Miranda Lambert, other famous artists honored at Texas Medal of Arts Awards in Austin

AUSTIN, Texas - Singer Miranda Lambert and other famous artists, actors, and musicians from Texas were in Austin Wednesday night. 

The Texas Cultural Trust honored 11 artists at the Texas Medal of Arts Awards and raised money to support the arts in education and cultural heritage.

The event was canceled in 2021 because of COVID, so all were excited to celebrate and honor the artists from Texas.

"All of us Texans are extra proud anyway, but the fact that this state really lifts up art and arts of all kinds and has a whole celebration for us to celebrate us, it’s really such an honor," Music/Songwriter Honoree Miranda Lambert said.

The Texas Medal of Arts Awards spotlights some of the best Texas artists.

"I think Texas for some reason has a lot of creative people, maybe because it’s kind of a bigger state and has its own kind of such a kind of iconic place," Actor/Film Honoree Luke Wilson said.

This year’s honorees are Juan Miro and Miguel Rivera, Todd Frazier, Septime Webre, Christopher Cross, Deborah Roberts, Benjamin Alire Saenz, Lela Rose, Taylor Sheridan, Luke Wilson, and Miranda Lambert.

"Texas seems to spawn so many creative people," Emcee Elliott Forrest said.

Many artists have moved away to continue their careers, so this was a homecoming for them.

"This is a full circle moment, I was born in East Austin, this has never been in the script for me, so I’m just super happy and I never thought it would happen," Visual Arts Honoree Deborah Roberts said.

The honorees said the arts are important, and really help children.

"Writing has saved my life," Liberal Arts Honoree Benjamin Alire Saenz said.

"When I was growing up, this was the thing that I was really good at which was being creative and working with my hands, so the arts have always meant so much to me," Design Honoree Lela Rosa said.

Arts also helps express emotions without words.

"I think ballet is a language as pliable as English as Spanish as French or Chinese, it’s a language that can tell a lot of different stories and can tell the spectrum of human experience," Dance Honoree Septime Webre said.

Arts also brings people together.

"Art, it reminds us of our humanity, and I think right now we need that more than ever, at this point in the world, so I think this is a wonderful celebration of all that, the arts, and what they mean to everybody and the power they have to change stuff," Music Honoree Christopher Cross said.

For some, they said they’re just getting started.

"For me, I want to kind of keep working and be worthy of having gotten this medal," Wilson said.

The money raised at the event will go towards different programs through Texas Cultural Trust to support the arts.