FLAGSTAFF — Creative Flagstaff is pleased to announce the 17th Annual Viola Awards on April 26, 2025, at the Orpheum Theater in downtown Flagstaff. Honoring a legacy of excellence in arts, science and culture in Flagstaff, we are reveling in 17 years with Dancing Queens! Look forward to a spectacular evening of dazzling performance to celebrate artistic excellence in our community.
The Viola Awards celebrate achievements in the arts, science, and culture akin to the Oscars of Flagstaff. Each year, the community gathers to applaud the achievements of our local creative community, with over hundreds in attendance. The event was founded in 2009 to honor Viola Babbitt and her dedication as a founding member of Flagstaff’s creative community. The Viola Awards event is sponsored annually by the Babbitt Brothers Foundation and other institutions that value arts and culture.
This year’s award categories: Excellence in Collaboration, Excellence in Education, Excellence in Music, Excellence in Performing Arts, Excellence in Storytelling, Excellence in Visual Arts, Community Impact Individual, Community Impact Organization, and Emerging Artist. We are excited to announce a new award category Local Artisan to acknowledge a developed or practiced Flagstaff-based artisan who has demonstrated a commitment to their craft. Descriptions and criteria are listed in full detail on the event website: creativeflagstaff.org/viola/2025
Every year, Creative Flagstaff invites the community to nominate individuals and/or projects in art, science, and culture that demonstrated excellence. Nominations are open until January 5th and cover all submissions from the 2024 calendar year. Submit a nomination. (https://shorturl.at/dyl4P).
Panelist applications are also open. Panelists are tasked with thoughtfully reviewing each category’s nominations. After review, each award category panel meets to discuss each nomination and determine finalists, and ultimately, winners. Panelists applications are open until December 18th. Apply to be a panelist.
For more information, or to become a sponsor, visit https://creativeflagstaff.org/viola