Named after France Stele (1886–1972), a Slovene pioneer in art history and conservation who worked in the first half of the 20th century, the Stele Award has been bestowed annually since 1990 to an individual or group for their achievement in the conservation of Slovene cultural heritage by the Association of Slovene Conservators. Beside the main award the society also gives acknowledgements for the field, sometimes also to owners of cultural monuments. The first award was bestowed to Nace Šumi, a representative of the second generation of Slovene art historians.
