President Biden to Award National Medals of Arts

Washington, DC — President Joseph R. Biden will present the 2022 and 2023 National Medals of Arts in conjunction with the National Humanities Medals on Monday, October 21, 2024, in a private ceremony at the White House. This will be followed by a reception at 5:30 p.m. ET with remarks by President Biden, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, National Endowment for the Arts Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD, and National Endowment for the Humanities Chair Shelly C. Lowe (Navajo). The remarks will be live streamed at www.whitehouse.gov/live.

National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD, said, “The arts enrich our lives, helping us to ask questions, imagine new possibilities, and create community. The NEA is pleased to join President Biden in congratulating the 2022 and 2023 National Medal of Arts recipients whose curiosity, creativity, hard work, and dedication have inspired and touched so many in our country and around the globe.”

The National Medal of Arts is the highest award given to artists and arts patrons by the federal government. It is awarded by the president of the United States to individuals or groups who are deserving of special recognition by reason of their outstanding contributions to the excellence, growth, support, and availability of the arts in the United States.

2022 National Medal of Arts recipients: 

• Ruth Asawa (posthumous), artist  
• Randy A. Batista, photographer 
• Clyde Butcher, landscape photographer 
• Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, museum and education center 
• Melissa "Missy" Elliott, artist and producer 
• Leonardo “Flaco” Jimenez, musician 
• Eva Longoria, actress, director, and philanthropist 
• Idina Menzel, actress and singer 
• Herbert I. Ohta, musician 
• Bruce Sagan, arts leader 
• Carrie Mae Weems, visual artist   

2023 National Medal of Arts recipients: 

• Mark Bradford, artist 
• Ken Burns, documentary filmmaker 
• Bruce Cohen, producer 
• Alex Katz, artist 
• Jo Carole Lauder, arts leader 
• Spike Lee, filmmaker 
• Queen Latifah, artist and actress 
• Selena Quintanilla (posthumous), singer  
• Steven Spielberg, filmmaker

The 2022 and 2023 National Humanities Medals will be presented at the same ceremony. Among the recipients are Roz Chast, Joy Harjo, Juan Felipe Herrera, and the organization Appalshop.

The National Endowment for the Arts manages the nomination process on behalf of the White House. Each year, the NEA seeks nominations from individuals and organizations across the country. The National Council on the Arts, the NEA’s presidentially appointed and Senate-confirmed advisory body, reviews the nominations and provides recommendations to the President, who selects the recipients. Additional information and the list of past recipients is available on the NEA website.

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