Several medals laid out on a table.

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.

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“The 2023 National Heritage Fellows exemplify what it means to live an artful life. Their rich and diverse art forms connect us to the past, strengthen our communities today, and give hope to future generations in ways that only the arts can. Our nation is strengthened through their meaningful practices, expressions, and preservation of traditional artistry.” — NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD, announcing the 2023 honorees.

2023 NEA National Heritage Fellowships Events

The following events are free and open to the public and will be available through a live webcast on this page. Full details are available in our newsroom.

Native Art Making in Place—Thursday, September 28, 2023, 3:00-4:30 p.m.

As part of a historic one-day gathering of National Heritage Fellowship honorees from 2020-2023, a special afternoon panel will feature a film screening and conversation about Native art-making and the land, co-presented with the National Museum of the American Indian. NEA National Heritage Fellows will share firsthand stories of place and belonging as understood through their life’s work as traditional and community-based artists. 

National Heritage Fellowships Awards Ceremony—Friday, September 29, 2023, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

An awards ceremony will honor the 2023 National Heritage Fellows and recognize the 2020-2022 recipients. Hosted by the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, the ceremony will open with a performance by Irish flute player and 2021 NEA National Heritage Fellow Joanie Madden.

2023 NEA National Heritage Fellows

All National Heritage Fellows
A man holding a guitar.
2023

R.L. Boyce

Hill Country Blues Musician
A man standing by the water with a basket strapped to his head.
2023

Ed Eugene Carriere (Suquamish)

Suquamish Basketmaker
Headshot of a man.
2023

Michael A. Cummings

African American Quilter
Headshot of a man.
2023

Joe DeLeon “Little Joe” Hernández

Tejano Music Performer
A woman poses next to a wall hanging.
2023

Roen Hufford

Kapa Maker
A woman poses for the camera.
2023

Elizabeth James-Perry (Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head, Aquinnah)

Wampum & Fiber Artist
A woman playing a large string instyrument.
2023

Wu Man

Pipa Player
Headshot of a m,an.
2023

Nick Spitzer

Folklife Presenter, Educator, and Radio Producer
A man poses infront of a doorway crowned with a painted sculpture.
2023

Luis Tapia

Sculptor, Hispano Woodcarving Tradition

Looking Back

Roots of American Culture: A Cross-Country Visit with Living Treasures of the Folk and Traditional Arts celebrates the 2022 NEA National Heritage Fellowship honorees.

An audio-described option is also available »

2021 Film |  2020 Film |  2019 Concert  |  Photo Gallery

National Heritage Fellows Podcasts

All National Heritage Fellow Podcasts
A man standing in front of a door with a colorful design over the door.

Luis Tapia

Sculptor, Hispano Woodcarving Tradition, and 2023 National Heritage Fellow
Headshot of a woman.

Elizabeth James-Perry (Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head, Aquinnah)

Wampum & Fiber Artist and 2023 National Heritage Fellow
A man cradeling a harmonica in his hands.

Revisiting Phil Wiggins

Blues Harmonica Player and 2017 National Heritage Fellow

Recent News

All National Heritage Fellow News
A collage of photos showing the nine 2023 NEA National Heritage Fellows

Free Events September 28-29 Celebrate NEA National Heritage Fellows

An older man with dark hair, black shirt and coat, and a red tie sings into a microphone and plays the mandolin

National Endowment for the Arts Statement on the Death of National Heritage Fellow Jesse McReynolds

Two older women-one wearing a blue cape and one wearing a red cape-sing on stage with a mariachi band in the background

National Endowment for the Arts Statement on the Death of National Heritage Fellow Beatriz Llamas  

Nominate a National Heritage Fellow!

The National Endowment for the Arts encourages nominations of master folk and traditional artists to recognize artistic excellence, lifetime achievement, and contributions to our nation's traditional arts heritage.
Make a Nomination