About the Awards
The Heinz Awards were established in 1993 to honor the memory of U.S. Senator John Heinz and to celebrate the vision and the spirit that produce achievements of lasting good. Each awardee received a monetary award and the Heinz Awards medallion.
During the program’s first 25 years, awards were given in each of five categories: Arts and Humanities; Environment; Human Condition; Public Policy; and Technology, the Economy and Employment. Beginning in 2021, the Heinz Awards recognized contributions to the Arts, the Economy and the Environment, honoring two recipients in each of the three categories.
Administered by the Heinz Family Foundation, nominations were submitted by expert nominators, researched and evaluated by Foundation staff and reviewed by jurors appointed by the Foundation. The jurors made recommendations in each category to the board of directors, which subsequently selected the Awards recipients.
John Heinz
John Heinz
John Heinz was many things to many people, including a U.S. Senator, husband, father, art collector, champion of the elderly and philanthropist. He was distinguished by intangible qualities such as intellectual curiosity, an informed optimism, a passion for excellence and a willingness to take risks. He embraced the joyous American belief that individuals have the power and the responsibility to change the world for the better. These are the qualities the Heinz Awards celebrated throughout its 30‑year history.
Heir to the H.J. Heinz Company, Senator Heinz broke from the family tradition in business to enter politics, where he served in Congress for 20 years. He was one of the first members of Congress to call for legislation to protect the environment, but he fought equally hard for issues such as economic development, healthcare reform and other matters central to the well being of Pennsylvanians.
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