ashley M. Jones
2026 Emmylou Harris, Will Kimbrough, Randy Owen, Fred Wesley
2024 Rick Bragg, Brittany Howard, Jason Isbell, Roy Wood Jr.
2023 David Mathews, Imani Perry
2022 Bryan Stevenson, John Lewis
2019 Marquita Davis, Fred Gray, Howell Raines, Jody Singer
2018 Martha Bouyer, Nall Hollis, Peggy Wallace Kennedy, Gina Locklear, Bobby McAlpine, Mary Margaret Pettway, Margot Shaw, Joyce Vance, Andrew Westmoreland
2017 W. Kamau Bell, Nimrod Frazer Sr., Cassandra King, Judge Myron Thompson
2016 Ben & Luanne Russell
2015 Cynthia Tucker
2014 Betty McMahon
2013 Bobby Horton
2012 Dr. E.O. Wilson
2011 Dr. Elaine Hughes
2010 Edgar Welden
2009 Dr. Bill Carter
2008 Senator Richard Shelby
2007 Jack Warner
2006 Dr. Bert Hitchcock
2005 Dr. Neal Berte & Joe McInnes
2004 Senator Howell Heflin
2003 Dr. Harry Philpott
2002 Harper Lee
2001 Dr. Ed Bridges
2000 Kathryn Tucker Windham & Dr. James Yarbrough
1998 Emory Cunningham
1997 Odessa Woolfolk
1996 Gov. Albert Brewer
1995 Suzanne Wolfe
1994 Philip Morris
1993 Dr. Leah Rawls Atkins
1992 Judge C.J. Coley
1991 Dr. Wayne Flynt
1990 Dr. Virginia Van der Veer Hamilton
1989 Winton M. Blount

AHA Champion of the Humanities Award

This honor recognizes individuals or organizations for their charitable contributions or public policy support to further the mission and goals of the humanities in Alabama. Awardees are leading members of the corporate, philanthropic, or civic communities, who use their position, resources, and influence to advance the reach and impact of AHA’s work and the humanities more broadly in Alabama.

Before 2023, AHA presented a similar honor called the Charitable Organization in the Humanities Award, which was only given to organizations.

Previous Award Winners

2026 Alabama USA Semiquincentennial Commission
2024 Julian Butler
2023 Medical Properties Trust
2022 Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama
2017 Vulcan Materials Company
2016 Hill Crest Foundation
2015 Mike & Gillian Goodrich Foundation
2014 AAA Cooper Transportation
2013 Books-A-Million
2012 Regions Bank
2011 Wells Fargo Foundation
2010 Robert Meyer Foundation
2007 Susan Mott Webb Charitable Trust
2006 The Daniel Foundation of Alabama
2003 AmSouth Bank
2002 Alabama Power Company
2001 Southern Progress Corporation
1998 Protective Life Corporation
1997 Energen
1995 Jim Wilson & Associates

Wayne and Sally Greenhaw Service to the Humanities Award

This honor recognizes individuals who have made substantive contributions specifically to the work and mission of the Alabama Humanities Alliance, and in service of the public humanities generally in Alabama.

This award is a memorial tribute to Wayne and Sally Greenhaw. Wayne was a celebrated author and advocate for the humanities in Alabama. He served as an AHA board member, authored 22 books, and was honored with the Harper Lee Award as Alabama’s Distinguished Writer. Sally, too, served as an AHA board member; she was also a trailblazing figure in Alabama jurisprudence. Sally became the state’s first female assistant attorney general and later was elected a Montgomery County district court judge.

Previous Award Winners

2026 Joyce Cauthen
2024 Guin Robinson
2023 Lajuana Bradford
2022 Judge Sally Greenhaw
2022 Trey Granger
2019 Lynne Berry Vallely
2018 Reggie Hamner
2017 Lee Sentell
2016 Nancy Grisham Anderson
2015 Jim Noles
2014 Dr. Jack Hawkins
2013 Dr. Don Noble
2012 Judge John E. Rochester