The origins of the Masi Prize are to be found in the reflections about regional identity shared by three Veronese friends at the end of the 1970s: Sandro Boscaini, president of Masi Agricola, the writer Cesare Marchi and the journalist Giovanni Vicentini.

The awards began in 1981 with the Masi Civiltà Veneta Prize, given to personalities who had their origins in the Venetian territories or with venetian family or venetian by adoption, and who had distinguished themselves in the fields of literature, art, journalism, science, the performing arts and business, and who had shed lustre on the achievements of the people of Venetia in the widest contexts of human activity through their work, achieving the status of standard bearers for the fundamental values of their land. Bodies, institutions and organizations operating in the territory with the same purposes may also be awarded. The actual prize itself is very special: a barrel of Masi Amarone, one of the most emblematic products of the Venetian lands.