Bronze Wrangler

The Bronze Wrangler is an award presented annually by the National Cowboy & 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 Picture
Outstanding Docudrama
Television Feature Film
Factual Narrative
Factual Television Program
Fictional Television Drama
'''Western Documentary'''

Literary

Art Books
Folklore 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