NEA Jazz Masters Fellowships
The NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship is the highest honor that our nation bestows on jazz artists. Each year since 1982, the program has elevated to its ranks a select number of living legends who have made exceptional contributions to the advancement of jazz. For more information, read our brief history of the program.
On April 1, 2023, the National Endowment for the Arts honored the 2023 NEA Jazz Masters—Regina Carter, Kenny Garrett, Louis Hayes, and Sue Mingus—at a concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. The concert webcast is now available on-demand:
2023 NEA Jazz Masters Fellows
Regina Carter
Violinist, Educator
Kenny Garrett
Saxophonist, Composer, Arranger, Bandleader
Louis Hayes
Drummer, Bandleader
Sue Mingus
Author, Archivist, Band Manager, Educator, Musical Director, Record Producer
Nominate an NEA Jazz Master Fellow!
The Arts Endowment encourages nominations from the public of a broad range of individuals who have been significant to the field of jazz through vocal and instrumental performance, creative leadership, and education.Recent NEA Jazz Masters Podcasts
Remembering the Late Ahmad Jamal
1994 NEA Jazz Master, Pianist, and Composer
Regina Carter part 2
Violinist and 2023 NEA Jazz Master
Regina Carter
Violinist and 2023 NEA Jazz Master
