By Carli Johnson STAFF WRITER
The sun shone bright over River House BBQ and Events as Big Sky residents, business leaders and community members gathered on the evening of June 11 to celebrate the 29th annual Black Diamond Awards.
Hosted by the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce, the annual event honors individuals, organizations and businesses that go above and beyond in service to the community. This year’s ceremony centered on a single theme: connection.
“At the chamber, connection sits at the heart of everything we do,” said Big Sky Chamber Vice President Megan Porter in her opening remarks. “Our mission is to enhance the vitality of the Big Sky business community.”
“But connection doesn’t belong to the chamber alone,” Porter continued. “It’s woven into the fabric of Big Sky itself.”
Award recipients are selected through a community-driven nomination process. Members of the business community submit nominations recognizing individuals they believe are making a meaningful impact. A committee made up of representatives from the Visit Big Sky Board, the Chamber Board and community leaders then review the nominations and select finalists.
The Emerging Entrepreneur Award was presented to Patrick Griffith of Blue Moon Bakery.
Reflecting on his early days in Big Sky, Griffith said the support he received from community members inspired him to help others feel welcome as they establish themselves in town.
“When I first moved here, I was just slinging pizzas and no one had a clue who I was,” Griffith said. “They introduced me to new people and showed me around. I’m extremely excited and honored to be able to help provide that for other people. It’s a really cool thing to be part of this community and to be able to introduce some new people to it the way that I was introduced to it.”
The Master of Making It Happen Award went to Sarah Blechta of BSRAD and Lone Mountain Management. Although unable to attend in person, Blechta shared a video message expressing gratitude for the recognition and for the community that has supported her work.
In presenting the award, organizers noted a phrase Blechta often repeated during her service on the Resort Tax Board: “We are better together.” More than a slogan, they said, it became a guiding principle for her leadership, collaboration and commitment to community.
Connection to place was also recognized through the Leader in Sustainability Award, presented to the Lone Mountain Land Company environmental team. Rich Chandler, Kramer Bauer, Loren Franklin and Jeff Cadry accepted the award and thanked the community for recognizing their efforts to help build a more sustainable future for Big Sky.
Presented by Montana Rep. Alanah Griffith, the Steve Johnson Nonprofit Person of the Year Award honors nonprofit leaders who strengthen the fabric of Big Sky by creating opportunities, addressing challenges and improving quality of life for residents, workers and families.
The award was presented to Anna Shipley of the Moonlight Community Foundation. Heather Morris accepted on Shipley’s behalf.
“Anna embodies what it means to be a community member, to love and to take care of where you live,” Morris said.
The Business Person of the Year Award was presented to the Delzer family of Delzer Diversified. Accepting on behalf of his family, Jim Delzer reflected on the values that have guided their success.
“Success isn’t measured only by victory; it’s measured by how you conduct yourself through all of it with honor,” Delzer said. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that none of us get there by ourselves. We are shaped by our faith and by those who surround us.”
Lynn Anderson accepts the Chet Huntley Lifetime Achievement award for her outstanding contributions to the Big Sky community. PHOTO BY JACK REANEY 
Patrick Griffith accepts the award for Emerging Entrepreneur. PHOTO BY JACK REANEY 
Jim Delzer accepts the award for Business Person of the Year. PHOTO BY JACK REANEY
Big Sky Resort received the Business of the Year Award. In presenting the honor, organizers described the resort as an economic engine for the community, noting that its impact extends beyond the scale of its investments.
“What makes Big Sky Resort deserving of this award is not simply the scale of its investment, but the vision and execution behind it,” Greg Wagner said.
The final two awards of the evening were presented without finalists and included special recognition of each recipient’s lasting contributions to the Big Sky community.
The Spirit of Big Sky Award was presented to John Zirkle. Unable to attend in person, Zirkle accepted the honor through a video message recorded along the banks of a river in Budapest, where he reflected on his years in Big Sky and the people who helped shape the community.
“When I think about the spirit of Big Sky, I’m just so grateful to all of you for making it such an amazing, interesting, beautiful place to be,” Zirkle said. “And I can’t wait to shape the future with you.”
To close the evening, the chamber presented the Chet Huntley Lifetime Achievement Award to Lynn Anderson. The announcement was met with a standing ovation as Anderson accepted the honor and thanked the community for supporting her ideas and initiatives throughout the years, including helping launch the food bank to creating spaces and opportunities that brought people together.
“This recognition does not serve as any form of a finish line, but a renewed invitation from my heart to continue investing in each other with compassion, courage and generosity,” Anderson said in closing.
