The Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center at Northern Michigan University is seeking public nominations for the 2017 Upper Peninsula Folklife Award. The award recognizes those who make a difference in the creation and/or preservation of Upper Peninsula folk arts, including music, dance, storytelling, crafts and food. Persons or organizations can be nominated through Friday, April 28.

The U.P. Folklife Award(s) will be presented at a benefit dinner on May 10. Past recipients are: John Perona, bones player; Les Ross Les Ross Sr., harmonica player; Oren Tikkanen, storyteller and musician; Fred Rydholm, storyteller and historian; Bette and Dean Premo, musicians; Michael Loukinen, folklorist; Corrine Rockow, musician and educator; Kay Seppala, dance and music; and the Hiawatha Music Co-op.

For information on submitting a nomination, visit www.nmu.edu/beaumier and click on the “Events” tab. Or access the online nomination form here.

A selection committee will make the final decisions on the 2017 award. Committee members include Dave Bezotte, a retired librarian from Houghton; Diane Darlington, a Beaumier Center advisory board member from Negaunee; Rosemary Michelin, fabric artist and archivist at the Marquette Regional History Center; Bette Premo, White Water Associates owner and musician from Amasa; Hilary Virtanen, folklore scholar at Finlandia University; and Phil Watts, NMU professor and folk musician.