Bronze Wrangler
The Bronze Wrangler is an award presented annually by the Western Heritage Museum">Western (genre)">Western Heritage Museum to honor the top works in Western music, film, television, and literature.
The awards were first presented in 1961. The Wrangler is a bronze sculpture of a cowboy on horseback, and is designed by artist John Free.
The awards program also recognizes inductees into the prestigious Hall of Great Westerners and the Hall of Great Western Performers as well as the recipient of the Chester A. Reynolds Memorial Award, named in honor of the Museum's founder.
Award categories
Film and television
Theatrical Motion PictureOutstanding Docudrama
Television Feature Film
Factual Narrative
Factual Television Program
Fictional Television Drama
'''Western Documentary'''
Literary
Art BooksFolklore Books
| Year | Author | Novel | Publisher or publication | Ref. |
| 1978 | Bill Brett | The Stolen Steers: A Tale of the Big Thicket | Texas A&M University Press | - |
Juvenile Books
| Year | Author | Novel | Publisher or publication | Ref. |
| 1962 | Gene Caesar | King of the Mountain men | E. P. Dutton & Co. | |
| 1963 | Charles Clifton | The Book of the West | Bobbs-Merrill Co. | |
| 1964 | Betty Baker | Killer-of-Death | Harper & Row | |
| 1965 | Paul Iselin Wellman | The Greatest Cattle Drive | Houghlin-Mifflin Co. | |
| 1966 | Carl G. Hodges | Land Rush | Duell-Sloan-Pearce Co. | |
| 1967 | Marguerite Henry | Mustang: Wild Spirit of the West | Rand McNalley and Co. | |
| 1968 | Eric Scott | Down the Rivers, Westward Ho! | Meredith Press | |
| 1969 | Weyman B. Jones | Edge of Two Worlds | Dial Press | |
| 1970 | Jessie Hosford | An Awful Name to Live Up To | Meredith Press | |
| 1971 | Betty Baker | And One Was a Wooden Indian | The Macmillan Co. | |
| 1972 | Richard Edward Wormser | The Black Mustanger | William Morrow & Co. | |
| 1975 | Harold Keith | Susy's Scoundrel | Thomas Y. Crowell Co. | |
| 1976 | N. Scott Momaday | Owl in the Cedar Tree | Northland Press | |
| 1979 | Harold Keith | The Obstinate Land | Thomas Y. Crowell Co. | |
| 1980 | Barbara M. Walker | The Little House Cookbook | Harper & Row | |
| 1984 | Russell Freedman | Children of the Wild West | Clarion Books | |
| 1986 | Pam Conrad | Prairie Songs | Harper & Row | |
| 1987 | Arlene B. Hirshfelder | Happily May I Walk | Charles Scribner's | |
| 1988 | Lynn H. Scott | The Covered Wagon and Other Adventures | University of Nebraska Press | |
| 1989 | Francis G. Tunbo | Stay Put, Robbie McAmis | Texas Christian University Press | |
| 1990 | Marj Gurasich | Letters to Oma | Texas Christian University Press | |
| 1991 | Diane Johnston Hamm | Bunkhouse Journal | High Plains Press | |
| 1992 | Vee Brown and Baje Whitehorne? | Monster Slayer: A Navajo Folktale | Northland Press | |
| 1993 | Russell Freedman | An Indian Winter | Holdiay House | |
| 1994 | Albert Marrin | Cowboys, Indians and Gunfighters | Maxwell Macmillan International | |
| 1995 | Robert Crum | Eagle Drum | Simon & Schuster | |
| 1996 | Linda Theresa Raczek and Katalin Olah Ehling? | The Night the Grandfathers Dance | Northland Publishing | |
| 1997 | Dayton Duncan | The West | Little, Brown and Company | |
| 1998 | Diane Johnston Hamm | Daughter of Suqua | Albert Whitman & Company | |
| 1999 | Kathryn Lasky | Alice Rose & Sam | Hyperion Books for Children | |
| 2000 | Louise Erdrich | The Birchbark House | Hyperion Books for Children | |
