Western Heritage Award - Annual ceremony held by the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The event honors winners in 15 categories of literature, film, television and music. In 1960, the first Western Heritage Award event was emceed by movie and TV actor Dale Robertson. At the time, the organization was called The National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center.
Winners of the WHA have included such distinguished writers, actors, producers, and directors as Louis L’Amour, Frank Dobie, N. Scott Momaday, John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, James Stewart, Bill Kurtis, Hugh Downs, Tom Selleck, Sam Elliott, John Ford, and Jack Palance.
A 'Wrangler' statuette (an original bronze by artist John Free) is awarded to each winner in a variety of categories. The literary category includes winners of the most outstanding, book, magazine article, poem, short story or western novel. Other categories honored are outstanding western composition, outstanding traditional western album, fiction television drama, theatrical motion pictures and western documentary.
There is also a Chester A. Reynolds Memorial Award named after the founder of the museum. Established in 1990, the award is bestowed upon a living person who embodies the traits set forth by the Museum's board of directors.