National Heritage Fellowships

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.

♦♦♦♦

Looking Back

2024 NEA National Heritage Fellowships Events:

Last September in Washington, DC, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) held free events to celebrate ten extraordinary artists who shape America’s cultural heritage—the 2024 NEA National Heritage Fellows. You can now watch the on-demand videos of the public events webcasts. 

The NEA National Heritage Fellowships Awards Ceremony - September 18, 2024.

NEA National Heritage Fellowships Film Screening and Conversations - September 17, 2024.

Program booklet.

2023 NEA National Heritage Fellowships Events:

In September 2023, NEA National Heritage Fellows from the 2020-23 classes joined together in a convening titled Gathering in Fellowship: The Legacy and Impact of NEA National Heritage Fellows. At the gathering, the fellows explored topics such as: 1) the people, support systems, and community processes that have been a part of their journey and ultimate success as artists, 2) the legacy and impact of receiving the award on both themselves as individuals and on their communities, 3) connections between artmaking and their lived environments, and 4) the role the NEA plays or can play in supporting their creative work. Read a summary of the fellows' conversations.

   2023 Film |  2022 Film | 2021 Film |  2020 Film |  2019 Concert  
Photo Gallery