| 2001 | Sharon E. Heisel | Precious Gold, Precious Jade | Holiday House | |
| 2002 | Jo Harper | Delfino's Journey | Texas Tech University | |
| 2003 | Lisa Waller Rogers | The Great Storm: The Hurricane Diary of J.T. King | Texas Tech University Press | |
| 2004 | Hershell H. Nixon | The Long Way West | Texas Tech University Press | |
| 2005 | Simon J. Ortiz | The Good Rainbow Road | University of Arizona Press | |
| 2006 | Charlotte Foltz Jones | Westward Ho! Eleven Explorers of the American West | Holiday House | |
| 2007 | James M. McPherson | Into The West: From Reconstruction To The Final Days Of The American Frontier | Atheneum Books for Young Readers/Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing | |
| 2008 | Melodie A. Cuate | Journey to San Jacinto | Texas Tech University Press | |
| 2009 | Melodie A. Cuate | Journey to Gonzales | Texas Tech University Press | |
| 2010 | Suzanne Morgan Williams | Bull Rider | McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster Childrens Publishing | |
| 2011 | Michael P. Spradlin and Layne Johnson | Off Like the Wind! The First Ride of the PonyExpress | Walker & Company | |
| 2012 | Emerita Romero-Anderson | Milagro of the Spanish Bean Pot | - | |
| 2013 | Sandra Dallas | The Quilt Walk | Sleeping Bear Press | |
| 2014 | Nasario Garcia | Grandmas Santo on Its Head/El santo patas arriba de mi abuelita | University of New Mexico Press | |
| 2015 | Linda L. Osmundson | How The West Was Drawn: Women's Art | Pelican Publishing Company Inc. | |
| 2016 | Mike Kearby | "Texas Tales Illustrated: The Trail Drives" | - | |
| 2017 | S.J. Dahlstrom | The Green Colt | Paul Dry Books | - |
| 2018 | Lois V. Harris | Lotta Crabtree: Gold Rush Fairy Star | Pelican Publishing Co. |
Magazine Article
News Featurette
| Year | Author | Novel | Publisher or publication | Ref. |
| 1991 | Rodeo Cowboys | Phil Archer, Judy Overton | KPRC-TV | - |
| 1992 | Strangers in Their Own Land | Mary Ann Eckstein, Linda Cavanaugh, Randy Williams, Tony Stizza | KFOR-TV | - |
| 1993 | Matagorda Cattle Drive | Phil Archer, Kevin Benz | KPRC-TV | - |
| 1994 | Orphan Train | Linda Cavanaugh, Tony Stizza, Randy Williams, Linda Cavanaugh, Tony Stizza | KFOR-TV | - |
| 1995 | Riders of the Osage | Randy Renner, Barry Levy, Dave Tamez | KWTV-9 | - |
| 1996 | Good Morning America: Montana Cowgirls | ABC; Jeff Jayson, producer; Amy Atkins, reporter. | - | - |
| 1997 | The Vale's Baby | Scott Thompson, Grand Gerondale | KOTV | - |
| 1998 | Range Riders | John Pronk, Melissa Johnson, Mike Raye | WFAA-TV | - |
| 2001 | The Salt Grass Trail | Phill Archer, Mark Muller | KRPC-TV | - |
| 2002 | The Real Cowboys | Michael Jenkins, Rob DuPuis | KVUE-TV | - |
Nonfiction Book
Outstanding Photography Book
Poetry Book
Short Stories
'''Western Novel'''
Music
Outstanding New Artist| Year | Creator | Work | Publisher or publication | Ref. |
| 2008 | Lynn Anderson | "Cowgirl" | Showboat Records | |
| 2009 | Gary S. Pratt | "The Other Side" | - | |
| 2010 | Steve Moulton | "Cowboys & Campfires" | - |
New Horizons
Music
Outstanding Original Western Composition
| Year | Creator | Work | Publisher or publication | Ref. |
| 1992 | Michael Martin Murphey, Wendy Waldman, Carol Elliott | Cowboy Christmas: "Corn, Water and Wood" | ||
| 1993 | Gary McMahan, Douglas B. Green, Gary McMahan, Chris Camp | A Cowboyin' Day: "The First Cowboy Song" | ||
| 1994 | Red Steagall, Steve Gibson | Born to this Land: "Born to this Land" | Warner Western Warner Brothers Records | - |
