Established in 1975, the Sid Cutter Award is an annual trophy presented by the Albuquerque Aerostat Ascension Association (AAAA) to honor an individual who has made a significant and exceptional contribution to the sport of hot air ballooning. This award recognizes those whose extraordinary dedication has positively impacted the entire hot air ballooning community, extending beyond the scope of AAAA. It celebrates individuals whose efforts and achievements may not have received widespread public acknowledgment.
Recipients of the Sid Cutter Award are also granted honorary membership in AAAA. The award is presented each year during the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta Awards Banquet in early October.
NOMINATION DEADLINE: August 31st
Please click on the button below to submit a name.
Previous Award Recipients
| 1975 | Bob Ruppenthal | 2000 | Mark Sullivan |
| 1976 | Deke Sonnichsen | 2001 | Evelyn Byrd & Ann Dickey |
| 1977 | Bill Murtoff | 2002 | Tom Schroeder |
| 1978 | Pat Barz | 2003 | Ray Bair |
| 1979 | Dick Brown | 2004 | Norm Courtney |
| 1980 | Karl Stefan | 2005 | Kay Sant |
| 1981 | Clair Bennett | 2006 | Barbara Fricke |
| 1982 | John C. Davis IV | 2007 | JD Huss |
| 1983 | --No Award-- | 2008 | Richard Abruzzo |
| 1984 | Bert Dohle | 2009 | Paul Smith |
| 1985 | Tom Hamilton | 2010 | Arthur Swenka |
| 1986 | Jewel Cutter | 2011 | Beth Wright Smith |
| 1987 | Tom McConnell | 2012 | David Tennis |
| 1988 | Ellie Mason | 2013 | Carol Bair |
| 1989 | --No Award-- | 2014 | Richard W. Rice |
| 1990 | George Hahn | 2015 | Frank Mezzencello |
| 1991 | J.W. Byrd | 2016 | Peter Cuneo |
| 1992 | Kim Vesely | 2017 | Ken Tuley aka Art Lloyd Jr. |
| 1993 | Terry Wright | 2018 | --No Award-- |
| 1994 | Troy Bradley | 2019 | Sam Parks |
| 1995 | Sam Baxter | 2020 | --No Award-- |
| 1996 | Edward Yost | 2021 | Tom Fisher |
| 1997 | Neida Courtney | 2022 | Peg Billson |
| 1998 | Tina Reeves | 2023 | Tom Kious |
| 1999 | Bruce Hale | 2024 | Don Boyer |