The Randolph A. Frank Prize for the Performing Arts

Nominations for the 2026 Randolph A. Frank Prize are now open.

‍The deadline to submit all required materials is Sunday, February 15, 2026.

The mission of the Randolph A. Frank Prize for the Performing Arts is to recognize and reward individual performing artists and dedicated educators who enrich the quality of the performing arts in Palm Beach County, Florida. All established and emerging individuals who regularly perform or engage in performing arts education in Palm Beach County are eligible for consideration for the Prize, which will be awarded annually. Performing artists and arts educators of many kinds are eligible, not just musicians. Writers, designers (costume, lighting, props, scenic, sound), and production technicians are not eligible. Applicants may self-nominate or be nominated by someone else who can speak to their artistic contributions and may apply for one or all relevant categories.

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A total of $10,000 in prize money will be awarded to one to three winners!

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Prize Categories:

Performing Artist

Performing Arts Educator

Emerging Artist

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Important Dates to Note

• Submissions for nominations opens on Saturday, November 1, 2025.
• Deadline for submission of all required nomination/application materials is Sunday, February 15, 2026.‍
• Applicants will be notified of their status by Friday, March 20, 2026.
• Winner(s) will be invited to attend an official award presentation on Sunday, May 17, 2026.  

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Eligibility Criteria

• Please read the first paragraph at the top of this webpage for information on eligibility.
• All applicants must be dedicated to enhancing the cultural and artistic life of Palm Beach County.
• Although the applicant does not need to reside in Palm Beach County, the applicant’s work must be based primarily in Palm Beach County.
• Applicants may apply to more than one category. It is the applicant’s responsibility to apply for the prize category or categories that best reflects the applicant’s contribution to the cultural and artistic life of Palm Beach County. Category options are Performing Artist, Performing Arts Educator, and Emerging Artist.‍
• Applicants for the Performing Artist Award should have at least a five-year demonstrated track record as a performing artist in Palm Beach County.‍
• Applicants for the Performing Arts Educator Award should have at least a five-year demonstrated track record as a performing arts educator in Palm Beach County.‍
• Applicants for the Emerging Artist Award should have at least a three-year demonstrated track record either as a performing artist OR performing arts educator in Palm Beach County and be at least 21 years of age.
• Writers, designers (costume, lighting, props, scenic, sound), and production technicians are not eligible.
• Nominees must understand that all selected winners will be expected to enter into a reciprocal relationship with Palm Beach Symphony, including but not limited to attending official awarding of prize(s) in person, providing any necessary speeches and/or media interviews, participating in photo ops, having your arts organization (students or other) potentially perform at a Palm Beach Symphony event, promptly responding to inquiries and requests from the Symphony for arrangements and requested materials, and more. If a nominee and potential winner is not willing to engage in these expectations, they should refrain from submitting applications materials for this award altogether. Lack of willingness and failure to adhere to these expectations may result in disqualification.

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Submission Guidelines for All Parties

Please apply by submitting all required documents noted below in as few emails as possible to Bryce Seliger at bseliger@palmbeachsymphony.org by the deadline of Sunday, February 15, 2026.  The subject heading should include the nominee’s first and last name.

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• An applicant may self-nominate or be nominated by someone else for prize consideration.
• If nominating someone other than yourself, please discuss this and clear it with the nominee before submitting any materials on their behalf. Nominations should not come as a surprise to nominees.
• Nominators (self or other) must submit a nomination letter outlining relevant activity considered for these awards. All supplemental materials may be sent by the nominator or nominee in one email or as few as possible, and requirements for such are outlined below. We can accept numerous letters of support for candidates, and anyone from within or outside of the Palm Beach County community may submit a nomination or letters of support. No materials should be written or submitted by a spouse or family member.
• All materials noted are required for a candidate’s application to be considered complete and be sent to the judges for consideration. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
• Submissions that meet all eligibility requirements will be reviewed by a panel of judges that includes esteemed industry professionals from outside Palm Beach County.
• Judges will not know applicants, and it is incumbent upon nominees and nominators to outline justifications for each candidate’s worthiness.
• With regard to submitting weblinks for review of materials, links should only be sent for videos. All other materials must be submitted via email attachments or hyperlinks to Google drive or a cloud link to retrieve a complete folder of materials. Judges shall not be expected to go to websites to view a candidate’s bio, for example, or any other required documentation.