| 1995 | Andy Wilkinson, Lloyd Maines | "Charlie Goodnight: His Life" | ||
| 1996 | Red Steagall, Steve Gibson, Mark Abbot, Richard O'Brien, Buck Reams | "Faith And Values" | ||
| 1997 | The Road Is Still The Road: "The Freedom Song" | Andy Wilkinson, Lloyd Maines, Kerry Ford | Grey Horse Press | |
| 1998 | Red Steagall, Steve Gibson | "Dear Mama, I'm A Cowboy" | Warner Western Production Company | - |
| 1999 | Michael Martin Murphey, Joey Miskulin | "Summer Ranges" | Westfest Records | - |
| 2000 | Sons of the San Joaquin, Jack Hannah, Baxter Black, Rich O'Brien | "He Just Can't Be Seen From the Road" | Western Jubilee Recording Company | - |
| 2001 | Jack Hannah, Sons of the San Joaquin, Rich O'Brien, Scott O'Malley | Sing One For The Cowboy: "Charlie and the Boys" | Western Jubilee Recording Company | - |
| 2002 | Cindy Walker Rich O'Brien | "Old Town Taos" | ||
| 2003 | Ian Tyson, Rich Fenton | Live at Longview: "Bob Fudge" | Stony Plain Recording Company | - |
| 2004 | Don Edwards | "Chant of the Night Songs" | ||
| 2005 | Dale Burson | Dancing With Daddy: "A Life More Than This" | - | |
| 2006 | Red Steagall and Rich O'Brien | The Wind, The Wire And The Rail: "How Green Was The Grazin' Back Then" | - | |
| 2007 | Michael Martin Murphey | Hearland Cowboy: Cowboy Songs, Vol. 5: "Long and Lonesome Ride to Dalhart" | ||
| 2008 | Red Steagall, Rich O'Brien | "Dawson Le Gate" | ||
| 2009 | Red Steagall, Dan Roberts, Roy Robinson, Bobby Wood | "A Cowboys Special Christmas" | ||
| 2010 | LeRoy Jones, Dave Copenhaver, Terry Scarberry, LeRoy Jones | "The Great Western Trail" | - | |
| 2011 | R.W. Hampton, Joe DiBlasi, Gary Bright | Austin To Boston: "Shortgrass" | ||
| 2012 | R.J. Vandygriff, Ronny Light | "Keep the Campfire A Burnin" | ||
| 2013 | Waddie Mitchell | "Trade Off by The Gillette Brothers" | ||
| 2014 | Eli Barsi | "Portrait of a Cowgirl" | - | |
| 2015 | Wylie & the Wild West | "Where Horses are Heroes" | ||
| 2016 | Mary Kaye | "Ride a Wide Circle" | ||
| 2017 | Ryan Fritz, Eli Barsi, John Cunningham | "Keeper of the West" | ||
| 2018 | K.R. Wood, Michael Martin Murphey, K. R. Wood | "A Nickel A Head" | - |
Outstanding Traditional Western Album
| Year | Creator | Work | Publisher or publication | Ref. |
| 1992 | Don Edwards | Chant of the Wanderer | ||
| 1993 | Buck Ramsey, Lanny Fiel, Joe Stephenson, Buck Ramsey | Rolling Uphill from Texas | - | |
| 1994 | John McEwen | The Wild West | Mogull Entertainment | |
| 1995 | Buck Ramsey, Lanny Fiel, Buck Ramsey | My House It Was In Texas | ||
| 1996 | Riders In The Sky, Joey Miskulin | Always Drink Upstream From The Herd | ||
| 1997 | Don Edwards, Jim Rooney | West Of Yesterday | Warner Western Production Company | |
| 1998 | Robert Wagoner | The Wonder Of It All | ||
| 1999 | David Wilkie | Cowboy Ceilidh | Red House Records | |
| 2000 | Red Steagall, Steve Gibson | Love of the West | Warner Brothers | |
| 2001 | Don Edwards, Waddie Mitchell, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Rich O'Brien, Kathleen Fox Collins | A Prairie Portrait | Western Jubilee Recording Company | |
| 2002 | Don Edwards, Rich O'Brien | Kin To The Wind/Memories of Marty Robbins | Western Jubilee Recording Company | |
| 2003 | Red Steagall, Rich O'Brien | Wagon Tracks | Western Jubilee Recording Company | |
| 2004 | Buck Ramsey, Charlie Seemann | Buck Ramsey: Hittin' The Trail | Smithsonian Folkways Recordings Western Folklife Center | |
