2025 National Heritage Fellowships
Cover: Eagle bit by Ernie Marsh
Photo by Teresa Marsh
Zacatecas dresses by Carmen Baron
Photo by Paul Baron
A Brief History of the NEA National Heritage Fellowships
In 1982, under President Ronald Reagan, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) launched the National Heritage Fellowships to recognize the lifetime achievements of folk and traditional artists in the United States. At the first celebration, Bess Lomax Hawes, then director of the Folk Arts program, wrote that each year’s honorees would reflect “the dazzling array of artistic traditions we have inherited throughout our nation’s fortunate history.”
The process begins with a nomination, often from someone in the artist’s own community, supported by letters and materials describing their work. A panel of folk arts experts, along with at least one layperson, reviews the nominations. Their recommendations go to the National Council on the Arts, with final approval by the NEA chair.
This one-time award highlights both artistic excellence and efforts to preserve cultural traditions. Some recipients—such as Mavis Staples, B.B. King, Michael Flatley, and Wu Man—are widely known worldwide. Many others are recognized more locally or within their
cultural communities, where they are valued as craft workers, musicians, dancers, storytellers, and cultural leaders.
In 2000, the NEA introduced the Bess Lomax Hawes Fellowship to recognize individuals who have made major contributions to the vitality and public appreciation of folk and traditional arts. Record producer and cultural advocate Chris Strachwitz received the first award.
Beyond the fellowships, the NEA supports folk and traditional arts through grants for festivals, documentaries, exhibitions, and educational projects. The agency has also helped build state-level folk arts programs that sustain apprenticeships and fieldwork.
With nearly 500 recipients representing more than 200 different art forms, the National Heritage Fellowships continue to shine an important light on America’s cultural traditions and the skilled and dedicated artists whose work helps keep them alive.
1984 NEA National Heritage Fellow Ralph Stanley (center, with banjo) leads his band in a concert outside the Old Post Office Building in Washington, DC, in 1984.
NEA file photo
Message from the NEA Senior Advisor
At the National Endowment for the Arts, we believe the story of our country is told not only through written history and commemorative events, but also through the enduring traditions passed down from generation to generation—often through music, dance, craft, and ceremony. The recipients of the 2025 NEA National Heritage Fellowships—our nation’s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts—remind us that active cultural practices help us reflect on where we’ve come from and imagine where we might go.
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, we especially recognize these Fellows for their lasting commitment to art forms that reflect the complexity and depth of our national story.
We find resilience and celebration in Adrienne Reiko Iwanaga’s Bon Odori dances, where thousands gather together in shared movement to honor generations past. In Carmen Baron’s handmade folklórico costumes, each seam, cut, and stitch carries forward the discipline and pride of traditional craftsmanship.
Ernie Marsh’s bit and spur making is both functional art and a reflection of cowboy culture; his high-relief silverwork preserves the artistry of the American West. Similarly, Edward Poullard carries forward the soundscape of Creole Louisiana and Texas through his music and expertly crafted instruments, linking old French songs, zydeco rhythms, and generations of family and community traditions.
Steven Tamayo, our 2025 Bess Lomax Hawes Fellow, brings care and dedication to restoring and revitalizing Lakota traditions—buffalo robes, regalia, and language—ensuring that what was once nearly lost is preserved and shared.
Peniel Guerrier teaches Haitian dance and drumming with the precision of a skilled artist and the heart of an educator, offering young people opportunities to engage with tradition in dynamic, meaningful ways. Likewise, the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus of North America continues the centuries-old practice of storytelling through song and the bandura, preserving language, memory, and meaning through a collective voice.
These artists are upholding the customs they inherited, while also shaping new traditions and passing them on. Their work invites us to reflect on the values we hold, the stories we honor, and the practices we choose to carry into the future.
On behalf of the National Endowment for the Arts, I extend heartfelt congratulations to the 2025 National Heritage Fellows. Thank you for joining us in celebrating these remarkable individuals, whose life’s work reminds us that heritage is not a static treasure of the past, but a living tradition that continues to connect us with one another.
Mary Anne Carter Senior Advisor, National Endowment for the Arts
Photo courtesy of Mary Anne Carter
Carmen Baron
MEXICAN FOLK COSTUME MAKER AND DANCER
Tucson, Arizona
As a trained structural and architectural designer, Carmen Baron sees the lines, colors, and proportions needed to create intricately designed custom-made costumes for young Baile Folklórico dancers throughout the state of Arizona.
Carmen Baron was born in 1960 in the town of Atil, Sonora, Mexico, and raised nearby in Altar. Her house was made in a traditional rural Mexican style of adobe, the floor was dirt, there was no electricity, and water was drawn from a well. Sewing was a necessity, which Baron learned on her grandmother’s pedal machine. Her mother taught her the basics for sewing as well as how to make dresses without patterns which later became a creative expression.
