Alabama Power Co. and Sterling Bank took top honors Thursday at the 22nd Montgomery Area Business Committee for the Arts awards luncheon.

Alabama Power won the Virginia & Robert S. Weil Arts in Education Award and Sterling won the Frank Plummer Memorial Art Award.

The companies were honored for their support of various art providers in the Montgomery area.

Both were recognized for their broad support of the arts, but each was singled out for contributions to performing arts.

Alan Worrell accepted the award for Sterling Bank, and Kenny Coleman accepted for Alabama Power.

Brewbaker Motors, WAKA television station and LWT Communications each received awards.

Brewbaker won the award in the large business division. Dick Brewbaker accepted for the family of car dealerships, recognized for its broad support of the arts community and specifically for its support of the symphony.

Brewbaker was the only finalist in the category.

WAKA won the medium-sized business category for its support of the arts for its in-kind support for arts venues, including Troy University's Davis Theatre for the Performing Arts.

The television station also provided production and air time to arts groups.

Jim Carruthers, the station's general manager, accepted the award.

McClinton and Co. and Wilson Price also were finalists in the category.

LWT won the small business category, largely for its annual CreateAthon that helps nonprofit groups, including arts organizations.

David Allred accepted for the company.

Other finalists were Nobles Restaurant and Sodexo.

Other nominees for various awards were Alfa, AT&T, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Alabama, C and Associates, Chappy's Deli, Cumulus Broadcasting, Hilton Garden Inn, Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama, Lovett Printing, McAlpine Tankersley Architecture, Merrill Lynch and the Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce.

Others were Pickwick Antiques, Regions Bank, Reid & O'Donahue Advertising, the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa at the Convention Center, Stonehenge, Touch of Class Limousine and Transport, Turner Insurance and Bonding Company, Virginia College of Montgomery and W.K. Upchurch Construction.

David Bronner, CEO of the Retirement Systems of Alabama, spoke at the awards lunch, telling the crowd at the convention center at the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa that arts and business are important to each other.

Arts fill a role similar to education, he said.

"Business can't exist without education," Bronner said. "Education can't exist without business."

He said when RSA began opening hotels, he wanted art from Alabama artists displayed.

"I wanted to show the world the talent that existed in Alabama," he said.

Bronner also admitted to the crowd his lack of talent in the arts.

"I don't know anything about art," he said. "But I appreciate y'all."