| 2005 | Les Gilliam, Jim Farrell | It's Time To Sing A Song | Prairie Rose Records | |
| 2006 | Sons of the San Joaquin, Rich O'Brien | Way Out Yonder | Western Jubilee Recording Company | |
| 2007 | Don Edwards | Moonlight and Skies | Western Jubilee Recording Company | |
| 2008 | R.W. Hampton, Rich O'Brien, Edna Mae Holden | Oklahoma...Where the West Remains | ||
| 2009 | Juni Fisher, Rich O'Brien | Gone for Colorado | ||
| 2010 | Andy Wilkinson, Andy Hedges, Lloyd Maines | Welcome to the Tribe | ||
| 2011 | Gillette Brothers, Craig Swancey | Gillette Brothers Cowboys, Mistrels and Medicine Shows | ||
| 2012 | Dan Roberts, Roberts Allsup, Tommy Allsup | 'Dan Roberts: The Best Of | - | |
| 2013 | Bill Barwick, Jim Ratts | The Usual Suspects | ||
| 2014 | Don Edwards | Just Me And My Guitar | ||
| 2015 | Randy Huston, Hannah Huston, Randy Huston | Cowboys and Girls | ||
| 2016 | Waddie Mitchell & Pipp Gillette | Singing Songs by Waddie & Pipp | ||
| 2017 | Doug Figgs, Jim Jones and Mariam | The Cowboy Way | ||
| 2018 | Maye Kaye | Take Me Back to Texas | Don't Fence Me In Records |
Special categories
Hall of Great Western PerformersTrustees Award
| Year | Recipient | Notes | Ref. |
| 1965 | Tim Babcock | For World's Fair Display on the American West | - |
| 1965 | W. E. McIntosh | Principal chief of the Creek Nation | - |
| 1967 | University of Oklahoma Press | For publication of Western Americana | - |
| 1967 | Ben K. West | For service to the Western Heritage Awards Committee | - |
| 1970 | Arizona Highways Magazine | - | - |
| 1970 | Swiss National Television Network | For Far West: The Indians | - |
| 1971 | Yakima Canutt | For more than 50 years of outstanding contributions to motion pictures. | - |
| 1972 | John Rolfe Burroughs | For Guardian of the Grasslands | - |
| 1972 | John Ford | For outstanding contribution to the motion picture industry. | - |
| 1972 | Dorothy Harmsen | For Harmsens Western Americana | - |
| 1972 | Winchester-Western | - | - |
| 1972 | Wyoming Stock Growers Association | - | - |
| 1973 | Dale Robertson | For Outstanding Contribution to Western Film. | - |
| 1973 | William H. Clothier | For Outstanding Contribution to the Motion Picture industry through Cinema photography. | - |
| 1973 | Ben K. Green | For unique contribution to the pure enjoyment of our western heritage and knowledge of an heretofore unconsidered aspect of this heritage in Some More Horse Tradin. | - |
| 1973 | Agnes Spring | For Outstanding Contribution to Preservation of Western Heritage as historian. | - |
| 1974 | Dimitri Tiomkin | For Outstanding Musical Contribution to Western Motion Pictures. | - |
| 1974 | Alfrey Y. Allee | For Outstanding Career as a Courageous Texas Ranger. | - |
| 1974 | Carl G. Degen, Jr. | For Excellent Educational Western Documentary film, The Excavation of Mound Seven. | - |
| 1974 | Howard Hawks | For Outstanding Contribution to the West through Motion Pictures. | - |
| 1974 | Luke Short | For illustrious career as an author of western stories. | - |
| 1974 | Korczak Ziolkowski | For unique contribution to preserving Western Heritage through the Crazy Horse Memorial. | - |
| 1975 | James Whitmore | For Superb One-Man Show based on the Life of the illustrious Will Rogers. | - |
| 1975 | Robert Adams | For The Architecture and Art of Early Hispanic Colorado, which best illuminates a little known aspect of the American West. | - |