When she was 13, Baron’s father, a native of Los Angeles, moved the family back to the U.S. and Baron went on to study Architecture at the University of Arizona. While working professionally as a structural and architectural designer, Baron also studied Mexican folk dance (Baile Folklórico). She danced for seven years with Instituto de Folklore Mexicano in Tucson, while also volunteering as a seamstress for the group. Following the death of her teacher and the end of Instituto de Folklore Mexicano, Baron formed her own dance group, Danzacultura Mexicana, to pass on her knowledge of the traditional dances to new generations. Since the company’s founding in 1997, Baron has taught Mexican folk dance and made nearly all the costumes for Danzacultura students. The students have been featured at festivals in and around Tucson, including De Anza Days and Presidio San Agustin.
Folklórico costumes represent social dances and songs from predominately nine different geographic regions of Mexico. They consist of embroidered jackets, circular skirts with multi-colored hand-sewn ribbon trim, and bold colors, each animating which Mexican region or dance is being performed. To make them by hand, with original patterns, requires skill and knowledge of the distinctive cultural expressions represented. Baron is committed to maintaining the art of handmade folklórico costumes by documenting traditional methods and teaching younger generations, instilling a sense of discipline, confidence, and pride in their cultural heritage. Both in-person and virtually, she mentors students in the steps for making the Mexican folk costumes, from drawing patterns to cutting and stitching the garments. For each costume, she documents how to make the patterns, as well as how much and what type of fabric is needed.
Her costumes have been exhibited at the Presidio San Agustin Tortilla Festival in Tucson; the La Canoa Ranch in Green Valley, Arizona; and the Tucson Meet Yourself festival. In 2016, Baron received a Southwest Folklife Alliance Master-Apprentice Award to support her in sharing her knowledge of traditional folklórico costumes and sewing with her first apprentice. In 2017, the City of Tucson’s Parks & Recreation Department recognized Baron with the Commissioners Award for her thousands of volunteer hours at its El Rio Neighborhood Center.
Photo by John Baron
Peniel Guerrier
HAITIAN DANCER, DRUMMER, AND EDUCATOR
Astoria, New York
Peniel Guerrier has dedicated his life to preserving and promoting the rich cultural heritage of Haiti through dance and drumming. Guerrier’s passion for understanding dances of affranchise and rabordaoyi, social dance forms that show European influences in Haitian history, as well as Vodou ceremonies and traditional practices led him to become a renowned dancer and teacher, recognized internationally for his contributions to the arts.
Guerrier was born in 1971 in the small town of St. Marc, Haiti. Though his parents were strictly Protestant, Vodou dancing, drumming, and songs were everywhere in his neighborhood. Vodou is a faith tradition that mixes Roman Catholicism with spiritual practices brought to the island by African peoples who were enslaved. Even as a child, Guerrier was interested in learning the deeper meanings of Vodou ceremonies and symbolism.
Guerrier’s high school teacher introduced him to teaching artists at Haiti’s National Theater, and soon he met Odette Weiner, founder of Ballet Bacoulou. Weiner and others were very impressed by Guerrier’s interpretations of the folkloric and ceremonial dance rituals and by 16, he was dancing professionally in Professor Herve Maxi’s dance company, Tamboula d’Haiti. He studied with Maxi at the National School of Arts at Haiti State University before auditioning as a professional artist for the National Theater and dancing with them nationally and internationally for eight years.
When Guerrier was on tour with Ballet Bacoulou in the late 1990s, he was noticed by New York-based Haitian dancers Nadia Dieudonne and Joey Nelson who invited him to teach in New York City at Peridance/Djoniba studio. Dance scholars and fellow dancers took note of Guerrier’ gift for teaching and created opportunities for him in K-12 and university settings. Sometimes he would teach as many as 400 students per day.
Now a U.S. citizen, Guerrier currently directs two of his own companies, Tamboula d’Haiti and Kriye Bode, which is a community-based dance and drumming colloquium that involves a large-scale thematic performance often on Haitian historical themes. In addition to maintaining his early performance and teaching partnerships with organizations such as Peridance/Djoniba, KONGO Haitian Roots Music, and the “Five Sister” colleges in Western Massachusetts, he has traveled to teach and perform throughout the U.S., Haiti, Canada, China, Germany, Japan, and Suriname. The range of organizations he has worked with also include the Mark Morris Dance Company and Domestic Workers United.
Since 2013, Guerrier has been recognized a record five times as a Master Artist in Haitian Dance/Drumming by the New York State Council on the Arts Folk Arts Apprenticeship program. Through this award program, he has provided year-long intensive apprenticeship trainings for dedicated, emerging traditional artists.
Photo courtesy of Peniel Guerrier
Adrienne Reiko Iwanaga
BON ODORI DANCER, TEACHER, CHOREOGRAPHER
Saratoga, California
Adrienne Reiko Iwanaga is a teacher, performer, preserver, and cultural ambassador of Bon Odori, a centuries old Japanese folk dance rooted in the Buddhist tradition of communal gathering to honor and celebrate the memory of ancestors. Iwanaga’s dedication to community outreach, education and inclusivity, as well as her innovative, accessible, and joyous choreography have helped to revitalize and increase participation in this spirited communal art form both within and outside the Japanese American community.
Iwanaga was born in San Jose, California, in 1938. At age four, while incarcerated with her family at the Granada Relocation Center (Amache) in Colorado, Iwanaga was introduced to nihon buyo, classical Japanese dance. After WWII ended, she continued her studies and, in 1965, underwent a rigorous testing process in Japan to be certified as a natori dance master, earning the professional dance name Hanayagi Reimichi.
