CLEVELAND, OH -- The Marble Institute of America (MIA) has announced that it has extended its deadline to August 27, 2012 to submit entries for the 2012 Pinnacle Awards. These highly coveted awards honor and recognize natural stone companies, natural stone professionals and architects from around the globe.

The 2012 MIA Awards consists of:

• The Pinnacle Awards are presented to companies whose projects' beauty, creativity, ingenuity and craftsmanship exemplify professional mastery in the use of natural stone in commercial and residential environments. As a Pinnacle Award winner, a company will receive widespread recognition for its professional accomplishments. Again this year, with the generous support of Hanley Wood Exhibitions, all Pinnacle Award of Excellence and Merit winners now have the opportunity to invite an architect from the firm involved in their winning project to StonExpo 2013.

• The Grande Pinnacle Award, sponsored by Marmomacc, is presented to the best project across all categories. This award includes a trophy, and includes a trip to Marmomacc 2013 in Verona, Italy. Again this year, the award's sponsor, Marmomacc, will present a Grande Pinnacle Award to an architect from the firm involved in the winning project. In addition, the architect will win a trip to Marmomacc to attend Veronafiere's week-long continuing education program on designing with natural stone.

• The MIA Natural Stone Craftsman of the Year Award singles out one craftsman who has physically performed outstanding stone fabrication and/or installation over a period of many years. The individual candidate must have served as an apprentice stonemason and risen through the ranks as journeyman stonemason, foreman and superintendent. In addition, the person honored must have a solid track record of leadership and mentorship, a real educator for those he works with.

• The Migliore Award for Lifetime Achievement was established to recognize an individual who has made extraordinary contributions to the natural stone industry and the Marble Institute of America. The award is named for MIA's long-time Technical Director, the late Vincent R. Migliore, who was its first recipient.

• The MIA Natural Stone Scholarship provides educational opportunities for aspiring fabricators, installers or administrative apprentices interested in furthering their careers within the natural stone industry. The scholarship covers travel and registration costs for one or more recipients to StonExpo, and MIA's Annual Meeting. Attendance at StonExpo and the MIA Annual Meeting offers the scholarship winner the opportunity to gain valuable technical and practical knowledge, meet and network with leading stone professionals, deepen his or her commitment to a career in the stone industry, and explore his or her potential for future leadership.

For general rules and an entry form, visit: http://www.marble-institute.com/awards/pinnacle_call_2012.pdf.