Ovation TV Partners With Spectrum for Ninth Consecutive Year of Stand For the Arts Awards

LOS ANGELES - Ovation TV, America's premier arts network, and partner Spectrum announced today the recipients of the 2025-2026 Stand For The Arts Awards, which recognizes local arts, cultural and educational organizations and programs. Since the initiative began in 2017, Ovation TV and Spectrum have given out 90 awards totaling $900,000 towards arts education. This year, 10 organizations will receive support in Spectrum markets across the country.

Select arts organizations are awarded $10,000 Stand For The Arts contributions based on the following criteria: their support of creatives and artists via community-driven programming; as advocates for equity and access to the arts; and for providing accessible community spaces for creative expression.

"Ovation TV is dedicated to uplifting community-based arts organizations that inspire creativity and expand access," said Sol Doten, Executive Vice President, Marketing & Strategy, Ovation TV. "This year's honorees represent extraordinary commitments to education, cultural preservation and artistic expression, and we are proud to stand with Spectrum in supporting their impact."

This year's awardees represent a diverse range of organizations using the arts to strengthen and enrich their communities. The Winter Park Playhouse in Florida exemplifies the impact of arts in the South by providing professional musical theater productions and education programs that bring high-quality performance experiences to audiences of all ages. In the Northeast, Auburn PublicTheater in Auburn, New York enriches its community through accessible live performances, cinema, arts education and cultural events that bring people together. The Louisville Orchestra in Kentucky continues to innovate through bold performances, youth programs and neighborhood residencies designed to make orchestral music accessible to everyone, representing the Midwest's commitment to artistic inclusion. And in the West, The Holland Project in Reno, Nevada empowers young artists through accessible all-ages programming that nurtures creativity and emerging talent. All 10 organizations honored reflect the vital role the arts play in communities across every region of the country.

"Local arts organizations make a lasting difference in the communities we serve," said Adam Falk, Senior Vice President, State Government Affairs at Spectrum. "Through our continued support of Ovation's Stand For The Arts Awards, we recognize the organizations and leaders expanding access to creative expression and cultural experiences across the country. These investments enrich neighborhoods and connect people in meaningful ways - which is at the core of what Spectrum does."

Along with a Stand For The Arts award, each organization will receive a $10,000 contribution to support their efforts. The Spectrum markets and the arts organizations being recognized are:

• Winter Park, FL: The Winter Park Playhouse
• Loudon, TN: Loudon County Concert Band
• Louisville, KY : Louisville Orchestra
• Rochester, MN: Rochester Art Center
• Sheboygan, WI: John Michael Kohler Arts Center
• New York City, NY: Sugar Hill Children's Museum of Art & Storytelling
• Auburn, NY: Auburn Public Theater
• Reno, NV: The Holland Project
• Oahu, HI: Hawai'i Youth Symphony
• Telluride, CO: Sheridan Arts Foundation

More information about Stand For The Arts and the Stand For The Arts Awards is available at www.ovationtv.com/standforthearts .

About OVATION TV America's Premier Arts Network

As an independent television, production, and digital media company, OVATION TV has an unparalleled commitment to the arts, culture, and captivating entertainment. Showcasing a lineup of critically acclaimed premium dramas, specials, documentaries, and iconic films, OVATION TV salutes innovative storytelling with popular programming that includes Inside the Actors Studio , Murdoch Mysteries , Frankie Drake Mysteries , Arts Engines , The Fall , Midsomer Murders , The Art Of and The Sound of New York . The company has provided more than $15M in contributions and in-kind support to arts institutions and arts education. Its signature advocacy platform, STAND FOR THE ARTS , includes a coalition of over 150 arts organizations, cultural institutions, and arts leaders throughout the country raising awareness about art's positive impact, protecting access for everyone, and encouraging action on behalf of the arts. OVATION TV is available on major providers via cable, satellite and telco systems including Comcast Cable/Xfinity, DIRECTV, Charter/Spectrum and Verizon FiOS. You can follow OVATION TV on Facebook , X , YouTube , Instagram and OvationTV.com .

About Spectrum

Spectrum is a suite of advanced communications services offered by Charter Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHTR), a leading broadband connectivity company available to nearly 59 million homes and small to large businesses across 41 states. Founded in 1993, Charter has evolved from providing cable TV to streaming, and from high-speed Internet to a converged broadband, WiFi and mobile experience. Over the Spectrum Fiber Broadband Network and supported by our 100% U.S.-based employees, the Company offers Seamless Connectivity and Entertainment with Spectrum Internet®, Mobile, TV and Voice products.

More information can be found at corporate.charter.com .

About the Recipient Organizations

Winter Park, FL: Winter Park Playhouse

Founded in 2002, The Winter Park Playhouse is a 501(c)3 non-profit professional musical theatre dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for Central Florida residents and visitors through year-round musical theatre programming that entertains, uplifts and inspires. The Playhouse exists to serve the community and takes that responsibility seriously by ensuring quality musical experiences are inclusive and accessible. Its exemplary community outreach provides free classes and performances to more than 10,000 underserved youth and senior adults throughout Central Florida each year.