| 1975 | Delmer Daves | For outstanding contribution as director and producer of great Western Motion pictures. | - |
| 1975 | Watt Matthews | For preserving Western history. | - |
| 1975 | Oklahoma Today | For outstanding editorial and pictorial effort in presenting information about Oklahoma to its citizens. | - |
| 1975 | Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys | For "The Last Time", an outstanding contribution to historical preservation | - |
| 1976 | Spike Van Cleve | For Spike Van Cleve: An American Portrait, an outstanding short documentary reflecting the West of today. | - |
| 1976 | David Hoffman | For Spike Van Cleve: An American Portrait, an outstanding short documentary reflecting the West of today. | - |
| 1976 | Harry Wiland | For Spike Van Cleve: An American Portrait, an outstanding short documentary reflecting the West of today. | - |
| 1976 | Gordon Bowman | For Spike Van Cleve: An American Portrait, an outstanding short documentary reflecting the West of today. | - |
| 1976 | John Champion | For outstanding family entertainment in a Western motion picture | - |
| 1976 | Joel McCrea | For outstanding family entertainment in a Western motion picture | - |
| 1976 | Margaret Harper | For being founder and driving force of the truly Western Americana pageant, Texas. | - |
| 1976 | W. L. Lawrence | For being widely recognized student, collector, and historian of the American fur trade. | - |
| 1976 | George O'Brien | For outstanding career portraying the Western movie hero. | - |
| 1976 | George H. Shirk | For outstanding author, lecturer, and leader in historical preservation. | - |
| 1977 | Luis Ortega | For lifetime achievement | - |
| 1983 | Thomas Hornsby Ferril | - | - |
| 1983 | Luke Decatur Sweetman | For Gotch, the Story of a Cow Horse and Back Trailing on the Open Range | - |
| 1984 | Ed Quigley | - | |
| 1984 | Carl Sherwin | For contributions to the preservation of western heritage | - |
| 1984 | Harry E. Webb | - | |
| 1985 | Louis L'Amour | - | |
| 1985 | Montana Stock Growers Association | - | |
| 1985 | Otha Wearin | For support of the preservation of western heritage | - |
Other special awards
- Special Award: John B. Stetson Company for The Hat That Wore the West-Death Valley Days
- Special Award: Yakima Canutt for more than 50 years of outstanding contributions to Motion Pictures
- Special Award: Craig Fisher for the documentary film Survival on the Prairie
- Special Merit Award: Union Pacific and The Westerner in recognition of great western motion pictures made prior to 1960
- Special Award: Seuil Audiovisual for Frontier Heritage; Claude Fleouter ; Denys Limon ;
- Special Award: Harold Warp, creator of pioneer village in Minden, Nebraska
- Special Award: Paul Aaron, host of Cowboy Joe's Radio Ranch and Prairie Echoes
- Special Award: Ed Rutherford, collector of Western artifacts
- Special Award: James A. Michener
- John Ford Award: Sam Peckinpah
- Special Award: Alfred A. Knopf, publisher
- Special Award: John Mantley, television producer
- Special Award: Buck Taylor, actor
- Special Award: Elsa Spear Byron, author/photographer
- Special Award: Johnny Grant, entertainer
- Entertainment Arts Gold Medal: Burl Ives
- Special Award: Bill Kelly and Allison Brown for "Joe Wietsky: Cowboy"
- Special Award: Geoffrey Bell for "The Movies Go West"
- Special Award for Outstanding Achievement in a New Format: Kieth Merrill for "Alamo: The Price of Freedom"
