Skip to main content
NEA
Help us celebrate the NEA's 50th anniversary
Home
Art Works Blog
NEA Arts Magazine
National Initiatives
Podcasts
Slideshows
Upcoming Events
Videos
Webinars
About
Chairman
Annual Report
Employment Opportunities
Frequently Asked Questions
National Council on the Arts
NEA Artistic Field Directors
Office of Inspector General
Open Government
Publications about NEA
Strategic Plan
Grants
Apply for a Grant
Manage Your Award
Recent Grants
News
Announcements
Newsletters
Facts & Figures
Frequently Asked Questions
Resources for Media
Lifetime Honors
NEA Jazz Masters Fellowships
NEA National Heritage Fellowships
National Medal of Arts
Publications
Hard copies & PDFs
E-Books
Research
Artistic Fields
Accessibility
Artist Communities
Arts Education
Creative Placemaking
Dance
Design
Folk & Traditional Arts
International
Literature
Local Arts Agencies
Media Arts
Museums
Music
Musical Theater
Opera
Presenting & Multidisciplinary Works
Research & Analysis
State & Regional
Theater
Visual Arts
Contact
Staff Directory
Other Contact Information
You are here
Home
»
Lifetime Honors
»
NEA National Heritage Fellowships
NEA National Heritage Fellowships
NEA National Heritage Fellowships by Year
2019
Dan Ansotegui
Grant Bulltail
Bob Fulcher
Linda Goss
James F. Jackson
Balla Kouyaté
Josephine Lobato
Rich Smoker
Las Tesoros de San Antonio—Beatriz (La Paloma del Norte) Llamas and Blanquita (Blanca Rosa) Rodríguez
2018
Feryal Abbasi-Ghnaim
Eddie Bond
Kelly Church
Marion Coleman
Manuel Cuevas
Ofelia Esparza
Barbara Lynn
Ethel Raim
Don & Cindy Roy
2017
Norik Astvatsaturov
Anna Brown Ehlers
Modesto Cepeda
Ella Jenkins
Dwight Lamb
Thomas Maupin
Cyril Pahinui
Phil Wiggins
Eva Ybarra
2016
Bryan Akipa
Joseph Pierre "Big Chief Monk" Boudreaux
Billy McComiskey
Artemio Posadas
Clarissa Rizal
Theresa Secord
Bounxeung Synanonh
Michael Vlahovich
Leona Waddell
2015
Rahim AlHaj
Michael Alpert
Mary Lee Bendolph, Lucy Mingo, and Loretta Pettway
Dolly Jacobs
Yary Livan
Daniel Sheehy
Drink Small
Gertrude Yukie Tsutsumi
Sidonka Wadina
2014
Henry Arquette
Manuel "Cowboy" Donley
Kevin Doyle
The Holmes Brothers
Yvonne Walker Keshick
Carolyn Mazloomi
Vera Nakonechny
Singing & Praying Bands of Maryland and Delaware
Rufus White
2013
Sheila Kay Adams
Ralph Burns
Verónica Castillo
Séamus Connolly
Nicolae Feraru
Carol Fran
Pauline Hillaire
David Ivey
Ramón "Chunky" Sánchez
2012
Mike Auldridge
Paul & Darlene Bergren
Harold A. Burnham
Albert B. Head
Leonardo "Flaco" Jiménez
Lynne Yoshiko Nakasone
Molly Neptune Parker
The Paschall Brothers
Andy Statman
2011
Bo Dollis
Laverne Brackens
Carlinhos Pandeiro de Ouro
Jim Griffith
Roy and PJ Hirabayashi
Ledward Kaapana
Frank Newsome
Warner Williams
Yuri Yunakov
2010
Gladys Kukana Grace
Yacub Addy
Jim "Texas Shorty" Chancellor
Mary Jackson
Del McCoury
Judith McCulloh
Kamala Lakshmi Narayanan
