Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee and Missy Elliott among National Medal of Arts recipients

Renowned filmmakers Steven Spielberg, Spike Lee and Ken Burns, along with groundbreaking musicians Missy Elliott and Queen Latifah, are among the 20 recipients of the prestigious National Medals of Arts. The awards will be presented by President Joe Biden in a ceremony at the White House on Monday. The event will also recognise 19 recipients of the National Humanities Medals, including acclaimed playwright Aaron Sorkin and historian Jon Meacham.

Three of the National Medals of Arts will be awarded posthumously, honoring late singer Selena Quintanilla, artist Ruth Asawa and chef-author Anthony Bourdain, who will receive a National Humanities Medal. The arts medals are overseen by the National Endowment for the Arts, while the humanities medals are managed by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Other recipients of the arts medals include actors Idina Menzel and Eva Longoria, producer Bruce Cohen, and musicians Leonardo “Flaco” Jimenez and Herbert I Ohta. Photographers Randy A Batista and Clyde Butcher, visual artists Carrie Mae Weems, Alex Katz and Mark Bradford, and arts advocates Jo Carole Lauder and Bruce Sagan will also be honored. Additionally, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will receive a National Medal of Arts.

These awards celebrate individuals and organisations whose outstanding contributions have significantly influenced the arts in America, fostering excellence, growth and accessibility.

Among the National Humanities Medal recipients are former U.S. poet laureate Joy Harjo, actor and literacy advocate LeVar Burton and renowned cartoonist Roz Chast. Philanthropists Wallis Annenberg and Darren Walker, along with institutions like the Mellon Foundation and Appalshop, will also be recognised.

The humanities medals are awarded to those whose work has deepened the nation’s understanding of the human experience, expanded engagement with history and literature, or enhanced access to cultural resources. Other honourees include educators and scholars Robin Harris, Robert Martin, Ruth J Simmons, Pauline Yu, Nicolás Kanellos, Robin Wall Kimmerer, as well as writer Juan Felipe Herrera, filmmaker Dawn Porter, and anthropologist Rosita Worl. The ceremony promises to be a momentous occasion, celebrating the diverse and transformative impact of the arts and humanities in the United States.