Arts Council Silicon Valley has announced the nominees for the Silicon Valley Arts & Business Awards.

''These individuals and businesses are exemplary in their leadership and commitment in supporting the arts, especially during the past two years of cutbacks and funding woes,'' Bruce W. Davis, executive director of Arts Council Silicon Valley, said in a statement announcing the nominations. ''The nominees are role models for their continued efforts to sustain a robust arts community.''

The awards will be presented at a May 7 luncheon on the final day of a local arts summit.

The council will give out two additional awards. The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award for sustained commitment to the arts. Past winners are Jim and Pat Compton, David Packard, Bill and Hillary Clinton and Peter Hero of Community Foundation Silicon Valley. Mercury News columnist Leigh Weimers will receive a special Spirit of the Arts Award.

The nominees for the 2004 Arts & Business Awards are:

First Time Business Support: American Century Investments; Fry's Electronics; the Health & Wellness Care Center; Keynote Systems; Leather Masters; and Stanford Floral Design.

Sustained Business Support: Capitol Buick/Pontiac/GMC; cgrafx, Inc.; Comcast; San Jose Flea Market; Stanford Terrace Inn; Tercera Gallery; and Venture Banking Group/Greater Bay Bank.

Individual Business Leadership: Greg Avis, managing partner, Summit Partners; Carl Cookson, board president, City Lights Theater Company; John W. Petersen, senior VP, Equity Office; Bob Reay, general manager, Linear Technology; Steve Romero, Chevron affiliate owner; Frank Veloz, president, Coptech West; and Keith Watt, owner, Le Petit Trianon theater.

Individual Civic or Community Leadership: Sandi Bovenizer, Outreach Team volunteer; Al and Carmen Castellano, directors, Castellano Family Foundation; San Jose City Council member Cindy Chavez; Betsy Ehrenberg, board member, Bay Area Glass Institute; Daniel Fenton, president/CEO, San Jose Convention & Visitors Bureau; Jerrold Hiura, founding member, Contemporary Asian Theater Scene; Roger and Janie Knopf, founding http://www.fyco.org/members/, Morgan Hill Community Foundation; Gordon Lee, executive/music director, Firebird Youth Chinese Orchestra; Sheila Pickett, board member, San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art; Cathy Spielberger Cassetta, managing artistic director, Tabard Theatre Company; and Bih-Tau Sung, artistic director, Dancing Sun Foundation.