National Medal of Arts

Medal of Arts: 1985-2024

The Medal of Arts was established by Congress in 1984 to be selected by the National Endowment for the Arts and be awarded by the President of the United States of America. It is given to artists and art patrons who are, as the site says, “deserving of special recognition by reason of their outstanding contributions to the excellence, growth, support and availability of the arts in the United States.” Nearly 300 artists in areas from dance, film, design, architecture, literature, music, painting, sculpture, theater, and more have been given the honor. Only those awarded for music are recognized on this page. See other lifetime achievement awards. Maurice Abravanel (1991) Roy Acuff (1991) Licia Albanese (1995) Herb Alpert (2012) Marian Anderson (1986) Eddy Arnold (2000) Harry Belafonte (1994) William Bolcom (2006) Dave Brubeck (1994) Sarah Caldwell (1996) Cab Calloway (1993) Benny Carter (1993) Betty Carter (1997) Elliott Carter Jr. (1985) Johnny Cash (2001) Johnny Cash receives the Medal of Arts from President Bush, image from bbc.co.uk Ray Charles (1993) Van Cliburn (2010) Aaron Copland (1986) Mary Costa (2020) John O. Crosby (1991) Celia Cruz (1994) Dorothy DeLay (1994) James DePriest (2005) David Diamond (1995) Fats Domino (1998) Paquito D’Rivera (2005) Bob Dylan (2009) Ramblin’ Jack Elliott (1998) Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott (2022) José Feliciano (1968) Fisk Jubilee Singers (2008) Ella Fitzgerald (1987) Renée Fleming (2012) Carlisle Floyd (2004) Aretha Franklin (1999) Dizzy Gillespie (1989) Philip Glass (2015) Francis Goelet (1988) Berry Gordy Jr. (2015) Eduardo “Lalo” Guerrero (1996) Buddy Guy (2003) Lionel Hampton (1996) Kitty Carlisle Hart (1991) Marilyn Horne (1992) Vladimir Horowitz (1989) Flaco Jimenez (2022) Santiago Jiménez, Jr. (2015) George Jones (2002) Henry “Hank” Jones (2008) Quincy Jones (2010) John Kander (2013) Toby Keith (2020) Gene Kelly (1994) B.B. King (1990) 1990 Medal of Arts recipient B.B. King, image from longshotsblues.files.wordpress.com Gladys Knight (2021) Alison Krauss (2019) Erich Kunzel (2006) Morten Lauridsen (2007) James Levine (1997) Alan Lomax (1986) Yo-Yo Ma (2001) Wynton Marsalis (2005) Lydia Mendoza (1999) Idina Menzel (2022) Robert Merrill (1993) Meredith Monk (2014) Bill Monroe (1995) Rita Moreno (2009) Mormon Tabernacle Choir (2003) Jessye Norman (2009) Odetta (1999) Herbert Ohta (2022) Dolly Parton (2005) Les Paul (2007) Minnie Pearl (1992) Itzhak Perlman (2000) Roberta Peters (1998) Preservation Hall Jazz Band (2008) The Presser Foundation (2008) Leontyne Price (1985) Tito Puento (1997) Queen Latifah (2023) Smokey Robinson (2002) Sonny Rollins (2010) Linda Ronstadt (2013) William Schuman (1987) Earl Scruggs (1992) Pete Seeger (1994) Selena (2023) Rudolf Serkin (1988) Robert Shaw (1992) Richard Sherman (2008) Robert Sherman (2008) George Shirley (2014) Beverly Sills (1990) Ricky Skaggs (2020) Leonard Slatkin (2003) Stephen Sondheim (1996) Bruce Springsteen (2021) Ralph Stanley (2006) Isaac Stern (1991) George Strait (2003) Barbra Streisand (2000) Billy Taylor (1992) James Taylor (2010) Michael Tilson Thomas (1988) Mel Tillis (2011) President Barack Obama awards singer Mel Tillis the Medal of Arts, image from zimbio.com Allen Toussaint (2012) University of Idaho Lionel Hampton International Jazz Festival (2007) Doc Watson (1997) Andre Watts (2011) John Williams (2009) Resources/Related Links: Dave’s Music Database: “Lifetime Achievement Awards” National Endowment for the Arts: “Medal of Arts” National Medal of Arts (all recipients listed by year) Wikipedia: “National Medal of Arts” (all recipients listed by year with links tobios on other Wikipedia pages) First posted 2/13/2012; last updated 10/21/2024.