Frankfort resident Mary Hamilton has been awarded the prestigious Circle of Excellence award by the National Storytelling Network.
A native of Meade County, she is the first Kentuckian to be given this coveted honor.
The award is presented to artists recognized by their peers to be master storytellers. Winners set the standards for excellence and have demonstrated, over a significant period of time, a commitment and dedication to the art of storytelling.
Only 51 people have been given this distinction, which equates to the Hall of Fame for storytellers. The award was announced this weekend at the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, Tenn.
For nearly 30 years, Hamilton has influenced and inspired storytellers and audiences. She has traveled across the nation sharing her stories, wisdom, and insights and actively advancing the knowledge, appreciation and application of storytelling.
She has earned the Jesse Stuart Award from the Kentucky School Media Association for her body of work as a storyteller in Kentucky schools. Her most recent recording, “Sisters All ... and One Troll,” won a Parent’s Choice Gold, a Storytelling World Award for Story Recordings, and an iParenting Media Award.
On the national level, she has served on several committees including initiating the National Storytelling Network Special Interest Groups and the National Storytelling Network National Conference Fringe Committee.
She is currently working on the group’s ART Recognition Task Force and volunteers as the Kentucky state liaison. She is a former president of the Kentucky Storytelling Association, which she helped to found in 2004.