Eligible artists are those who reside, work or are from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, or Virginia.
Unlike any other award of its type, the design of the Prize creates an archive of information about Southern artists that can be used by curators, collectors, academicians and the public.
Nominations will form the basis of this searchable online archive of Southern artists commencing in early 2008.
The shortlist for the inaugural prize in 2008 was Jose Alvarez, Radcliff Bailey, William Christenberry, Henri Schindler, Philip Simmons, Stacy Lynn Waddell and Jeff Whetstone.
On May 19, 2008, the prize was awarded to Jeff Whetstone, a North Carolina photographer.