- Special Award for Significant Scholarly Research: Merrill J. Mattes and University of Illinois Press for Platte River Road Narratives
- Special Music Award: Arlene Markinson for "Santa Fe Spirit"
- Special Television Feature Award: E.W. Swackhammer, Chuck Sellier Alex McArthur for "Desperado"
- Lifetime Contribution to Western Art Award: Robert Lougheed, posthumanous award accepted by his widow Cordy Lougheed
- Special Award for Historical Excellence: Richard Farnsworth, Gwendolyn Clancy and the University of Nevada, Reno for "The Man They Call Will James"
- Special Award for the Preservation of Authentic Western Music: Michael Martin Murphey for "Cowboy Logic"
- Directors' Award for Excellence in a Theatrical Presentation: Tommy Tune, Cy Coleman, Betty Comden, Adolph Green, Keith Carradine, Pierre Cossette, Martin Richards, Sam Crothers, James M. Nederlander, Stewart Lane and Max Weitzenhoffer for "The Will Rogers Follies"
- Directors' Award for Excellence in a Television Presentation: Marino Amoruso, Ben Johnson and Harry Carey Jr. for "Legends of the American West"
- Directors' Award for Outstanding Study of Western Material Culture: R.L. Wilson and Random House for "The Peacemakers: Arms and Adventures in the American West"
- Directors' Award for Outstanding Contributions to Western Music: "Sons of the Pioneers"
- Outstanding Achievement in Art: Wilson Hurley following formal dedication of his five monumental "Windows to the West" triptychs
- Special Award: TNN in recognition of their leadership for providing the Hall's first national television special "A Cowboy Jubilee: Celebrating the National Cowboy Hall of Fame" in April 1995
- Special Award for Innovation in Western Music: Michael Martin Murphey and Jim Ed Norman for "Sagebrush Symphony"
- Directors' Award For Special Literary Achievement: Peter H. Hassrick, Melissa J. Webster and the Buffalo Bill Historical Center for "Frederic Remington: A Catalogue Raisonne of Paintings, Watercolors and Drawings"
- Directors' Award For Special Recognition: Frank "Pistol Pete" Eaton
- Directors Award for Excellence in Original Western Television Production: TNT
- Special Directors' Award: R.L. Wilson, Greg Martin and Random House
- Director's Award For Outstanding News Magazine Feature: Victor Neufeld, Rob Wallace and Hugh Downs for ABC News 20/20: "Wild Horses"
- Special Directors Award For Special Recognition: Robert L. Klemme for marking the location of the Chisholm Trail, where it was located between the years of 1871-1874, across the state of Oklahoma
- Directors' Award for Television Feature Film: Uli Edel, Gordon Dawson, Sam Shepard, Randy Quaid, Eric Roberts, Brad Rowe, David Rosemont and Daniel Schneider for "Purgatory"
- Directors Award for Excellence in Dramatic Presentation and Original Music Composition: R.W. Hampton, Lisa Hampton, Rich O'Brien for "The Last Cowboy – His Journey"
- Directors' Award: Bob Brown, leather maker and costume designer to the Hollywood stars of early western films
- Special Directors' Award: Arthur Allan Seidelman, Jacqueline Feather, David Seidler, Richard Crenna, David Carradine, Randall C. Badger, Dan Paulson, Robert Halmi Jr., Bob Chmiel for By Dawn's Early Light
- Board of Directors' Lifetime Achievement Award: A.C. Lyles, producer for Paramount Pictures
- Board of Directors' Lifetime Achievement Award: Dean Smith, Hollywood stuntman, actor and gold medalist in the 1952 Olympics