NEA Senior Advisor Mary Anne Carter said, “As we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary in 2026, the NEA is proud to also honor these individuals who have played a significant role in jazz, considered one of our country’s greatest cultural gifts to the world. As with our nation, jazz is an art form with a rich heritage that continues to evolve, thanks to those who have dedicated their lives and creativity to this music over generations.”

• Jazz broadcaster Rhonda Hamilton, recipient of the 2026 A.B. Spellman NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship for Jazz Advocacy, played a key role in the early days of jazz radio station WBGO-FM and has served as a trusted guide for generations of jazz listeners, including in her current role as host of a weekday radio show on KKJZ-FM in Los Angeles.
• Vocalist, composer, and arranger Carmen Lundy’s multifaceted artistry has significantly influenced modern jazz over a career spanning more than five decades and including more than 150 published songs.
• Drummer, percussionist, composer, and educator Airto Moreira is a defining voice in jazz percussion, with skills on instruments ranging from the tambourine to the bongos.
• Pianist, composer, musical director, and educator Patrice Rushen has led a pioneering career that bridges jazz, R&B, classical, and pop genres. Her distinctive sound blends melodic sophistication and instrumental prowess.

 

In response to receiving this honor, Carmen stated: “I would like to thank the NEA for this meaningful recognition. My life’s work is a sum of many parts. Throughout my 50 plus years as a jazz musician I have been shown the world through this music and feel proud to be an American ambassador to this original art form. I’m truly grateful to be standing on the shoulders of the teachers, the ancestors, the veteran musicians and singers who have come before me and helped shape the beautiful, rich sounds and stories revealing the infinite possibilities and power in the art of creating great jazz music.”

Visit arts.gov for more information about the 2026 NEA Jazz Masters. High-resolution photos of the 2026 NEA Jazz Masters are available for media use.

The NEA will honor the 2026 Jazz Masters at a free concert on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and streamed online. More information, including how to reserve tickets, will be available in early 2026.

About the NEA Jazz Masters

Since 1982, the National Endowment for the Arts has awarded 181 fellowships to great figures in jazz, such as Muhal Richard Abrams, Kenny Barron, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Dave Brubeck, Regina Carter, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Quincy Jones, Bobby McFerrin, Dan Morgenstern, Maria Schneider, Wayne Shorter, Henry Threadgill, and Chucho Valdés.

The NEA Jazz Masters Fellowships are awarded to living individuals on the basis of nominations from the public including members of the jazz community. NEA Jazz Masters Fellowships are $25,000 and can be received once in a lifetime.

Explore the NEA’s website for photos and bios of all of the NEA Jazz Masters, as well as archived concerts, video tributes, podcasts, and more than 350 NEA Jazz Moments audio clips. The National Endowment for the Arts has also supported the Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program, an effort to document the lives and careers of nearly 100 NEA Jazz Masters.

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