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 Saturday, April 1, 2023, the National Endowment for the Arts, in collaboration with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, will celebrate the 2023 honorees with a tribute concert. This concert will also mark the culmination of the NEA’s celebration of the 40th anniversary of the NEA Jazz Masters program. More information will be available in early 2023.
2023 NEA Jazz Masters (left to right): Louis Hayes (photo by Janette Beckman), Regina Carter (photo by Jeff Dunn), Kenny Garrett (photo by Jimmy Katz), Sue Mingus (Photo courtesy Mingus Archives)
2023 NEA Jazz Masters Fellows
Regina Carter
Kenny Garrett
Louis Hayes
Sue Mingus
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
Revisiting Henry Threadgill
Stanley Clarke
