Hank Hehmsoth received the TxState College of Fine Arts and Communication 2014 Presidential Distinction Award for Excellence in Scholarly/Creative Activities for his accomplishments in composition. Hehmsoth is the MacDowell Norton Stevens Fellow in Composition, a Fulbright Specialist in Jazz, a National Endowment for the Arts fellow in jazz composition, and placed first in the 2010 National Association of Composers USA, Texas Competition. He was a member of the Austin-based Christopher Cross group, which won five Grammy Awards as well as an Academy Award for best song.