On Monday, October 21st, President Biden held an East Room ceremony at the White House to present the 2022 and 2023 National Medals of Arts and the 2022 and 2023 National Humanities Medals.
The National Medal of Arts is the highest award given to artists, arts patrons, and groups by the United States Government and honors exemplary individuals and organizations that have advanced the arts in America and offered inspiration to others through their distinguished achievement, support, or patronage. The National Humanities Medal honors individuals or groups whose work has deepened the nation’s understanding of the humanities and broadened our citizens’ engagement with history, literature, languages, philosophy, and other humanities subjects.
Below are the citations presented to the 2022 and 2023 medal recipients:
National Medal of Arts – Class of 2022
Ruth Asawa (Posthumously)
For groundbreaking modernism and championing art for everyone. From a family of Japanese immigrants separated in incarceration camps, Ruth Asawa emerged to become a renowned educator and artist, bringing her distinctive wire sculptures to the Nation’s museums, homes, and classrooms, and leaving a legacy as powerful and profound as her portfolio.
Randy A. Batista
For focusing the lens on human nature. Born in Tampa, Florida, to Italian and Cuban immigrants and raised on both sides of the Straits of Florida, Randy Batista is known as the people’s photographer. With the camera as his sixth sense of deep empathy, he captures people’s pain and challenges us to respect their inherent dignity.
Clyde Butcher
For focusing the lens on Mother Nature. From humble beginnings as a self-taught photographer, Clyde Butcher is considered America’s most acclaimed landscape photographer today. From the Rocky Mountains to the Everglades, and countless pristine places in between, his images inspire and challenge us to respect and defend our natural wonders.
Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum
For cataloging one of the Nation’s great homegrown art forms. As the world’s largest repository of country music history, in the country music capital of Nashville, Tennessee, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum preserves history, honors giants of the genre, and inspires future generations to write their own songs about the American story.
Melissa “Missy” Elliott
For shattering glass ceilings with timeless beats. From a child singing in the church choir to becoming a best-selling female rapper and pioneering hip-hop icon, Missy Elliott’s genre-defying music and rhymes have elevated an industry into a global powerhouse and inspired generations to push the sound and movement of America.
Leonardo “Flaco” Jiménez
For harnessing heritage to enrich American music. The son of a musical family in Texas, Flaco Jiménez mastered the accordion and Spanglish lyrics as a trailblazer of Conjunto. Blending Norteño, Tex Mex, and Tejano music with the Blues, Rock n’ Roll, and Pop Music, he sings the soul of America’s Southwest.
Eva Longoria
For recognizing the strength of our diversity and the full talents of our Nation. Actor, producer, director, and proud Mexican American, Eva Longoria has broken barriers on screen and uses her power to lift up Latino voices all across American life — challenging stereotypes and instilling Latino pride in our Nation.
Idina Menzel
For magical songs that lift our spirits and stir our souls. From Broadway stages to movie screens, Idina Menzel’s powerful voice has sold out shows, topped Billboard charts, and above all, empowered millions of Americans of all ages and backgrounds to be strong, use their voice, and lead with their hearts.
Herbert I. Ohta
For redefining ukulele music as a deeply moving American sound. The Hawaiian son of Japanese immigrants, Herb Ohta learned his first chords as a child and played through his service as a United States Marine. A musical innovator and mentor, he has bridged cultures and genres, spreading the peace and hope of aloha spirit.
Bruce Sagan
For seeking the truth as a true public citizen. A Chicago, Illinois, journalism legend and lifelong supporter of the performing arts, Bruce Sagan’s seven decades of leadership and stewardship in building, protecting, and uplifting local newspapers, voices, artists, and dancers have inspired his beloved city and enriched the tapestry of American life and culture.
Carrie Mae Weems
For capturing the resilience and dignity of Black America and our deeper humanity.
Over three decades at the forefront of American expression, Carrie Mae Weems has honed her craft as a renowned artist whose photography, film, video, and art confront hard truths about power and prejudice, while celebrating the indomitable human spirit.
National Medal of Arts – Class of 2023
Mark Bradford
For revealing the full history of the Nation through groundbreaking art. Inspired by the diverse cultures of Southern California, Mark Bradford’s paper-on-canvas storytelling reveals the interwoven hopes, sorrows, and joys of communities of color, with each layer challenging convention, shining light, and reminding us all of the full potential of America.
Ken Burns
For documenting the hope and history of our Nation. From his home in rural New Hampshire and deep from his imagination, Ken Burns´ pioneering documentaries of diverse people, places, and histories have shaped our understanding of the American experience, and defined him as one of the most respected filmmakers of our time.
Bruce Cohen
For championing the arts to express our highest ideals of freedom, justice, and equality.