While continuing her training in classical odori, Iwanaga became involved with Bon Odori folk dancing through the San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin. By coincidence, Iwanaga’s future father-in-law, Reverend Yoshio Iwanaga, a first-generation Japanese immigrant, had been responsible for introducing Bon Odori dancing to West coast Japanese American communities in the early 1930s.
In 1998, Iwanaga became the San Jose Buddhist Church’s head Bon Odori teacher. Driven to further her father-in-law’s legacy and inspired by the universal appeal of joyous dancing, Iwanaga began choreographing new dances that, though still historically relevant, were fun, simple to learn, and appealed to all ages. Remembering her experience of incarceration and excited by a changing multicultural
population, Iwanaga envisioned using Bon Odori as an inclusive art and began making efforts to reach new communities, cultures, and people outside of the Japanese American population. Today, more than 2,500 dancers of all demographics annually participate in the San Jose Buddhist Church’s Obon Festival, considered the largest such celebration in the United States.
Iwanaga’s work perpetuating Bon Odori expands beyond Obon festivals. She lectures, runs workshops, and leads demonstrations through partnerships with educational, community, and cultural organizations including the University of California, Rotary Club, elementary and Japanese cultural schools, and the Buddhist Churches of America. Additionally, Iwanaga co-founded the American Bon Consortium to ensure that the history of Bon Odori is documented and perpetuated, while moving forward into new expressions.
In 2016, Iwanaga was inducted into the Hokka Nichi Bei Kai (Japanese American Association of Northern California) Cultural Hall of Fame, which honors those who have strengthened the Japanese American community by preserving and sharing Japanese cultural practices. Other honors include Saratoga Citizen of the Year, San Jose Japanese American Citizens League Award, and congressional commendations. In addition, Iwanaga has created commemorative choreography to celebrate the San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin’s 100th anniversary and San Jose Taiko’s 50th anniversary.
Iwanaga remains committed to furthering her family’s legacy while continuing to evolve American Obon Odori, ensuring that it remains relevant, approachable, and fun for a contemporary audience.
Photo courtesy of the lwanaga Family
Ernie Marsh
BIT & SPUR MAKER AND SILVERSMITH
Lovell, Wyoming
Ernie Marsh’s passion for ranching, horses, the American West, and cowboy culture inspired him to pursue the arts of bit & spur making and silversmithing. Characterized by high-relief engraving, engraved steel, and French Gray finishes, Marsh’s work is instantly recognizable. The balance of function and beauty in his pieces has earned him the respect of horsemen, collectors, and fellow makers.
Marsh was born in Mountain View, California, in 1962, though he primarily grew up in Washington State. After spending his youth as a bull rider in amateur and professional rodeos, he was working as a ranch hand in Southeastern Washington when he first developed his dream to become a bit & spur maker. In 1990, he took part in a four-week apprenticeship with mentor Elmer Miller.
Today, Marsh maintains the bridle bit & spur making tradition himself through both his own practice and by mentoring new generations. He has participated several times as a master artist for the Wyoming Arts Council’s Folk Art Mentoring Program and provided public demonstrations at events including the Big Horn Basin Folk Festival in Thermopolis, Wyoming. Marsh and his wife Teresa have recently converted a house on their property into a bunkhouse for students so they can spend extended time under Marsh’s tutelage.
Marsh is a founding member and previous president of the prestigious Traditional Cowboys Arts Association (TCAA), which was founded in 1998 to preserve and promote traditional art forms associated with Western cowboy culture. Through TCAA, Marsh has devoted years to teaching the significance and finer details of bit & spur making. In addition to having his gear used every day by working cowboys, Marsh also has displayed his work in several places, including By Western Hands, a museum and education center in Cody, Wyoming; the Western Folklife Center in Elko, Nevada; and the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where his work is shown annually at the TCAA show.
In 2000, the Academy of Western Artists honored Marsh with the Will Rogers Award for Spurmaker of the Year, and in 2016, he received the Katie Weitz United States Artists Fellowship.
Photo by Teresa Marsh
Edward Poullard
CREOLE MUSICIAN
Beaumont, Texas
Edward Poullard, a third-generation Creole musician, grew up in a large French-speaking family where his musical education began at the knee of his father, a sharecropper and prominent performer of “la la,” a musical precursor of Zydeco.
Poullard was born in Eunice, Louisiana, in 1952 and the family moved to Texas when he was a young child. While in Texas, he learned to play the guitar and drums, but quickly graduated to the accordion. By the age of 19 he was playing house parties and church dances in his father’s band, the Poullard Family Band. Poullard went on to play with other notable ensembles, such as the Ardoin Family Band and BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet. In these later ensembles, he added vocals to his many talents, demonstrating his knowledge of the older French songs he had learned from his parents. After an injury to his right hand made playing the accordion difficult, Poullard turned his interest to the fiddle.
