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Presented to
Kevin Costner
Bill and Sharon Costner, parents of Kevin Costner, accept
the 2004 A.H. Pankow Award
from Gov. Mike Rounds.
The A.H. Pankow Award recognizes a member of the media whose coverage and promotion of the state’s visitor industry is unparalleled.
This year’s recipient is a famous figure, recognized by South Dakotans and much of the world. His portrayal of our state continues to draw visitors here.
Kevin Costner told South Dakota’s story by showcasing our picture-perfect sunsets and sunrises, sweeping and majestic vistas, and Mother Nature in all her South Dakota glory. That story resulted in a lasting impression on the visitor industry.
Costner gained praise and admiration from the visitor industry and nearly all South Dakotans by featuring the beauty of the never-ending South Dakota prairie, one of the world’s largest herds of American Bison, and the Lakota Sioux culture.
Costner is given the A.H. Pankow Award for his contributions to South Dakota and his efforts to portray and educate people about the Lakota culture and the ways of the prairie. These efforts continue even today. He opened a new center last year to help educate visitors even more.
The project he is so well-known for, "Dances with Wolves," was nominated for twelve Academy Awards and took home Oscars for Best Cinematography, Director, Film Editing, Original Score, Sound, Original Screenplay and Picture. It was filmed in South Dakota in 1989 and is possibly the most famous of all location movies, helping to introduce South Dakota’s wonders to the world.
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