Overview The Art Car Awards Ceremony closes Houston Art Car Parade Weekend. The day after the parade, the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art hands out more than $16,000 in prize money to art car artists and groups in categories from art cars and lowriders to elementary and high school entries. It takes place at the Orange Show World Headquarters in the East End, is free and open to the public, and is the last chance to see the parade's cars up close. On site The ceremony fills the covered garage at the headquarters, with a stage for the emcees, a long table of trophies and the winning cars parked around the site. Every trophy is hand-made. Winners come up one by one, from first-time entrants to veteran builders, and the crowd cheers each of them on. Partners can put their name on the trophy table and the judges' table, and food and beverage partners brand the serving area and the bar. Audience Art car artists and builders, school art teams and their teachers, families and the parade's most dedicated fans. It is a smaller, warmer crowd than parade day. Most of them spent months building for it. Talent and Influencers Judges have included Orange Show founder Marilyn Oshman, custom car builder Will Robinson, Hot Wheels design manager Bryan Benedict and artist David Best. Top honors include the Ann Harithas Legacy Award for best in show and a Rockstar Rookie award for first-time entrants. Track record Entries are judged on creativity, artistic technique and inspiration. Recent top prizes went to Curtis Paskey of Rooster Wrench Garage and to student teams from Alief Elsik High School and Westbury High School, a sign of how many school programs compete alongside professionals. Brand presence The presenting partner names the ceremony, is recognized at the trophy and judges' tables and on event signage, and gets VIPit tickets for parade day. Food and beverage partners sign the serving area and bar, and a trophy partner is acknowledged in the Art Car Program. Team Gillman presents the full parade weekend.