Event History
As we enter our 64th year, we look back at the events that have left a mark on the history of the Western Heritage Awards ceremonies and created the legacy of the most prestigious award in the American West.
Highlights of the Western Heritage Awards
From its early days at the Persian Room of Oklahoma City’s Skirvin Hotel up to the star-studded televised event of today, the Western Heritage Awards’ 60-plus years include some highlights worth sharing.
The First Year
With a program cover envisioning the Hall of Fame of Western Television, Motion Pictures and Dramatic Art in the soon-to-be built “Western Heritage Center”, the first Western Heritage Awards were held at the Skirvin Hotel in downtown Oklahoma City.
“Maverick” star and native Oklahoman James Garner was the master of ceremonies as the show “Rawhide” was among the top honorees.
Champagne Music
One of the traditions of the early Western Heritage Awards was the honoring of one of the Western states.
At the Third Annual awards in 1963, North Dakota was saluted. And playing the music at the event that evening was the biggest celebrity from North Dakota at the time (and still?), Lawrence Welk.
The Duke opens the Museum
John Wayne helped lead the parade to open the brand new National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center. That evening, he presented a Wrangler Award to author C. Gregory Crampton.
A New Home For the Awards
Country music singer and actor Glen Campbell was on hand in 1970, when “True Grit” was honored with a Western Heritage Award.
That year, the celebration of the 10th Annual Western Heritage Awards, marked the first time the event was held at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.
Burt Reynolds arrives
Burt Reynolds attended the 1971 Western Heritage Awards to accept the Wrangler on behalf of his TV Movie “Run, Simon, Run,” in which he plays a Native American man framed for murder.
Reynolds was posthumously inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers in 2022.
John Williams leads the orchestra
Composer John Williams, on hand at the WHA ceremony as part of the creative team of award-winning film “The Cowboys,” leads the the Western Heritage Awards orchestra a selection of his work.
Williams created iconic scores for blockbuster films such as “Star Wars,” “Indiana Jones,” “Jaws,” “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” and “Jurassic Park.” Over his career, Williams has won five Academy Awards
Ritter on Ritter
Television star John Ritter, along with his mother Dorothy and brother Tom, accept the Great Western Performers Award on behalf of “Tex” Ritter.
Quoting one of his father’s songs, John Ritter said that “Tex” carried “not silver in his saddlebags, but gold in his heart.”
Remembering Tonto
Longtime Lone Ranger actor Clayton Moore accepts on behalf of Jay Silverheels, during the induction of the Tonto actor into the Hall of Great Western Performers.
“If you see a tear down my cheek tonight, it’s for my faithful friend Jay Silverheels,” Moore said. “He was one of the finest men I have ever known and this award is one of the great honors that anyone could give…”
WHA celebrates 50th
The Western Heritage Awards celebrated its 50th Anniversary and among the inductees was actor Stuart Whitman.
“The museum is really great and there’s such a lot to see. I’d love to camp here for a few days,” Whitman said.
Costner’s heartfelt speech
Kevin Costner was inducted into the Hall of Great Western performers in 2019. He shared with the audience the story of his grandparents, who fled Oklahoma during the Dust Bowl and moved to California.
Because of those roots, Costner said, telling stories of Westerns would always be important to him.