An entertainment industry icon ahead of his time, Bruce Cohen has produced our biggest moments on screen and stage by lifting up people and stories that need to be seen and heard, making real the promise of America for all Americans.
Alex Katz
For conjuring an enduring portrait of America. Born in Brooklyn, New York, to Russian immigrants, Alex Katz is among the most prolific and distinctive artists in our history. With a ferocious work ethic and visionary style, he continues to condense the complexities of everyday life into iconic faces and landscapes that reveal the essence of who we are as Americans.
Jo Carole Lauder
For devoted support of the arts, culture, and civic causes in America. A renowned philanthropist leading an array of causes — from supporting the White House Historical Association to refurbishing and preserving United States embassies abroad to inspiring participation in Jewish life worldwide —Jo Carole Lauder channels her creative talents to beautify the spirit of our Nation.
Spike Lee
For revolutionizing American cinema and culture. One of the most thought-provoking filmmakers of our time, Spike Lee honors his Brooklyn, New York, roots by daring to capture the depth of the Black experience and lifting up Black culture on the world stage through vibrant films and courtside pride that shapes our Nation’s collective conscience.
Queen Latifah
For leading the Nation as a champion of women’s empowerment. A natural storyteller and one of the first ladies of hip-hop, Queen Latifah breaks the mold for women in entertainment — rapping about overcoming loss and abuse of power to exuding cool and confidence as a critically-acclaimed actor and activist, showing how infinite love is the only hope for unity.
Selena Quintanilla (Posthumously)
For cementing Tejano music into the heart of the Nation. The youngest of the Quintanilla music family, Selena brought Latin music to the masses as the Queen of Tejano music and one of the most celebrated entertainers in our history. Her young life was tragically cut short, but her voice and spirit endure for the ages.
Steven Spielberg
For filmmaking that entertains, educates, and inspires. Growing up moved by the power of films, Steven Spielberg is considered one of the greatest filmmakers ever, using his gift of storytelling to stretch our imaginations, confront the horrors of history, and inspire us to be the characters of our Nation and the world’s future — full of courage, honor, and dignity.
National Humanities Medal – Class of 2022
Wallis Annenberg
For transforming philanthropy in our Nation. The daughter of a groundbreaking media family in Los Angeles, California, Wallis Annenberg is a visionary giver and innovator who has donated to thousands of organizations in the arts, education, environment, medical research, social justice, and more — transforming countless lives by advancing, healing, and inspiring communities across America.
Appalshop
For amplifying the voices of Appalachia. Located in Kentucky’s Appalachian Mountains for 50 years, Appalshop is home to the world’s largest collection of creative work on Appalachia — a hub for new generations of artists, filmmakers, musicians, and playwrights to share their stories of pride and promise of their American roots.
Joy Harjo
For shining the light on the sacred traditions of Native American storytelling. A member of the Muscogee Nation in Oklahoma, and the first Native American Poet Laureate of the United States, Joy Harjo’s distinguished poetry and award-winning music about art, justice, and healing honors ancestral generations and empowers those that follow.
Robin Harris
For educating our youngest students to be dreamers and doers of our Nation. As an elementary school teacher and trailblazing principal in Massachusetts, Robin Harris is redefining K-12 education to empower students, embrace parents, and extend learning and leadership beyond the walls of the classroom and into the free spirit of the mind.
Juan Felipe Herrera
For poeticism that captures America’s imagination. The son of California farm workers, Juan Felipe Herrera takes readers across countries and cultures, genres, and disciplines as a towering figure in Chicano poetry and the first Latino Poet Laureate of the United States, using the power of his pen to give life to our identities and common bonds.
Robert Martin
For dedicating his career to the academic achievement of Native American students. A member of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, Dr. Robert Martin has led Tribal colleges and launched Indian Studies programs at institutions of higher learning across the country to strengthen Tribal self-determination and empower future Native American leaders.
Jon Meacham
For drawing wisdom from history to shape the future of America. A proud son of Tennessee and celebrated historian and biographer, Jon Meacham chronicles the journey of America with an unmatched mix of historical context, parables from Scripture, and unyielding faith in the goodness of the American people that makes us a truly great Nation.
Ruth J. Simmons
For pioneering equity in our Nation’s higher education system. One of twelve children born into a sharecropper family in Texas, Dr. Ruth Simmons blazed trails in academia as a distinguished professor of literature and the first African American woman president of an Ivy League institution—showing how an education makes one free and fearless.
Pauline Yu
For a lifetime of advocacy for the humanities in America. The daughter of Chinese immigrants raised in Rochester, New York, Dr. Pauline Yu is a respected scholar of Chinese poetry and renowned advocate for the humanities, who has deepened cross-cultural understanding through language and literature, and advanced core democratic values of truth, reason, and free inquiry.
