Award is nation’s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts

May 14, 2009

Media Contact: Liz Stark, NEA 202-682-5744 starke@arts.gov Program Contact Barry Bergey 202-682-5726 bergeyb@arts.gov

Washington, DC – The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) today announced the 2009 recipients of the nation’s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts, the NEA National Heritage Fellowships. Eleven fellowships, which include a one-time award of $25,000 each, are presented to honorees from eight states and Puerto Rico. The NEA National Heritage Fellowships public programs are made possible through the support of the Darden Restaurants Foundation and its family of Red Lobster, Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, The Capital Grille, Bahama Breeze, and Seasons 52 restaurants.

The 2009 awardees were chosen for their artistic excellence and contributions to their respective artistic traditions. They represent a cross-section of ethnic cultures including Cambodian, North Indian, and West African, and promote such diverse traditional art forms as accordion-driven zydeco, willow basketry, and Yoruba sacred song and drumming.

National Endowment for the Arts Acting Chair Patrice Walker Powell said, “The NEA is proud to celebrate these artists whose lifetime of service and dedication preserve our nation’s diverse cultural heritage.”

The 2009 NEA National Heritage Fellowship recipients are:

The 2009 Bess Lomax Hawes Award is awarded to Mike Seeger, a musician, cultural scholar, and advocate from Lexington, Virginia. The Bess Lomax Hawes Award recognizes an individual who has made a significant contribution to the preservation and awareness of cultural heritage.