A grant from Texas Folklife Resources in the late 1980s allowed Poullard to pursue his studies with the late Creole fiddler Canray Fontenot. As a result of the apprenticeship, Poullard regularly played with Fontenot on the national folk festival circuit. This collaboration, which often included Poullard’s brother Danny, continued until Fontenot’s death in 1995. Poullard was also inspired by and shared the stage with Creole fiddlers such as Calvin Carriere and Ben Guillory, as well as the legendary Cajun fiddler
Dewey Balfa. Poullard recorded with many Creole musicians, including playing fiddle with Lawrence “Black” Ardoin on Tradition Creole (Arhoolie Records, 1984) and accordion on Canray Fontenot’s Louisiana Hot Sauce (Arhoolie Records, 1992). He is also featured as a primary artist with Jesse Legé on Live! At the Isleton Crawdad Festival (Arhoolie Records, 2002).
As a further commitment to preserving the music, Poullard is also a master woodworker; he has specialized in accordion building since 2001. At that time, Poullard received a grant from Texas Folklife to study and build the ten-button diatonic accordion referred to as the Cajun style accordion. The single row of buttons and distinctive tuning give it a unique sound, and Poullard’s creations are in high demand.
In addition to mentoring musicians from his own community through apprenticeships and informal teaching sessions, Poullard has become increasingly active in passing on his traditions to others. He has taught Creole and Cajun fiddle and accordion styles at festivals and music camps throughout the United States and Europe, including the Augusta Heritage Center in West Virginia; American Fiddle Tunes at Port Townsend, Washington; the Folklore Village Dance Camp in Dodgeville, Wisconsin; the International Accordion Festival in San Antonio, Texas; and the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, DC.
Photo by Mark Marcin
Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus of North America
MEN’S CHORAL AND BANDURA ENSEMBLE
Detroit, Michigan
The Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus of North America (UBC), which has its roots in pre-World War II Ukraine, acts as an ambassador of Ukrainian culture, music, and the bandura, a stringed instrument with historical ties to the region. Today, UBC members— residing mostly in Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania— regularly travel for rehearsals, performances, and other community-supported events.
The bandura is a lute-harp hybrid instrument with between 34 and 65 strings. The tradition of performing on the bandura with accompanying vocals harkens back to 16th-century Ukraine when a solitary musician, known as a kobzar, would travel the country performing this musical and oral tradition of epic song. At times, these singing minstrels were a threat to oppressive regimes as their repertoire included songs about Ukrainian history, morality, and contemporary issues which were shared with the people. In 1918, bandurist Vasyl Yemets united multiple individual performers to found the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus in Kyiv, Ukraine.
During political shifts in the Soviet regime in the late 1920s, bandura music was banned because of its religious, historical, and Ukrainian patriotic repertoire. Khotkevych, as well as many other bandurists, were executed by the Soviet authorities in the 1930s. Bandurists were also persecuted by the Nazis during WWII. After the war, the UBC musicians and their families remained refugees in Germany, unable to
return to Soviet Ukraine for fear of persecution or death. In late 1948, American impresario Sol Hurok visited German refugee camps in search of talented musicians to sponsor for travel to the United States. At the same time, Detroit-based lawyer and Ukrainian American John (Ivan) Panchuk also traveled to Germany to observe conditions at the refugee camps. In 1949, Hurok and Panchuk joined forces to sponsor the entire ensemble’s immigration as one artistic unit. Most of the 17 families settled in Hamtramck, Michigan, where they lived and worked alongside existing Polish and Ukrainian immigrant communities.
Today the UBC is based in the Great Lakes’ Ukrainian diasporic community. The all-male ensemble consists of about 50 members between the ages of 16 and 70, including both bandura players and singers. They perform in traditional Ukrainian dress with the bandura players seated in front of the standing singers, who sing in Ukrainian.
The UBC performs in concerts and tours throughout North America, Australia, Europe, and Ukraine. The group has recorded more than 40 albums and discs of sacred and traditional Ukrainian music, as well as contemporary compositions. Since 1996 they have been led by artistic director Oleh Mahlay, an American conductor, bandurist and composer. In 2022, the UBC received the Michigan Heritage Award from the Michigan Traditional Arts Program.
Photo by Stefan Iwaskewycz
Steven Tamayo (Sicangu Lakota)
TRADITIONAL LAKOTA ARTIST AND EDUCATOR
Omaha, Nebraska
Steven Tamayo (Sicangu Lakota), recipient of the 2025 NEA Bess Lomax Hawes National Heritage Fellowship, has spent 14 years on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, reclaiming and preserving Lakota culture through his art. As a traditional artist and educator, Tamayo revives stories that were systematically erased by discriminatory laws, the boarding school system, and forced relocation.
After his service in the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division in the late 1980s, Tamayo worked with Umoⁿhoⁿ (Omaha) elder, World War II veteran, and artist Howard Wolf to study a variety of traditional materials and techniques important to the regalia of warrior societies. This included elements such as the pesha, a headdress made from deer tail and the soft guard hair of the porcupine.