Knoxville, TN: Loudon County Concert Band

The Loudon County Concert band, located just southwest of Knoxville, TN, in Loudon County, is a volunteer, multigenerational community of over 40 musicians from Loudon County and the surrounding area. The band plays a variety of concert band literature including thematic pieces, songs from film and Broadway, patriotic marches, arrangements of music from famous composers, as well as original works composed for concert band. The band typically plays at least three major concerts each year. Our concert season includes a Christmas concert, a Spring concert, and a patriotic concert on or close to Memorial Day. The Loudon County Concert Band LTD is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that relies on the generosity of individuals and businesses in our community. The band is open to players in high school through adults who have retired. Members of the band need only have a love for concert band music and a desire to grow as musicians and share that music with others in our community. We are proud to support the work of local high school band programs as well, by providing additional opportunities for their students to grow in their musical skills. Also, part of our mission is to encourage others who played an instrument in the past, in high school or college, to begin playing their instrument again, emphasizing that music can and should be a life-long endeavor. The band also works to be a catalyst for the growth of all areas of the performing arts in our immediate community and beyond.

Louisville, KY : Louisville Orchestra

The Louisville Orchestra, under the leadership of Music Director Teddy Abrams, is internationally recognized for artistic excellence, innovation, and redefining the role an orchestra can play in its community. Founded in 1937, the Orchestra helped shape contemporary classical music through its groundbreaking commitment to commissioning and recording new works. Today, the Louisville Orchestra continues that legacy through immersive performances, world premieres, education initiatives, and statewide community engagement. In addition to performances at Whitney Hall in Louisville, the Orchestra presents concerts and programs throughout the Commonwealth through its statewide In Harmony Tour, reaching audiences across Kentucky and beyond.

Rochester, MN: Rochester Art Center

Rochester Art Center is a museum of contemporary art located along the Zumbro River in the heart of historic downtown Rochester, MN. Founded in 1946, the Art Center hosts an ongoing schedule of exhibitions of work by local, regional, national and international artists; dynamic educational programs for all ages; and an array of community partnerships and visitor engagement initiatives. Through world-class exhibitions and programs, the Art Center presents a welcoming, integrated and diverse experience that encourages questioning, creativity and critical thinking.

Sheboygan, WI: John Michael Kohler Arts Center

Founded in 1967, the John Michael Kohler Arts Center (JMKAC) is a non-profit creative hub that supports the work of contemporary artists through original exhibitions, commissions, residencies, publications, and community programming across visual and performing arts. The only institution in the world that collects artist-built and artist home-based environments, JMKAC is a leading center for the research, preservation, and presentation of artists with wide-ranging practices and backgrounds from academically trained to self-taught and folk traditions, championing long-term relationships with artists and elevating work that has often been overlooked or under-recognized. Spanning two facilities that are free and open to the public, the Arts Center and the Art Preserve, JMKAC's campus includes eight galleries; 56,000 square feet of curated, visible collections storage; and two performance spaces that support the creation and presentation of new works in dance, theatre, film, and music. JMKAC responds to community needs and fosters the global exchange of ideas as well as lifelong engagement with the arts, with programs including an onsite arts-based preschool; free classes and events; and its flagship Arts/Industry residency program, a partnership with Kohler Co. that provides artists with resources and studio space at the Kohler Factory. For more information, visit jmkac.org .

New York City, NY: Sugar Hill Children's Museum of Art & Storytelling

Broadway Housing Communities (BHC) believes equitable access to housing, education and the arts build healthy communities.For over 40 years, our community-based housing model has generated meaningful change and sustainable pathways out of poverty for adults, children and families in West Harlem and Washington Heights. BHC's forward-looking vision places children at the center of our work. Because we know that when children do well, the entire community benefits. As part of BHC's offering, Sugar Hill Children's Museum of Art & Storytelling invites visitors of all ages to discover and engage with the work of legacy, contemporary and emerging artists and storytellers and explore their own creative interests.

Auburn, NY: Auburn Public Theater

Located centrally in downtown Auburn, NY, since 2005, Auburn Public Theater enriches the social, cultural, and economic growth of our region by bringing people together through affordable access to live performance, cinema, arts education and community events. For more information, visit www.auburnpublictheater.org .

Reno, NV: The Holland Project

The Holland Project is an all-ages arts and music initiative by young people, for young people, in the Truckee Meadows. Holland Project's aim is four-pronged: 1.) art access; 2.) music access; 3.) diverse workshop & skill-building opportunities; and 4.) community engagement & collaboration. Holland seeks to propel Reno's all-ages movement and wholeheartedly support and champion opportunities for young people, artists, and our community through executing live music events, curating gallery exhibits, hosting unique and affordable workshops, and presenting special events and city-wide collaborations.

Oahu, HI: Hawai'i Youth Symphony

With a mission to foster fun and creative experiences that inspire a deep appreciation for music and lifelong relationships within the culture of our islands, Hawaiʻi Youth Symphony annually serves more than 700 students ages 7-18, brought together from over 100 public, independent, and home schools statewide. Established as a non-profit organization in 1964, HYS provides enriching opportunities for orchestral music education, performances, and community engagement. HYS envisions a Hawaiʻi where music is a right, where every child can access, learn, and grow through the opportunity to make music.

Telluride, CO: Sheridan Arts Foundation

The Sheridan Arts Foundation, founded in 1991, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to bringing quality entertainment to Telluride while preserving and restoring the historic Sheridan Opera House as a space for the whole community. Year-round programming includes live music, theater education for all ages, the Wild West Fest kids camp, and the Plein Air Art Festival.

Media Contacts

Ovation:

Kristina Stafford Kelly, [email protected]

Spectrum:

Andrew Russell, [email protected]