Who We Are
About Us
Our mission is to enhance our community by planning and producing an annual awards event that uniquely recognizes the performing arts, visual arts, and live music of the Omaha area. With all-star talent and red carpet prestige, the Omaha Entertainment and Arts Awards offers a memorable evening that thanks the artists who keep Omaha culture alive.
16
Years & Counting
55+
Award Winners Annually
280+
Artists Recognized Annually
$16,500
Cost to Run Show
History in the Making
Today the OEAAs continue to thrive, in large part thanks to our all-volunteer Board of Directors, sponsors, and voting academy
A Bit of History
Over the Years
2006
Founded
2006 marked the inaugural year for the Omaha Entertainment and Arts Awards. After months of collaboration and planning, the first show was hosted at the Holland Performing Arts Center in downtown Omaha on January 4, 2007. Filled nearly to capacity, the center hosted people connected with the Omaha entertainment industry.
2008
Hall of Fame Awards
At the 3rd Annual Awards Show, we presented “Hall of Fame” Awards to Kent Bellows (Visual Arts), Charles Jones (Performing Arts), and Preston Love, Sr. (Music). It is the first and only time this category of awards has been presented.
2014
Technical Awards
At the 9th Annual Awards Show, we presented separate “Technical Awards” for the first time ever. This special category recognized the behind-the-scenes artists that help make the magic happen, from prop design to choreography to sound engineering. We later integrated the technical awards into the 3 main categories (Live Music, Performing Arts, and Visual Arts).
2020
Cultural Stewardship Award
At the 14th Annual Awards Ceremony, we were pleased to present the first-ever Cultural Stewardship Award to John Heaston in recognition of his 25 years covering local arts and culture as editor/publisher of The Reader.
2021
First Virtual Ceremony
The 15th Annual Omaha Entertainment & Arts Awards was our first virtual show due to the pandemic, and was hosted on Facebook Live by Cameron Logsdon and Maria Corpuz. In addition to the traditional awards, we also celebrated the cross-over between the local arts and health care communities with a special public health theme.
Meet Our All-Volunteer
Board of Directors
Doug Meigs (President)
Aly Peeler (Vice President)
Maria Corpuz (Secretary)
Frank Hayes (Treasurer)
Hughston Walkinshaw
Julian Adair
Ang Bennett
Greg Brown
Trac Schacht
Lori Lynn Ahrends
Ben Matukewicz
Mark McGaugh
Robert Wagner
Former president Emily Cox and founding board member John Heaston