His own work with buffalo robes is the culmination of decades of experience and knowledge gathering. Following traditional practice, Tamayo prepared the hides by softening the animal skin and stretching each hide on a frame before painting it with materials he produced by harvesting natural pigments and vegetation. Painted buffalo robes archive the history of Lakota people, tell stories of everyday life, and share culture and tradition with future generations. In 2022, Tamayo was awarded a four-year Creative Capital project grant to design, paint, and adorn 13 traditional buffalo robes for the school at Standing Rock
Reservation. Tamayo’s work also includes buffalo robes gifted to Willie Nelson and Neil Young.
As part of the Nebraska Arts Council teaching roster, Tamayo visits schools and communities across the state, including remote communities, sharing his knowledge of art, regalia making, drumming, and powwow dancing. In his role as a cultural specialist in Omaha Public Schools’ NICE (Native Indigenous Centered Education) program, he helps Indigenous students sustain their cultural identity. To further his education and advocacy efforts, Bluebird Cultural Initiative, a nonprofit organization founded by Tamayo, offers free classes and educational materials on the Rosebud Reservation and nationwide. Several groups established by the organization host regular meetings where participants can deepen their cultural knowledge through traditional activities including Lakota language classes that teach ways of speaking and singing that are vital to cultural preservation and unity.
In 2011, Tamayo earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Sínte Gleska University in Mission, South Dakota, where he later developed and taught the traditional arts program. In 2014, he was awarded the Nebraska Governor’s Heritage Art Award for excellence in cultural artistic expression and for his contributions to Native American culture.
The Bess Lomax Hawes National Heritage Fellowship honors “keepers of tradition” who through their efforts as organizers, educators, producers, cultural advocates, or caretakers of skills and repertoires have had a major beneficial effect on the traditional arts of the United States. A member of the Lomax family of pioneering American folklorists, Bess Lomax Hawes (1921–2009) committed her life to the documentation and presentation of American folk artists. She served as an educator both inside the classroom and beyond, and nurtured the field of public folklore through her service at the National Endowment for the Arts. During her tenure as director of the NEA Folk Arts Program (1977–1993) an infrastructure of state folklorists was put in place, statewide folk arts apprenticeship programs were initiated, and the National Heritage Fellowships were created. In 1993 she received the National Medal of Arts for her many contributions in assisting folk artists nationwide and in bringing folk artistry to the attention of the public.
Photo by Ryan Soderlin for the Flatwater Free Press
National Heritage Fellows
1982–2024
1982
Dewey Balfa * Cajun Fiddler Basile, LA
Joe Heaney * Irish Singer Brooklyn, NY
Tommy Jarrell * Appalachian Fiddler Mt. Airy, NC
Bessie Jones * Georgia Sea Island Singer Brunswick, GA
George Lopez * Santos Woodcarver Cordova, NM
Brownie McGhee * Blues Guitarist/Singer Oakland, CA
Hugh McGraw * Shape Note Singer Bremen, GA
Lydia Mendoza * Mexican American Singer San Antonio, TX
Bill Monroe * Bluegrass Musician Nashville, TN
Elijah Pierce * Carver/Painter Columbus, OH
Adam Popovich * Tamburitza Musician Dolton, IL
Georgeann Robinson * Osage Ribbonworker Bartelsville, OK
Duff Severe * Saddle Maker Pendleton, OR
Philip Simmons * Ornamental Ironwork Charleston, SC
Sanders “Sonny”
Terry * Blues Harmonica/Singer Holliswood, NY
1983
Sister Mildred Barker * Shaker Singer Poland Spring, ME
Rafael Cepeda * Bomba Musician/Dancer Santurce, PR
Ray Hicks * Appalachian Storyteller Banner Elk, NC
Stanley Hicks * Appalachian Musician/ Storyteller/Instrument Maker Vilas, NC
John Lee Hooker * Blues Guitarist/Singer San Francisco, CA
Mike Manteo * Sicilian Marionettist Staten Island, NY