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Required Nomination Materials and Selection Process

Submission Deadline for all materials is Sunday, February 15, 2026, and all documents should be sent to Bryce Seliger at bseliger@palmbeachsymphony.org.  All emails should include the nominee’s first and last name in the subject heading.

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1. Nomination Letters (written by self or other) and letters of support regarding the nominee’s candidacy may be written by colleagues in their school or organization or industry at large. See “Nomination Letter Content” section below for letter requirements.
2. We also accept letters of support from former students.
3. The following materials should be sent by the nominee or nominator and should all be sent in one email or as few as possible:

• Resume or curriculum vitae of nominee that should include nominee's current position(s), cell phone number, email address, and complete home and work addresses.
• Professional bio of nominee
• Headshot of nominee
• 1-3 video and/or audio examples via a weblink (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.) that can be viewed only by those with the link which is much preferred (or is password protected). Videos should not be made public. Content should be 5-10 minutes in length. Video links may be sent in the body of an email.  Please do not send link in which an email address is required to view the file.
  
• Supplemental supporting materials may be submitted such as articles written about the nominee, professional development materials, videos of or about the nominee, and other items along this continuum.

1. Submissions that meet all eligibility requirements will be reviewed by a panel of judges that includes esteemed arts industry professionals. Please note: the judges do not live in Florida, nor will they know any of the any of the nominees. It is incumbent upon the nominee and nominator to submit nomination materials that clearly represent relevant aspects of this award’s focus to provide the judges with a precise understanding of the nominee’s contributions and how they enrich the quality of the performing arts in Palm Beach County, Florida.
2. Winner(s) will be invited to attend an official award presentation on Sunday, May 17, 2026.  

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Nomination Letter Content (Written by Self or Other)

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1. All nomination letters should be submitted by the original authors of the letters and not the nominee (unless they are one in the same).  
2. Put nomination letter on official letterhead of your school/organization when possible.
3. Include the following nominee information at the top of the letter: full name, permanent complete address, cell phone number, email address, and website (if applicable).
4. Specify the particular Frank Prize category or categories for which the nominee wishes to be considered. Options are Performing Artist, Performing Arts Educator, and/or Emerging Artist.
5. Outline the length of time the nominator has known the nominee and in what capacity.
6. Address the reason for the nomination that speaks to the eligibility requirements and nature of these awards.
7. Document the record of the nominee’s performing arts and/or performing arts education experience in Palm Beach County.
8. Address how the nominee has enhanced the cultural and artistic life of Palm Beach County.
9. Outline the nominee’s commitment to excellence in the nominee’s field.
10. If applicable, summarize the nominee’s teaching experience as it relates to performing arts education, and document the particular age group(s) and constituencies the nominee has mentored.

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History of the Frank Prize

The Randolph A. Frank Prize was established in 2009 by Nancy and Jay Parker, longtime friends of Dr. Randolph A. Frank, who was an avid patron of the arts.  Shortly after Dr. Frank’s move to Palm Beach from the Washington, D.C. area in the early 2000’s, the Parkers introduced him to their neighbor and friend Steven Caras. At Caras’ invitation, Dr. Frank and the Parkers soon began to attend many of the widely diverse cultural events in Palm Beach County. After Dr. Frank’s passing in 2007, the Parkers, administrators of Frank’s foundation, asked Caras to start thinking in terms of conceiving a cause to be established in Palm Beach County “in Randy’s memory.”  

The Parkers felt that Caras, an acclaimed dancer, dance educator, and photographer, would come up with an ideal plan. “I felt that a cause was very much needed here,” in Caras’ words, “celebrating and rewarding performing arts educators and performers, working in Palm Beach County, who, through their devoted efforts, enhance and inspire the lives of all of us –residents and visitors alike.” Together, they decided to honor Dr. Frank’s memory with this annual award.

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Since 2019, Palm Beach Symphony has managed and hosted the Randolph A. Frank Prize for the Performing Arts. Through the generosity of these founders a total of $10,000 is awarded each year.

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Presented by Palm Beach Symphony

Board of Directors, Nancy and Jay Parker

Founding Chairman, Steven Caras