Mike Rafferty
Ezequiel Torres
2009
The Birmingham Sunlights
Edwin Colón Zayas
Chitresh Das
LeRoy Graber
"Queen" Ida Guillory
Dudley Laufman
Amma D. McKen
Joel Nelson
Teri Rofkar
Mike Seeger
Sophiline Cheam Shapiro
2008
Horace P. Axtell
Walter Murray Chiesa
Dale Harwood
Bettye Kimbrell
Jeronimo E. Lozano
Oneida Hymn Singers of Wisconsin
Sue Yeon Park
Moges Seyoum
Jelon Vieira
Dr. Michael White
Mac Wiseman
2007
Violet de Cristoforo
Roland Freeman
Pat Courtney Gold
Eddie Kamae
Mary Jane Queen
Nicholas Benson
Sidiki Conde
Agustin Lira
Julia Parker
Joe Thompson
Irvin L. Trujillo
Elaine Hoffman Watts
2006
Esther Martinez
George Na'ope
Charles M. Carrillo
Delores Elizabeth Churchill
Henry Gray
Doyle Lawson
Diomedes Matos
Wilho Saari
Mavis Staples
Nancy Sweezy
Treme Brass Band
2005
Janette Carter
Albertina Walker
James Ka'upena Wong
Eldrid Skjold Arntzen
Earl Barthé
Chuck Brown
Michael Doucet
Jerry Grcevich
Wanda Jackson
Grace Henderson Nez
Herminia Albarrán Romero
Beyle Schaechter-Gottesman
2004
Charles "Chuck" T. Campbell
Koko Taylor
Anjani Ambegaokar
Joe Derrane
Jerry Douglas
Gerald "Subiyay" Miller
Chum Ngek
Milan Opacich
Eliseo and Paula Rodriguez
Yuquin Wang and Zhengli Xu
2003
Agnes "Oshanee" Kenmille
Felipe I. and Joseph K. Ruak
Basque Poets
Rosa Elena Egipciaco
Norman Kennedy
Roberto and Lorenzo Martinez
Norma Miller
Carmencristina Moreno
Ron Poast
Dr. Manoochehr Sadeghi
Nicholas Toth
2002
Ralph Blizard
Rose and Francis Cree
David "Honeyboy" Edwards
Flory Jagoda
Bob McQuillen
Jean Ritchie
Loren Bommelyn
Kevin Burke
Nadim Dlaikan
Luderin Darbone and Edwin Duhon
Clara Neptune Keezer
Domingo "Mingo" Saldivar
Losang Samten
2001
Wilson "Boozoo" Chavis
Fred Tsoodle
Celestino Avilés
Mozell Benson
Hazel Dickens
João Oliveira dos Santos (Mestre João Grande)
Qi Shu Fang
Evalena Henry
Peter Kyvelos
Eddie Pennington
Seiichi Tanaka
Dorothy Trumpold
Joseph Wilson
2000
Bounxou Chanthraphone
José González
Frankie Manning
Don Walser
The Dixie Hummingbirds
Nettie Jackson
Santiago Jiménez, Jr.
Genoa Keawe
Joe Willie "Pinetop" Perkins
Konstantinos Pilarinos
Chris Strachwitz
Dorothy Thompson
Felipe García Villamil
1999
Lila Greengrass Blackdeer
Shirley Caesar
Bob Holt
Zakir Hussain
Frisner Augustin
Alfredo Campos
Jimmy "Slyde" Godbolt
Ulysses Goode
Elliott "Ellie" Mannette
Mick Moloney
Eudokia Sorochaniuk
Ralph W. Stanley
Mary Louise Defender Wilson
1998
Eddie Blazonczyk
Dale Calhoun
Antonio De La Rosa
Sophia George
Nadjeschda Overgaard
Harilaos Papapostolou
Roebuck "Pops" Staples
Claude "Fiddler" Williams
Bruce Caesar
Apsara Ensemble
Epstein Brothers
1997
Georgia Harris
Ali Akbar Khan
Phong Nguyen
Hystercine Rankin
Hua Wenyi
Francis Whitaker
Edward Babb
Charles Brown
Gladys Clark
Ramón José López
Jim & Jesse McReynolds
1996
Will Keys
Joaquin Flores Lujan
Eva McAdams
John Mealing & Cornelius Wright, Jr.