Narciso Martinez * Texas-Mexican Accordionist/ Composer San Benito, TX
Lanier Meaders * Potter Cleveland, GA
Almeda Riddle * Ballad Singer Greers Ferry, AR
Joe Shannon * Irish Piper Chicago, IL
Simon St. Pierre * French American Fiddler Smyrna Mills, ME
Alex Stewart * Cooper/Woodworker Sneedville, TN
Ada Thomas * Chitimacha Basketmaker Charenton, LA
Lucinda Toomer * African American Quilter Columbus, GA
Lem Ward * Decoy Carver/Painter Crisfield, MD
Dewey Williams * Shape Note Singer Ozark, AL
1984
Clifton Chenier * Creole Accordionist Lafayette, LA
Bertha Cook * Knotted Bedspread Maker Boone, NC
Joseph Cormier * Cape Breton Violinist Waltham, MA
Elizabeth Cotten * African American Singer/ Songster Syracuse, NY
Burlon Craig * Potter Vale, NC
Albert Fahlbusch * Hammered Dulcimer Player/ Builder Scottsbluff, NE
Janie Hunter * African American Singer/ Storyteller Johns Island, SC
Mary Jane Manigault * African American Seagrass Basketmaker Mt. Pleasant, SC
Genevieve Mougin *
Lebanese American Lace Maker Bettendorf, IA
Martin Mulvihill * Irish American Fiddler Bronx, NY
Howard “Sandman” Sims * African American Tap Dancer New York, NY
Ralph Stanley * Bluegrass Banjo Player/ Appalachian Singer Coeburn, VA
Margaret Tafoya * Santa Clara Pueblo Potter Espanola, NM
Dave Tarras * Klezmer Clarinetist Brooklyn, NY
Paul Tiulana * Eskimo Mask Maker/Dancer/ Singer Anchorage, AK
Cleofas Vigil * Hispanic Storyteller/Singer San Cristobal, NM
* Deceased
Emily Kau’i Zuttermeister * Hula Master (Kumu Hula) Kaneohe, HI
1985
Eppie Archuleta * Hispanic Weaver San Luis Valley, CO
Periklis Halkias * Greek Clarinetist Astoria Queens, NY
Jimmy Jausoro * Basque Accordionist Boise, ID
Mealii Kalama * Hawaiian Quilter Honolulu, HI
Lily May Ledford * Appalachian Musician/Singer Lexington, KY
Leif Melgaard * Norwegian Woodcarver Minneapolis, MN
Bua Xou Mua * Hmong Musician Portland, OR
Julio Negrón-Rivera * Puerto Rican Instrument Maker Morovis, PR
Alice New Holy Blue Legs * Lakota Sioux Quill Artist Rapid City, SD
Glenn Ohrlin * Cowboy Singer/Storyteller/ Illustrator Mountain Veiw, AR
Henry Townsend * Blues Musician/Songwriter St. Louis, MO
Horace “Spoons” Williams * Percussionist/Poet Philadelphia, PA
1986
Alphonse “Bois Sec” Ardoin * Creole Accordionist Eunice, LA
Earnest Bennett * Anglo-American Whittler Indianapolis, IN
Helen Cordero * Pueblo Potter Cochiti, NM
Sonia Domsch * Czech American Bobbin Lace Maker Atwood, KS
Canray Fontenot * Creole Fiddler Welsh, LA
John Jackson * Black Songster/Guitarist Fairfax Station, VA
Peou Khatna * Cambodian Court Dancer/ Choreographer Silver Spring, MD
Valerio Longoria * Mexican American Accordionist San Antonio, TX
Doc Tate Nevaquaya * Comanche Indian Flutist Apache, OK
Luis Ortega * Hispanic American Rawhide Worker Paradise, CA
Ola Belle Reed * Appalachian Banjo Picker/ Singer Rising Sun, MD
Jennie Thlunaut * Tlingit Chilkat Blanket Weaver Haines, AK
Nimrod Workman * Appalachian Ballad Singer Macot, & Chattaroy, TN/WV
1987
Juan Alindato * Carnival Maskmaker Ponce, PR
Louis Bashell * Slovenian Accordionist Greenfield, WI
Genoveva Castellanoz Mexican American Corona Maker Nyssa, OR
Thomas Edison “Brownie” Ford * Anglo-Comanche Cowboy Singer/Storyteller Herbert, LA
Kansuma Fujima * Japanese American Dancer Los Angeles, CA
Claude Joseph Johnson * African American Religious Singer/Orator Atlanta, GA
Raymond Kane * Hawaiian Slack Key Guitarist/ Singer Wai’ane, HI
Wade Mainer * Appalachian Banjo Picker/ Singer Flint, MI
Sylvester McIntosh * Crucian Singer/Bandleader St. Croix, VI
Allison “Tootie” Montana * Mardi Gras Chief/Costume Maker New Orleans, LA
Alex Moore, Sr. * African American Blues Pianist Dallas, TX
Emilio & Senaida Romero * Hispanic American Tin and Embroidery Workers Santa Fe, NM
Newton Washburn * Split Ash Basketmaker Bethlehem, NH
1988
Pedro Ayala *
Mexican American Accordionist Donna, TX
Kepka Belton *
Czech American Egg Painter Ellsworth, KS
Amber Densmore * New England Quilter/ Needleworker Chelsea, VT
Michael Flatley Irish American Stepdancer Palos Park, IL
Sister Rosalia Haberl * German American Bobbin Lace Maker Hankinson, ND
John Dee Holeman * African American Musician/ Dancer/Singer Durham, NC
Albert “Sunnyland Slim”
