The Grawemeyer Awards () are five awards given annually by the

University of Louisville The University of Louisville (UofL) is a public research university in Louisville, Kentucky. It is part of the Kentucky state university system. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of ...

. The prizes are presented to individuals in the fields of education, ideas improving world order, music composition, religion, and

psychology Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of conscious and unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immense scope, crossing the boundaries betwe ...

. The religion award is presented jointly by the University of Louisville and the

Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, currently branded as Louisville Seminary, is a seminary affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA), located in Louisville, Kentucky. It is one of ten official PC (USA) seminaries, though it current ...

. Initially, the awards came with a bonus of

US$ The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...

150,000 each, making them among the most lucrative in their respective fields. This cash prize increased to $200,000 beginning in 2000 but the award amount dropped to $100,000 in 2011 after the fund for the prize lost money due to a drop in the stock market. The first award, for

Music Composition Musical composition can refer to an original piece or work of music, either vocal or instrumental, the structure of a musical piece or to the process of creating or writing a new piece of music. People who create new compositions are called c ...

, was presented in 1985. The award for Ideas Improving World Order was added in 1988 and Education in 1989. In 1990, a fourth award, Religion, was added as a joint prize between the university and the Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Psychology was added in 2000; the first award was given in 2001. In 2015 a special award, the Spirit Award, created for the award's thirtieth anniversary, was presented to former boxer

Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, a ...

. Some of the most notable winners include former Soviet President

Mikhail Gorbachev Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev (2 March 1931 – 30 August 2022) was a Soviet politician who served as the 8th and final leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to dissolution of the Soviet Union, the country's dissolution in 1991. He served a ...

(world order); Academy Award-winning composer

Tan Dun Tan Dun (, ; born 18 August 1957) is a Chinese-born American composer and conductor. A leading figure of contemporary classical music, he draws from a variety of Western and Chinese influences, a dichotomy which has shaped much of his life and ...

(music composition); German theologian

Jürgen Moltmann Jürgen Moltmann (born 8 April 1926) is a German Reformed theologian who is Professor Emeritus of Systematic Theology at the University of Tübingen and is known for his books such as the ''Theology of Hope'', ''The Crucified God'', ''God in Creat ...

(religion);

Aaron Beck Aaron Temkin Beck (July 18, 1921 – November 1, 2021) was an American psychiatrist who was a professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania.

, considered the founder of cognitive therapy (psychology); and former Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Princeton University President

William G. Bowen William Gordon Bowen (; October 6, 1933October 20, 2016) was an American academic who served as the president emeritus of The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, serving as its president from 1988 to 2006. From 1972 until 1988, he was the president of ...

and former Harvard University President

Derek Bok Derek Curtis Bok (born March 22, 1930) is an American lawyer and educator, and the former president of Harvard University. Life and career Bok was born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Following his parents' divorce, he, his mother, brother and siste ...

(education). H.

Charles Grawemeyer Henry Charles Grawemeyer (September 3, 1912 – December 8, 1993), industrialist, entrepreneur, astute investor and philanthropist, created the Grawemeyer Award at the University of Louisville in 1984. An initial endowment of $9 million from the ...

(1912–1993), industrialist, entrepreneur, astute investor and philanthropist, created the awards at the University of Louisville in 1984. An initial endowment of $9 million from the Grawemeyer Foundation funded the awards, which have drawn thousands of nominations from around the world. Although Grawemeyer was a chemical engineer by schooling, the University of Louisville graduate cherished the liberal arts and chose to honor powerful ideas in five fields in performing arts, the humanities, and the social sciences. Grawemeyer distinguished the awards by honoring ideas rather than lifelong or publicized personal achievement. He also insisted that the selection process for each of the five awards—though dominated by professionals—include one step involving a lay committee knowledgeable in each field. As Grawemeyer saw it, great ideas should be understandable to someone with general knowledge and not be the private treasure of academics.

Recipients

Education

Improving world order

Music composition

Psychology

Religion

Spirit Award

References

External links

Grawemeyer Award official site
{{Authority control Awards established in 1985 University of Louisville 1985 establishments in Kentucky American education awards American music awards American psychology awards Religion-related awards Peace awards