Here are the past winners of The News & Observer’s Tar Heel of the Year

Jessica Banov

These are the people who have been awarded the honor of The News & Observer’s Tar Heel of the Year, which recognizes North Carolinians for their contributions to the Triangle, the state and beyond.

1997: Hugh McColl, Bank of America

1998: John Hope Franklin, Duke University historian

1999: Franklin Graham, CEO, Samaritan’s Purse

2000: Larry Wheeler, Director, N.C. Museum of Art

2001: Molly Broad, UNC system president

2002: Kay Yow, NC State women’s basketball coach

2003: Jim Goodmon, Capitol Broadcasting

2004: Howard Manning Jr., State Superior Court Judge

2005: Martin Eakes, CEO, Self-Help Credit Union

2006: Ann and Jim Goodnight, SAS founder, community leaders

2007: Christine Mumma, N.C. Center on Actual Innocence

2008: Joe DeSimone, Chemist at UNC

2009: Phil Freelon, Architect

2010: Ray Buchanan, Stop Hunger Now

2011: Betsy Bennett, Director, N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences

2012: Robert Lefkowitz and Myron Cohen, Researchers at Duke and UNC

2013: Mary-Dell Chilton, Agricultural scientist at Syngenta Biotechnology

2014: Steve Schuster, Architect

2015: Aziz Sancar and Paul Modrich, Cancer researchers at UNC and Duke and Nobel Prize winners

2016: John Kane, Developer

2017: Ashley Christensen and Vivian Howard, Chefs and restaurateurs

2018: The Rev. William Barber II, Pastor and activist

Runners-up: William Lewis, Rhiannon Giddens, Jaki Shelton Green and Richard Brunson

2019: Gregg Warren, Affordable housing developer

Runners-up: J. Cole, Sandi Macdonald, Bob Phillips and Tim Sweeney

2020: Dr. Mandy Cohen, Secretary of N.C. Department of Health and Human Services

2021: Dr. Ralph Baric, UNC researcher and professor

2022: Ricky Moore, chef and restaurateur

Some of the past Tar Heel of the Year honorees. The award originated in 1997.
Some of the past Tar Heel of the Year honorees. The award originated in 1997.

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