Laundrew * Blues Pianist/Singer Chicago, IL
Yang Fang Nhu * Hmong Weaver/Embroiderer Detroit, MI
Kenny Sidle * Anglo-American Fiddler Newark, OH
Willi Mae Ford Smith * African American Gospel Singer St. Louis, MO
Clyde “Kindy” Sproat * Hawaiian Cowboy Singer/ Ukulele Player Kapaaee, HI
Arthel “Doc” Watson * Appalachian Guitarist/Singer Deep Gap, NC
1988 Fellow
Clyde “Kindy” Sproat Tom Pich Photography
1986 Fellow
Sonia Domsch
Tom Pich Photography
1989
John Cephas * Piedmont Blues Guitarist/ Singer Woodford, VA
Fairfield Four African American a Capelle Gospel Singers Nashville, TN
José Gutiérrez
Mexican Jarocho Musician/ Singer Norwalk, CA
Richard Avedis Hagopian
Armenian Oud Player Visalia, CA
Christy Hengel * German American Concertina Maker New Ulm, MN
Vanessa Paukeigope
Jennings Kiowa Regalia Maker Fort Cobb, OK
Ilias Kementzides *
Pontic Greek Lyra Player and Builder South Norwalk, CT
Ethel Kvalheim * Norwegian Rosemaler Stoughton, WI
Mabel E. Murphy * Anglo-American Quilter Fulton, MO
LaVaughn E. Robinson *
African American Tap Dancer Philadelphia, PA
Earl Scruggs * Bluegrass Banjo Player Nashville, TN
Harry V. Shourds * Wildfowl Decoy Carver Seaville, NJ
Chesley Goseyun Wilson *
Apache Fiddle Maker Tucson, AZ
1990
Howard Armstrong *
African American String Band Musician Boston, MA
Em Bun *
Cambodian Silk Weaver Harrisburg, PA
Natividad Cano *
Mexican American Mariachi Musician Fillmore, CA
Giuseppe * and Raffaela DeFranco
Southern Italian Musicians and Dancers Belleville, NJ
Maude Kegg * Ojibwe Storyteller/ Craftsperson/Tradition Bearer Onamia, MN
Kevin Locke * Lakota Flute Player/Singer/ Dancer/Storyteller Wakpala, SD
Marie McDonald * Hawaiian Lei Maker Kamuela, HI
Wallace “Wally” McRae *
Cowboy Poet Forsyth, MT
Art Moilanen * Finnish Accordionist Mass City, MI
Emilio Rosado * Woodcarver Utado, PR
Robert Spicer * Flatfoot and Buckdancer Dancer Dickson, TN
Douglas Wallin * Applachian Ballad Singer Marshall, NC
1991
Etta Baker * African American Guitarist Morgantown, NC
George Blake Native American Craftsman (Hupa-Yurok) Hoopa Valley, CA
Jack Coen * Irish American Flautist Bronx, NY
Rose Frank * Nez Perce Cornhusk Weaver Lapwai, ID
Eduardo “Lalo” Guerrero * Mexican American Singer/ Guitarist/Composer Cathedral City, CA
Khamvong Insixiengmai Southeast Asian Lao Singer Fresno, CA
Don King * Western Saddlemaker Sheridan, WY
Riley “B.B.” King * African American Blues Musician/Singer/Bandleader Itta Bena, MS
Esther Littlefield * Alaskan Regalia Maker (Tlingit) Sitka, AK
Seisho “Harry” Nakasone * Okinawan American Musician Honolulu, HI
Irvan Perez * Isleno Singer (Canary Islands) Poydras, LA
Morgan Sexton * Appalachian Banjo Player/ Singer Linefork, KY
Nikitas Tsimouris * Greek American Bagpipe Player Tarpon Springs, FL
Gussie Wells * African American Quilter Oakland, CA
Arbie Williams * African American Quilter Oakland, CA
Melvin Wine * Appalachian Fiddler Copen, WV
Francisco Aguabella * Afro-Cuban Drummer Los Angeles, CA
Jerry Brown * Potter (southern stoneware tradition) Hamilton, AL
Walker Calhoun * Cherokee Musician/Dancer/ Teacher Cherokee, NC
Clyde Davenport * Appalachian Fiddler Jamestown, TN
Belle Deacon * Athabascan Basketmaker Greyling, AK
Nora Ezell * African American Quilter Five Points, TN
Gerald Hawpetoss * Menominee/Potowatomie Regalia Maker Neopit, WI
Fatima Kuinova * Bukharan Jewish Singer Rego Park, NY
John Yoshio Naka * Bonsai Sculptor Whittier, CA
Marc Savoy Cajun Accordion Player/ Builder Eunice, LA
Ng Sheung-Chi * Chinese Toissan Muk’yu Folk Singer New York, NY
Othar Turner * African American Fife Player Senatobia, MS
Tanjore Viswanathan * South Indian Flute Maker Middletown, CT
* Deceased
1993
Santiago Almeida * Texas-Mexican Conjunto Musician Sunnyside, WA
Kenny Baker * Bluegrass Fiddler Cottontown, TN
Inez Catalon * French Creole Singer Kaplan, LA
Elena * & Nicholas Charles * Yupik Woodcaver/Maskmaker/ Skin Sewer Bethel, AK
Charles Hankins * Boatbuilder Lavallette, NJ
Nalani Kanaka’ole & Pualani Kanaka’ole Kanahele Hula Masters Hilo, HI
Everett Kapayou * Native American Singer (Meskwaki) Tama, IA
McIntosh County Shouters
African American Spiritual/ Shout Ensemble St. Simons Island, GA
