The Derby Festival Student Art Awards Ceremony is the awards presentation held to honor the winning students in the annual Student Art Competition. The students, parents and teachers are invited to the awards ceremony to be held January 25, 2012, at the Henry Clay - in conjunction with the unveiling of the Derby Festival's 2012 Official Poster.

In 2011, more than 30 Kentuckiana students from K-12 were honored for their artistic achievement in the 2011 Derby Festival Student Art Contest. A panel of local artists selected the winners. Of the hundreds of entries, the most popular themes among the winning artwork this year were the Balloon Race, Pegasus Parade, and Thunder.

The first-place winners in all divisions received a 2011 framed Festival Poster, as well as a chance to appear with the Festival Winners in the Republic Bank Pegasus Parade. All winners received a medallion, certificate, a Derby Festival Student Art Contest winner's pin, and a 2011 Student Art Contest Poster.