President Biden Awards 2022 and 2023 National Humanities Medals 

President Joseph R. Biden presented the 2022 and 2023 National Humanities Medals, in conjunction with the National Medals of Arts, on Monday, October 21, 2024, in a private ceremony at the White House. The 19 distinguished medal recipients include writers, historians, educators, and filmmakers. Presentation of the medals was followed by a reception at 5:30 p.m. with remarks by President Biden, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, National Endowment for the Arts Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD, and National Endowment for the Humanities Chair Shelly C. Lowe (Navajo). Watch video of the ceremony at whitehouse.gov/live.

“The National Humanities Medal recipients have enriched our world through writing that moves and inspires us; scholarship that enlarges our understanding of the past; and through their dedication to educating, informing, and giving voice to communities and histories often overlooked,” said NEH Chair Shelly C. Lowe (Navajo). “I am proud to join President Biden in recognizing these distinguished leaders for their outstanding contributions to our nation’s cultural life.” 

The National Humanities Medal honors an individual or organization whose work has deepened the nation’s understanding of the human experience, broadened citizens’ engagement with history or literature, or helped preserve and expand Americans’ access to cultural resources.

The following 19 recipients comprise the 2022 and 2023 cohorts of the National Humanities Medal:

      2022 National Humanities Medalists: 

• Wallis Annenberg, philanthropist 
• Appalshop, community arts and programming center
• Joy Harjo, poet
• Robin Harris, principal and educator  
• Juan Felipe Herrera, writer
• Robert Martin, administrator in Indigenous higher education 
• Jon Meacham, writer and historian 
• Ruth J. Simmons, academic administrator in higher education 
• Pauline Yu, scholar of Chinese literature
   

      2023 National Humanities Medalists: 

• Anthony Bourdain (posthumous), chef and author 
• LeVar Burton, actor and literacy advocate
• Roz Chast, cartoonist and author 
• Nicolás Kanellos, scholar and publisher of Hispanic literature 
• Robin Wall Kimmerer, scholar and author 
• Mellon Foundation, philanthropic organization
• Dawn Porter, filmmaker 
• Aaron Sorkin, playwright, screenwriter, and director 
• Darren Walker, social justice philanthropist
• Rosita Worl, anthropologist and cultural leader 

The first National Humanities Medal was awarded in 1996. Since then, 225 medals have been bestowed—207 to individuals and 18 to organizations—inclusive of this year’s recipients. A complete set of previous honorees is available at this link.

The humanities medal was preceded by the Charles Frankel Prize, first awarded in 1989. 

Join the conversation online: #ArtsHumanitiesMedal.

The 2022 and 2023 National Medals of Arts were presented at the same ceremony. Among the recipients are Missy Elliott, Idina Menzel, Carrie Mae Weems, Queen Latifah, Spike Lee, and Steven Spielberg. 

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) manages the nominations process for the National Humanities Medal on behalf of the White House. Each year NEH invites nominations from individuals and organizations across the country. The National Council on the Humanities, NEH’s presidentially appointed and Senate-confirmed advisory body, reviews the nominations and provides recommendations to the President, who selects the recipients.

Since its founding in 1965, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has awarded more than $6 billion dollars to cultural institutions, individual scholars, and communities throughout the United States to support research and education in the humanities, sustain the nation’s cultural infrastructure, and expand the reach of the humanities. The Endowment serves and strengthens the country by bringing high-quality historical and cultural experiences to large, diverse audiences in all 56 of the nation’s states and jurisdictions; providing opportunities for lifelong learning; expanding access to cultural and educational resources; and preserving the human stories that connect all Americans. 

National Endowment for the Humanities: Created in 1965 as an independent federal agency, the National Endowment for the Humanities supports research and learning in history, literature, philosophy, and other areas of the humanities by funding selected, peer-reviewed proposals from around the nation. Additional information about the National Endowment for the Humanities and its grant programs is available at www.neh.gov.