Dolly Spencer
Obo Addy
Betty Pisio Christenson
Paul Dahlin
Juan Gutiérrez
Solomon & Richard Ho'opi'i
Vernon Owens
1995
Lyman Enloe
Robert Jr. Lockwood
Nellie Star Boy Menard
Bao Mo-Li
Buck Ramsey
Mary Holiday Black
Donny Golden
Wayne Henderson
Bea Ellis Hensley
Nathan Jackson
Danongan Kalanduyan
Israel López
1994
Mary Mitchell Gabriel
Frances Varos Graves
Violet Hilbert
Clarence Fountain & the Blind Boys
Liz Carroll
Johnny Gimble
Sosei Shizuye Matsumoto
D.L. Menard
Simon Shaheen
Lily Vorperian
Elder Roma Wilson
1993
Santiago Almeida
Kenny Baker
Inez Catalon
Nicholas & Elena Charles
Nalani Kanaka'ole & Pualani Kanaka'ole Kanahel
Everett Kapayou
McIntosh County Shouters
Elmer Miller
Mone & Vanxay Saenphimmachak
Liang-xing Tang
Charles Hankins
Jack Owens
1992
Belle Deacon
Nora Ezell
John Naka
Marc Savoy
Ng Sheung-Chi
Othar Turner
T. Viswanathan
Francisco Aguabella
Jerry Brown
Walker Calhoun
Clyde Davenport
Gerald R. Hawpetoss
Fatima Kuinova
1991
Rose Frank
Eduardo "Lalo" Guerrero
Khamvong Insixiengmai
Don King
Esther Littlefieleld
Morgan Sexton
Nikitas Tsimouris
Gussie Wells
Arbie Williams
Melvin Wine
Etta Baker
George Blake
Jack Coen
Riley "B.B." King
Seisho "Harry" Nakasone
Irván Pérez
1990
Howard Armstrong
Em Bun
Maude Kegg
Art Moilanen
Emilio Rosado
Robert Spicer
Douglas Wallin
Natividad Cano
Giuseppe and Raffaela DeFranco
Kevin Locke
Marie McDonald
Wallace McRae
1989
The Fairfield Four
Christy Hengel
Ethel Kvalheim
Mabel E. Murphy
John Cephas
José Gutiérrez
Richard Avedis Hagopian
Ilias Kementzides
Vanessa Paukeigope Morgan
LaVaughn E. Robinson
Earl Scruggs
Harry V. Shourds
Chesley Goseyun Wilson
1988
Pedro Ayala
Amber Densmore
Michael Flatley
Sister Rosalia Haberl
Albert "Sunnyland Slim" Luandrew
Yang Fang Nhu
Kenny Sidle
Kepka Belton
John Dee Holeman
Willie Mae Ford Smith
Clyde "Kindy" Sproat
Arthel "Doc" Watson
1987
Thomas Edison Ford
Claude Joseph Johnson
Sylvester McIntosh
Allison "Tootie" Montana
Juan Alindato
Louis Bashell
Genoveva Castellanoz
Kansuma Fujima
Raymond Kane
Wade Mainer
Alex Moore
Emilio and Senaida Romero
Newton Washburn
1986
Earnest Bennett
Peou Khatna
Valerio Longoria
Joyce Doc Tate Nevaquaya
Luis Ortega
Ola Belle Reed
Nimrod Workman
Alphonse "Bois Sec" Ardoin
Helen Cordero
Sonia Domsch
Canray Fontenot
John Jackson
Jennie Thlunaut
1985
Alice New Holy Blue Legs
Jimmy Jausoro
Meali'i Kalama
Lily May Ledford
Leif Melgaard
Bua Xou Mua
Henry Townsend
Horace "Spoons" Williams
Eppie Archuleta
Periklis Halkias
Julio Negrón-Rivera
Glenn Ohrlin
1984
Clifton Chenier
Bertha Cook
Elizabeth Cotten
Burlon Craig
Albert Fahlbusch
Janie Hunter
Genevieve Mougin
Martin Mulvihill
Margaret Tafoya
Dave Tarras
Paul Tiulana
Cleofes Vigil
Emily Kau'i Zuttermeister
Joseph Cormier
Mary Jane Manigault
Howard "Sandman" Sims
Ralph Stanley
1983
Sister Mildred Barker
Rafael Cepeda
Stanley Hicks
John Lee Hooker
Mike Manteo
Lanier Meaders
Almeda Riddle
Joe Shannon
Alex Stewart
Ada Thomas
Lucinda Toomer
Lem Ward
Ray Hicks
Narciso Martínez
Simon St. Pierre
Dewey Williams
1982
Dewey Balfa
Joe Heaney
Tommy Jarrell
Bessie Jones
Lydia Mendoza
Bill Monroe
Elijah Pierce
Adam Popovich
Duff Severe
Sanders "Sonny" Terry
George López
Brownie McGhee
Hugh McGraw
Georgeann Robinson
Philip Simmons