National Humanities Medal – Class of 2023
Anthony Bourdain (Posthumously)
For making food a gateway to understanding the world and one another. A beloved chef, writer, and social commentator, Anthony Bourdain is remembered across the globe for his empathy, openness, and humor—approaching every table with equal reverence for the people it convened, and embodying the best of American curiosity and exploration.
LeVar Burton
For imagining a more optimistic and enlightened America for everyone. A celebrated actor, advocate, and storyteller, LeVar Burton confronted the trauma of history, took us to the depths of space, and transformed literacy in America by sharing the gift of reading with generations of children, unlocking our imaginations and spirit of discovery.
Roz Chast
For healing a Nation with humor and observation. One of the most prolific cartoonists of our time, Roz Chast has wielded pen and watercolor for over 45 years to make ordinary things extraordinary, blaze a trail for women in her field, and define an era of American wit and wisdom.
Nicolás Kanellos
For amplifying Hispanic voices in America’s past, present, and future. Raised between Puerto Rico and Jersey City, New Jersey, Nicolás Kanellos channeled a childhood love for Spanish literature into a distinguished literary career in Houston, Texas, leading the Nation’s oldest and largest Hispanic publishing house and elevating the diversity of American literature.
Robin Wall Kimmerer
For sharing Indigenous wisdom in America’s natural sciences. A citizen of Potawatomi Nation and a renowned scientist and writer, Robin Wall Kimmerer has transformed our understanding of environmental science by incorporating Indigenous knowledge into college curriculum and critical efforts to heal a climate in crisis, offering new hope for generations to come.
Mellon Foundation
For charting an unparalleled course for the arts and humanities in America. For over 50 years, the Mellon Foundation has been the trusted benefactor for thousands of people and organizations harnessing the power of ideas and imagination to advance social justice and freedom, and defend the arts as essential to American democracy.
Dawn Porter
For documenting the good, the bad, and the truth of our Nation. Beginning her career as a lawyer, Dawn Porter pursued filmmaking to showcase the vibrancy of Black culture and history. By chronicling the lives of America’s everyday heroes and legendary leaders, her award-winning documentaries remind us that the work of perfecting our Union is essential and never-ending.
Aaron Sorkin
For trademark storytelling in America. Drawn to theatre at a young age, Aaron Sorkin found his calling as a groundbreaking writer and creator, scripting and show-running iconic films and television shows that inspired an entire generation to believe in the possibilities of our Nation and walk, talk, and answer “what’s next?”
Darren Walker
For showing us hope is the oxygen of democracy. With boundless passion and enduring purpose, Darren Walker harnesses empathy from his modest upbringing in the South to advance the most ambitious philanthropic goals of our Nation, as a visionary leader whose commitment to improving the human condition has fortified justice and good governance in America and around the world.
Rosita Worl
For embodying the resilient community spirit of Native American culture. As a child in Alaska, Dr. Rosita Worl survived the brutalities of Federal Indian boarding school that took her from her family and Nation. As an anthropologist and advocate, she has since spent her life pushing to right wrongs and build a new era of understanding and healing.
Additional information
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), established by Congress in 1965, is an independent Federal agency that is the largest public funder of the arts and arts education in communities nationwide and a catalyst of public and private support for the arts. The NEA’s mission is based on an abiding conviction that the arts play an integral role in our national life and public discourse. The arts strengthen and promote the well-being and resilience of people and communities. By advancing equitable opportunities for arts participation and practice, the NEA fosters and sustains an environment in which the arts belong to and benefit everyone in the United States.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Created in 1965 as an independent Federal agency, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) supports learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other humanities subjects by funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals from around the Nation that support research in the humanities, foster education, nurture humanities infrastructure, and expand the reach of the humanities. Since 1965, NEH has awarded over six billion dollars to cultural institutions, individual scholars, and communities throughout the United States. The Endowment serves and strengthens the country by bringing high-quality historical and cultural experiences to large and diverse audiences in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and five territories; providing opportunities for lifelong learning, expanding access to cultural and educational resources, and preserving the human stories that connect all Americans.
The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities
The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH) was founded in 1982 by Executive Order to advise the President on cultural policy. The First Lady has historically served as Honorary Chair of the Committee, which is composed of members appointed by the President. Private committee members include prominent artists, scholars, and philanthropists who have demonstrated a serious commitment to the arts and humanities. Public members represent the heads of key Federal agencies with a role in culture, including the Chairs of the National Endowments for the Arts and the Humanities, the Librarian of Congress, the Secretary of the Smithsonian, and the Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services among others. The PCAH facilitates public-private partnerships, promotes interagency cooperation, and proposes programs that enhance arts, humanities, museums, and library services across the country. Over the past 40 years, PCAH has catalyzed Federal programs and played a vital role in the advancement of arts and humanities education, cultural diplomacy, and the creative economy.
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