The Ben Black Elk Award, a lifetime achievement award, has been presented annually since 1980. The A.H. Pankow Award was first awarded in 1981 (recognition is for the previous year) and the George S. Mickelson Award was first presented in 1993 (recognition is for the previous year). The first Rooster Rush Cacklin’ Community Award was presented in 2010 (recognition is for the previous year) and the Peter Norbeck Excellence in Tourism Innovation Award was was awarded for the first time in 2013 (recognition is for the previous year). The Ruth Ziolkowski Award was first presented in 2018 (recognition is for the previous year), the Governor's Tourism Rising Star Award was first presented in 2022, and the inaugural Rally Rush Rumblin' Community Award was given out in 2025 (recognition is for the previous year).
For Tourism Awards nomination information, please go to the Tourism Awards Nominations page.
Here are lists of past honorees, each award starts with the most recent recipient(s):
Ben Black Elk Award |
| 2025 - Susan Kightlinger |
| 2024 - Lucille Holsether |
| 2023 - Julie Schmitz Jensen |
| 2022 - Jan Grunewaldt and Karen Kern |
| 2021 - Susan Johnson and Jim Hagen |
| 2020 - Teri Schmidt |
| 2019 - Dennis and Sherry Povondra |
| 2018 - Craig Pugsley |
| 2017 - Maureen Droz |
| 2016 - Joe Muller and Doug Hofer |
| 2015 - John Brockelsby |
| 2014 - Phil Lampert |
| 2013 - Michelle Lintz |
| 2012 - Hazel Juhnke |
| 2011 - Bill Honerkamp |
| 2010 - Howard and Audrey Shaff |
| 2009 - Nancy Brady |
| 2008 - Mildred and Leonard Cimpl |
| 2007 - Sylvia Henkin |
| 2006 - Bill Walsh |
| 2005 - Peter Norbeck |
| 2004 - Dennis "Doc" Casey |
| 2003 - Gutzon Borglum family |
| 2002 - Dan Wenk |
| 2001 - Mary Adams |
| 2000 - Dave Sweet |
| 1999 - Bill Hustead |
| 1998 - The Ziolkowski Family |
| 1997 - Terry Redlin |
| 1996 - Gary Brown |
| 1995 - Eddie Clay |
| 1994 - George S. Mickelson |
| 1993 - Kevin Locke |
| 1992 - Bud Duhamel |
| 1991 - Al Mueller |
| 1990 - Hoadley Dean |
| 1989 - Bob Perry |
| 1988 - Ruth Ziolkowski |
| 1987 - Carl Burgess |
| 1986 - Dave Geisler |
| 1985 - Kay Riordan Steuerwald |
| 1984 - City of Wall |
| 1983 - Korczak Ziolkowski |
| 1982 - Earl Brockelsby |
| 1981 - Josef Meier |
| 1980 - Ted Hustead |
A. H. Pankow Award |
| 2024 - Jack Caudill |
| 2023 - Jeff Carrino |
| 2022 - Kevin Kjergaard |
| 2021 - NewsCenter1, Rapid City |
| 2020* - Matt Meltzer |
| 2020 - 605 Magazine |
| 2019 - Mike Tanner |
| 2018 - Midwest Living/Meredith Corporation |
| 2017 - South Dakota Public Broadcasting |
| 2016 - Jodi Schwan |
| 2015 - John Christopher Fine |
| 2014 - Shawn Cable |
| 2013 - Chad Coppess |
| 2012 - Bob Faehn |
| 2011 - South Dakota Magazine |
| 2010 - Mark Kayser |
| 2009 - Al Neuharth |
| 2008 - Jeff Anderson |
| 2007 - none awarded |
| 2006 - Midwest Living magazine |
| 2005 - Gary Howey |
| 2004 - Kevin Costner |
| 2003 - Laura Ingalls Wilder |
| 2002 - Aberdeen American News |
| 2001 - Bill Honerkamp |
| 2000 - Jack Hansen - KSFY |
| 1999 - Ron Spomer |
| 1998 - Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan |
| 1997 - Ron Schara |
| 1996 - Larry Atkinson |
| 1995 - Anson Yeager |
| 1994 - Bernie Hunhoff |
| 1993 - Jim Aesoph |
| 1992 - Mount Rushmore Memorial Society and the National Park Service |
| 1991 - Bob Karolevitz |
| 1990 - Robb DeWall |
| 1989 - Larry Myhre |
| 1988 - Tom Griffith |
| 1987 - Marci Christensen |
| 1986 - John Lowrie |
| 1985 - June Culp Zeitner |
| 1984 - KELO Broadcasting |
| 1983 - Tony Dean |
| 1982 - Kevin Woster |
| 1981 - Ron Bender |
| *award year changed in 2021 |
Peter Norbeck Excellence in Tourism Innovation Award |
| 2024 - Mazing Acres Pumpkin Patch, Yankton, and Faulkton |
| 2023 - Holy Terror Days/The Haunting of Keystone |
| 2022 - South Dakota Chislic Festival |
| 2021 - Rushmore Tramway Adventures |
| 2020 - Prairie Berry Winery & Miner Brewing Company and Rush Mountain Adventure Park |
| 2019 - Historic Deadwood |
| 2018 - Wylie Park and Storybook Land |
| 2017 - Great Plains Zoo and Delbridge Museum of Natural History |
| 2016 - Sturgis Buffalo Chip, Sturgis (Rod Woodruff and team) |
| 2015 - Children’s Museum of South Dakota, Brookings (Randy Grimsley) |
| 2014 - Strawbale Winery, Renner (Don and Susie South) |
| 2013 - South Dakota Missouri River Tourism Association |
| 2012 - Rapid City Convention and Visitors Bureau |
Ruth Ziolkowski Outstanding Hospitality & Customer Service Award |
| 2024 - Phil Zea, Lyndy Ireland, Donna Behrend and Mollie Harmon |
| 2023 - Kelly Larson, Susan Kaiser, Zane Lodmell and Dianne Larson |
| 2022 - Ann Thompson, Troy Magnuson, Lisa Marotz and Lori Owens |
| 2021 - Bruce Cull, Prudy Calvin, Wanda Bunker and Jeff Oldham |
| 2020 - Lindsey Myers, Ryan Friez, Debra Knodel and Lora Schaunaman |
| 2019 - Dan Miller, Shirley Wetz, Kathi Anderson and Kasi Haberman |
| 2018 - Amanda Allcock, Inez Muilenburg, Nova Steinhauser and Jaqueline Wentworth |
| 2017 - Pouran Borchardt, Rita Franz and Dennis Scott |
Governor's Tourism Rising Star Award |
| 2025 - Ashley Geigle |
| 2024 - Taryn Reidt |
| 2023 - Shelby Solano |
| 2022 - Sarah Kills In Water |