After releasing initial details for next year’s Texas Medal of the Arts Awards (TMAA), the Texas Cultural Trust (TXCT) has revealed the full lineup of 2023 honorees — and Houstonians, especially artists or those in the Medical Center, will no doubt recognize one name.

Taking place in venues across Austin, the two-day biannual event recognizes the creative contributions of Texans across multiple disciplines, from music to architecture, film, design, and beyond. Next year's honorees also span multiple geographical regions, with recipients representing Houston, El Paso, and everywhere in between.

“We are beyond thrilled to resume the TMAA celebration, after having to postpone and cancel in 2021 due to the pandemic, with an extraordinary lineup of talented Texans who have each inspired and captivated their communities, our state, and beyond,” says Texas Cultural Trust CEO Heidi Marquez Smith. “Our organization strives to spotlight the vital role the arts play in our state and our everyday lives. Texas has such a rich cultural heritage that deserves to be recognized, invested in, and celebrated.”

Without further ado, the 2023 Texas Medal of Arts Honorees are:

• Arts/Health: Center for Performing Arts Medicine, Houston (part of Houston Methodist Hospital)
• Lifetime Achievement/Musical Theatre: Carole Cook, Abilene
• Music: Christopher Cross, San Antonio
• Music/Songwriter: Miranda Lambert, Lindale
• Architecture: Miró Rivera Architects, Austin
• Visual Arts: Deborah Roberts, Austin
• Design: Lela Rose, Dallas
• Literary Arts: Benjamin Alire Saenz, El Paso
• Film/Producer: Taylor Sheridan, Weatherford
• Dance: Septime Webre, Brownsville
• Film/Actor: Luke Wilson, Dallas

The innovative Center for Performing Arts Medicine is the only operation of its kind in the U.S. Here, more than 100 physicians work collaboratively to address the specific demands placed on artists; Houston Methodist estimates that many of the more than 2,000 professional and amateur artists who live in and around Houston are treated there.

Elite artists and performers from the Houston Symphony, Houston Ballet, Houston Grand Opera, and other performing visiting artists receive personalized care and treatments, specific to their discipline and case. Hallmarks of the center, per Houston Methodist, are:

• Specialized health care and wellness education of performing artists.
• Effective and meaningful integration of the performing and visual arts into the hospital environment.
• Therapy that utilizes the arts in clinical patient care.
• Research that seeks to harness the broadest potential of the arts in therapy, rehabilitation and human performance.

As for the awards: The TXCT's signature two-day event will begin on February 21, 2023, with the Arts Alive! Reception at Commodore Perry Estate, culminating with an Awards Show and Gala Dinner at the Long Center for Performing Arts on February 22, 2023. This year's events are co-chaired by Linda LaMantia, civic leader and artist dedicated to supporting and promoting the arts and education; Judy Robison, philanthropic advocate for prioritizing equity in access to the arts for all children; and world-renowned fashion designer and 2019 TMAA Honoree Brandon Maxwell.

Besides Maxwell, previous honorees have included Matthew McConaughey, Jamie Foxx, ZZ Top, Willie Nelson, Dan Rather, Neiman Marcus, H-E-B, Robert Rodriguez, Walter Cronkite, Lawrence Wright, Sandra Cisneros, Lyle Lovett, Texas Monthly, and many more. In total, the TMAA have celebrated 118 Texas leaders and luminaries since its inception in 2001.