The NEA National Heritage Fellowships is the nation's highest honor in folk and traditional arts. Each year since 1982, the program recognizes recipients' artistic excellence, lifetime achievement, and contributions to our nation's traditional arts heritage. See below for information on how to submit a nomination.

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2024 NEA National Heritage Fellowships Events:

This September in Washington, DC, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) will hold free events to celebrate ten extraordinary artists who shape America’s cultural heritage—the 2024 NEA National Heritage Fellows. Both events are free and open to the public and will also be available through a live webcast on this page.

• NEA National Heritage Fellowships Film Screening and Conversations—Tuesday, September 17, 2024, at 7:30 p.m. ET at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Visit our events page for full details and to reserve tickets.
• NEA National Heritage Fellowships Awards Ceremony—Wednesday, September 18, 2024, at 5:30 p.m. ET at the Library of Congress. Visit our events page for full details—no tickets required.

Looking Back

In May 2024, the NEA premiered a series of tribute films celebrating the lives and work of the nine gifted individuals awarded the 2023 NEA National Heritage Fellowship. Beautifully crafted vignettes take viewers on a journey of discovery into the lives and communities of these artists and provide a glimpse into the history of their art forms and how each fellow contributes to the development and continuation of long-held traditions. Watch the 2023 individual films and films from past years.
 

     2022 Film | 2021 Film |  2020 Film |  2019 Concert  
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