Arceneaux Award

The Arceneaux Award is a pair of annual awards given by the Arceneaux Royal Family to an individual or group in recognition of their advances to the arts and sciences. The Arceneaux Award of Science is awarded in recognition of the most significant scientific advancement made during the year across all scientific disciplines, and the Arceneaux Award of the Arts is awarded in recognition of the most groundbreaking, moving, or innovative artistic expression across all pieces of visual, literary, and performing arts created during the year. Since their creation in Year 87 475, each award has been given to an individual or group once each year a total of 187 times. The Arceneaux Award is widely considered to be the most prestigious award honoring art and science in Corrapaise.

The award ceremony is preceded and followed by large parties and events that see the attendance of many powerful Corrapaisons, such as politicians, wealthy merchants, military officers, celebrities, and past Arceneaux Award recipients. The award is one of the few areas of influence the Arceneaux Royal Family maintains after the dissolution of the Kingdom of Corrapaise. The Family appear to use the Award and its surrounding prestige to keep a grasp on their elevated place in the social order through their lavish parties and, allegedly, bribery for awards.

Past Recipients

 * Jevdio Alsorin, 65th Arceneaux Award of the Arts. Lokan Ablaze, impressionist, oil on canvas.
 * Lauren Foxhcal, 181st Arceneaux Award of Science. Development of the theory of hyperphysics.

Criticisms and Controversies
The Arceneaux Award has been criticized for its structure of only allowing one development of science and art to be awarded, which lends itself to bias towards a particular field of study or artistic medium. Science awards are much more frequently given to discoveries of magic and physics than other sciences, and visual arts more often awarded than other art forms.

The Arceneaux Royal Family have been alleged on multiple occasions to have received bribes, favors, or other incentives to give particular individuals the Award. The incident of Jevdio Alsorin's Lokan Ablaze beating Wyuvae Yinsaro's All Kings of Fate caused enough outrage for an official investigation to be launched. The investigation concluded with the statement: "The apparent reality of the winning piece being the lesser of the two creations had no effect on the investigation finding no evidence of bribery or any other wrongdoing by any party involved."

Trivia

 * The Arceneaux Award is similar to the real world Nobel Prize as they both recognize important scientific developments. Unlike the Nobel Prize, the Arceneaux Award not divided into multiple awards for different scientific studies, and recognizes art beyond only literature.