Jack Gladstone, “Montana’s Blackfeet Troubadour,” is this year’s recipient of the C.M. Russell Heritage Award.

The annual Heritage Award recognizes those who have made a significant contribution to the legacy, culture, life and country of C.M. Russell’s West.

Regarded as a cultural bridge builder, Gladstone delivers programs nationally on American Indian mythology and history. In a career spanning three decades, he has produced 15 critically acclaimed CDs. In 1985, Gladstone co-founded “Native America Speaks,” an award-winning lecture series for Glacier National Park. Most recently, he received the prestigious Best Historical Recording  award from the Native American Music Association.

The Heritage Award may be given in several areas, including history, literature, preservation, music and the arts. It is awarded by the C.M. Russell Museum in Great Falls.

The 2010 inaugural award was presented to Ian Tyson, a singer-songwriter whose music captures and preserves the essence of Russell’s West. Ginger Renner also received the award in 2010 for her tireless support of the C.M. Russell Museum and as a noted C.M. Russell expert.

The 2011 recipient was Red Steagall of Fort Worth, Texas, a Western poet, singer, songwriter and performer who has spent his life promoting the cowboy way of life. The 2012 recipient was Rick Stewart, former director and curator of Western paintings and sculpture at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, and curator of Romance Maker: The Watercolors of Charles M. Russell.