BRAVO AWARDS GALA
saturday, february 7, 2026
Celebrating and Supporting Arts, Culture, & Heritage in our Community, as a Community
Through a night filled with music, awards, and dancing, we recognize the transformative power of the arts in our community and celebrate the organizations and individuals that are making an impact.
The Bravo Awards Gala is also a showcase for the work Bravo does year-round: providing a competitive and reliable source of funding to regional nonprofit organizations in the arts, culture, and heritage sector, and leading the region in thoughtful discussion, strategy, and research of the impact that arts and culture has on the economy, quality of life, and every regional priority.
Proceeds from the Bravo Awards Gala help offset Bravo’s administrative expenses allowing more public dollars to be invested back into the arts, culture and heritage organizations that create the entertaining and thoughtful experience we all enjoy. Every dollar raised beyond Bravo’s operational goal goes directly to our youth arts program, Passport to Culture.
thank you
2025 BRAVO AWARDS GALA
What a night! Thank you for joining us for an illuminating evening, celebrating the vibrant arts, culture and heritage in Greater Des Moines.
See you next year!
Mark your calendar – Saturday, February 7, 2026
The Bravo Awards Gala is more than just a party.
It’s the party behind our purpose.
Relive the night – view photos below.
2025 SPOTLIGHT AWARD RECIPIENTS
Since the first Awards Gala in 2006, Bravo has recognized cultural partners at the Gala for their transformative impact on the region. In 2020, the award was renamed the Spotlight Award and honorees were selected each year not only for the incredible work and growth they achieved in the previous year, but also because their goals, strategy, and programming align with the pillars of Bravo’s strategic plan and core values. The 2025 honorees are vibrant examples of the impact of arts, culture, and heritage on the community.
CultureALL
2025 RecipientCentral Iowa Wind Ensemble
2025 Recipient- 2024 Des Moines Gay Men's Chorus, Des Moines Film / Varsity Cinema
- 2023 Iowa Asian Alliance, Central Iowa Wind Ensemble, Ballet Des Moines
- 2022 Capital City Pride, ArtForce Iowa
- 2020 City Voices, ASAP - After School Arts Program
- 2019 Greater Des Moines Public Art Foundation, Des Moines Playhouse
- 2018 Pyramid Theatre Company, Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden
- 2017 Hoyt Sherman Place, Des Moines Art Center
- 2016 Des Moines Social Club
- 2015 Des Moines Metro Opera
- 2014 Blank Park Zoo
- 2013 Des Moines Symphony
- 2012 Des Moines Arts Festival
- 2011 Des Moines Performing Arts
2025 BRAVO AWARD
Since 2006, the Bravo Award has been given to an individual, family, or foundation whose commitment to the arts, culture, heritage, and community has positively impacted Greater Des Moines.
Allison & Jim Fleming
2025 Recipient- 2024 Trudy Holman Hurd
- 2023 Kyle & Sharon Krause
- 2022 Tom & Linda Koehn
- 2020 Don & Margo Blumenthal
- 2019 Maytag Family
- 2018 Connie Wimer
- 2017 Suku Radia
- 2016 RW & Mary Nelson
- 2015 Steven Zumbach
- 2014 Fred & Charlotte Hubbell
- 2013 Patty & Jim Cownie
- 2012 W.C. Knapp
- 2011 The John Ruan Family
- 2010 Barry & Michele Griswell
- 2009 Richard Levitt / Maddie Levitt
- 2008 John & Mary Pappajohn
- 2007 David & LIz Kruidenier
- 2006 Myron & Jackie Blank
2025 Bravo Awards Gala Sponsors
BRONZE SPONSORS
AssuredPartners
Atlantic Coca-Cola Bottling Company
Bankers Trust
BCC Advisers
Belin McCormick, P.C.
Boesen the Florist
BrownWinick
Business Record Corporation
Casey’s
Catch Des Moines
Commerce Bank
Community Choice Credit Union
Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines
Deloitte
Delta Dental of Iowa
Dentons
Des Moines University
DMACC
DMOS Orthopaedic Centers
Doll Distributing
Dr. Richard L. Deming
EMC Insurance
Ernst & Young LLP
Estes Construction
Feed Energy Company
First Interstate Bank
Allison & Jim Fleming
Flynn Wright
Forvis Mazars
Foster Group
Fredrikson
Gilbert & Cook – Private Wealth Management
Greater Des Moines Partnership
GreenState Credit Union
INVISION Architecture
The Iowa Clinic
Iowa Economic Development Authority
ITA Group
Kemin Industries
Knapp Properties, LC
KPMG LLP
Liz Lidgett Gallery
McGill Junge Wealth Management
Merchants Bonding Compnay
MHCS
Neumann Brothers
Northwest Bank
Polk County Board of Supervisors
Prairie Meadows
R&R Realty Group
RDG Planning & Design
RSM US LLP
Ruan Transportation Management Systems
Ryan Companies US, Inc.
SHAZAM
Technology Association of Iowa
UHY
UnityPoint Health – Des Moines
The Waldinger Corporation
The Weinhardt Law Firm
The Weitz Company
Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield
Wells Fargo
Wright Service Corp.
Young Women’s Resource Center