The Louisiana Legends Awards Gala and Auction is a very special annual event hosted by Friends of Louisiana Public Broadcasting. The event honors the best and brightest of Louisiana’s sons and daughters who have distinguished themselves in a variety of disciplines and have brought honor to the state.

Friends of LPB is proud to announce that the 2019 Louisiana Legends are: Todd Graves, American entrepreneur and founder and CEO of Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers; Denise Lewis Patrick, writer and editor of children’s books; Roy O. Martin III, CEO, President and CFO of RoyOMartin; Newton Thomas, founder of the Newtron Group, leader in industrial electric and instrumentation; and Rebecca Vizard, internationally renowned textile artist.

This year’s gala and auction was held Thursday, May 9 at the Old State Capitol in Baton Rouge.

The Louisiana Legends Gala featured a champagne reception and buffet, a silent auction featuring items donated by the honorees, music and an awards ceremony. Highlights from the event will be available online in LPB's new app, broadcast May 31st at 8 PM and Sunday, June 2nd at 5 PM on LPB, and on-demand at video.lpb.org.

Begun in 1990 and now in our 29th year, the Louisiana Legends Gala is a fundraising and public awareness project that draws support and participation from Friends across the state who appreciate the many fine instructional, educational and cultural programs LPB provides.