U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss., and former Gov. William Winter and his wife, Elise, will be honored during the 20th annual Natchez Literary and Cinema Celebration on Feb. 19-22.

NLCC founder and co-chairman Carolyn Vance Smith says Cochran will speak on Feb. 20 at the Natchez Convention Center about the importance of the arts and the humanities in everyday life.

Smith says NLCC will announced the establishment of the Thad Cochran Humanities Achievement Award. The first winner of the new award will be honored.

The Winters will be honored at an evening reception on Feb. 20 at the Grand Soleil Hotel.

The 20th annual NLCC opens Feb. 19 and runs through Feb. 21 with programs and films at the Natchez Convention Center. The conference concludes Feb. 22 with writing workshops at Copiah-Lincoln Community College.