Herald-Leader music critic among Fayette County honorees in Governor’s Awards in the Arts
Walter Tunis, the Lexington Herald-Leader music critic with over 40 years of experience, has won the media award in the Governor’s Awards in the Arts, the Kentucky Arts Council announced Wednesday.
Tunis was one of nine individuals in Kentucky to win an award. The Governor’s Awards in the Arts recognizes individuals across multiple artistic categories.
“It gives me great pride to honor these talented artists who show such dedication to sharing the arts with Kentuckians across our commonwealth,” Gov. Andy Beshear said in a news release. “This year’s honorees have made integral contributions to Kentucky’s thriving arts industry. I want to thank all of these artists for bringing the stories of Kentuckians to life, and ensuring those stories live on for generations to come.”
Tunis has been a music critic contributor to the Herald-Leader for nearly 43 years. The Kentucky Arts Council said he began writing in high school and continued his passion through college until he began at the Herald-Leader.
In November 2020 he celebrated his 40-year anniversary, highlighting some of his favorite encounters during his illustrious career. In 2018, he wrote the introductory notes for the 2018 Eagles compendium “Legacy.”
“Like most people, awards are never of serious concern until they happen. Now that I have been informed of this honor, I can honestly say it brings a nice sense of appreciation and acknowledgment,” Tunis told the Kentucky Arts Council. “That it comes from the state that has been my lifelong home enhances that feeling. That it comes from a governor whom I have great admiration and respect for makes it even more special.”
Tunis previously said he writes from the viewpoint of an audience member, as he’s not a musician.
“In the four decades since then, what I have learned from the music created either by Kentuckians or esteemed guests visiting our region, has been immeasurable,” Tunis previously said.
Two other Fayette County artists were also among the award winners. Tee Dee Young won the Folk Heritage Award and Ada Limón won the National Award. Dan Neil Barnes of Scott County won the Artist Award.
The Kentucky Arts Council described Young as a blues legend in his own time. He started playing guitar at 13 years old and has been performing for 54 years.
Limón writes and teaches remotely, and she’s also the current U.S. Poet Laureate. She is the author of poetry books, including “The Carrying,” the National Book Critics Circle Award winner for Poetry.
Limón was recently named one of 20 MacArthur Foundation Fellows. Often called “Genius Grants,” the prize comes with an $800,000 award for artists, writers, scientists, urban planners and other standouts to continue their work.
Barnes’ work has been featured in the Owensboro Convention Center, Field & Main Bank in Lexington, the Sloan Convention Center in Bowling Green, the University of Wisconsin campus and hospitals in both Lexington and Louisville, according to the Kentucky Arts Council. He also designed the 2006 Governor’s Awards in the Arts.
All award winners will be honored during an Oct. 13 ceremony at the Lyric Theatre & Cultural Arts Center. The awards were specially created by Jefferson County paper mosaic artist Sebastian Duverge, who was commissioned by the Kentucky Arts Council to make the awards.
