Washington, DC—The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is pleased to announce the 2023 recipients of the NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship—musicians Regina Carter, Kenny Garrett, and Louis Hayes, as well as Sue Mingus, recipient of the 2023 A.B. Spellman NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship for Jazz Advocacy. These fellowships include an award of $25,000 and the honorees will be celebrated at a public concert in Washington, DC, on Saturday, April 1, 2023, in collaboration with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
“From its origins in the Black American experience to what is now a global treasure, jazz continues to be a source of inspiration and creativity, due in large part to the stewards of this tradition, four of whom we are excited to honor this year,” said NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD. “Congratulations to the 2023 NEA Jazz Masters! We look forward to collaborating with the Kennedy Center on an event that will celebrate their contributions and passion for jazz with a wide audience.”
The master jazz musicians honored this year were all raised in Detroit, Michigan, and have gone on to make extraordinary contributions within jazz:
Regina Carter (Maywood, New Jersey) is renowned for her mastery of the violin and exploring the instrument’s possibilities in jazz, as well as taking journeys in other genres of music. A recipient of a MacArthur “genius” grant and a Doris Duke Artist Award (as well as an individual NEA jazz grant in 1990), Carter also shares her knowledge and talent through teaching and workshops.