Elmer Miller * Bit and Spur Maker/Silversmith Nampa, ID
Jack Owens * Blues Singer/Guitarist Bentonia, MS
Mone & Vanxay Saenphimmachak Lao Weaver/Needleworker and Loom Maker St. Louis, MO
Liang-Xing Tang
Chinese American Pipa (Lute) Player Bayside, NY
1994
Liz Carroll
Irish American Fiddler Mundelein, IL
Clarence Fountain * & The Blind Boys of Alabama
African American Gospel Singers Atlanta, GA
Mary Mitchell Gabriel * Native American (Passamaquoddy) Basketmaker Princeton, ME
Johnny Gimble * Western Swing Fiddler Dripping Springs, TX
Frances Varos Graves * Hispanic American “Colcha” Embroidery Rancho De Taos, NM
Violet Hilbert * Native American (Skagit) Storyteller/Conservator Ca Conner, WA
Sosie Shizuye Matsumoto * Japanese Tea Ceremony Master Los Angeles, CA
D.l. Menard *
Cajun Musician/Songwriter Erath, LA
Simon Shaheen Arab American Oud Player Brooklyn, NY
Lily Vorperian Armenian (Marash-Style) Embroidery Glendale, CA
Elder Roma Wilson * African American Harmonica Player Oxford, MS
1995
Bao Mo-Li
Chinese American Jing-Erhu Player Flushing, NY
Mary Holiday Black * Navajo Basketmaker Mexican Hat, UT
Lyman Enloe * Old-Time Fiddler Lee’s Summit, MO
Donny Golden Irish American Step Dancer Brooklyn, NY
Wayne Henderson Appalachian Luthier, Musician Mouth of Wilson, VA
Bea Ellis Hensley * Appalachian Blacksmith Spruce Pine, NC
Nathan Jackson Tlingit Alaskan Woodcaver/ Metalsmith/Dancer Ketchikan, AK
Danongan Kalanduyan * Filipino American Kulintang Musician South San Francisco, CA
Robert Jr. Lockwood * African American Delta Blues Singer/Guitarist Cleveland, OH
Israel “Cachao” López * Afro-Cuban Bassist, Composer, and Bandleader Miami, FL
Nellie Star Boy Menard * Lakota Sioux Quiltmaker Rosebud, SD
Buck Ramsey * Anglo-American Cowboy Poet, Singer Amarillo, TX
1996
Obo Addy * African (Ghanaian) Master Drummer/Leader Portland, OR
Betty Pisio Christenson * Ukranian American Pysanky Suring, WI
Paul Dahlin
Swedish American Fiddler Minneapolis, MN
Juan Gutiérrez Puerto Rican Drummer/Leader (Bomba and Plena) New York, NY
Solomon * & Richard * Ho’opii Hawaiian Falsetto Singers/ Musicians Makawao, HI
Will Keys * Anglo-American Banjo Player Gray, TN
Joaquin Lujan * Chamorro Blacksmith Barrigada, GU
Eva McAdams * Shoshone Crafts/Beadwork Fort Washakie, WY
John Mealing * & Cornelius Wright, Jr. * African American Work Songs Birmingham, AL
Vernon Owens Anglo-American Potter Seagrove, NC
Dolly Spencer * Inupiat Dollmaker Homer, AK
1996 Fellow
Vernon Owens
Tom Pich Photography
1997
Edward Babb * “Shout” Band Gospel Trombonist & Band Leader Jamaica, NY
Charles Brown * West Coast Blues Pianist & Composer Berkeley, CA
Gladys Leblanc Clark * Acadian (Cajun) Spinner & Weaver Duson, LA
Georgia Harris * Catawba Potter Atlanta, GA
Wen-Yi Hua * Chinese Kunqu Opera Singer Arcadia, CA
Ali Akbar Khan * North Indian Sarod Player & Raga Composer San Anselmo, CA
Ramón José López Santero & Metalsmith Santa Fe, NM
Jim * & Jesse * McReynolds Bluegrass Musician Gallatin, TN
Phong Nguyen Vietnamese Musician/Scholar Kent, OH
Hystercine Rankin * African American Quilter Lorman, MS
Francis Whitaker * Blacksmith/Ornamental Iron Work Carbondale, CO
1998
Apsara Ensemble
Cambodian Musicians & Dancers Fort Washington, MD
Eddie Blazonczyk * Polish Polka Musician/ Bandleader Bridgeview, IL
Bruce Caesar Sac Fox-Pawnee German Silversmith Anadarko, OK
Dale Calhoun * Boatbuilder (Reelfoot Lake Stumpjumper) Tiptonville, TN
Antonio De La Rosa * Tejano Conjunto Accordionist Riviera, TX
Epstein Brothers * Klezmer Musicians Sarasota, FL
Sophia George Yakima Colville Beadwork and Regalia Gresham, OR
Nadjeschda Overgaard * Danish Hardanger Embroidery Kimballton, IA
Harilaos Papapostolou * Byzantine Chant, Greek Orthodox Potomac, MD
Roebuck “Pops”
Staples * Gospel /Blues Musician Dalton, IL
Claude “The Fiddler” Williams * Jazz Swing Fiddler Kansas City, MO
1999
Frisner Augustin * Haitian Drummer New York, NY
Lila Greengrass Blackdeer * Hocak Black Ash Basketmaker, Needleworker Black River Falls, WI
Shirley Caesar Gospel Singer Durham, NC
Alfredo Campos Horsehair Hitcher Federal Way, WA
Mary Louise Defender Wilson
Dakota Hidatsa Traditionalist and Storyteller Shields, ND
Jimmy “Slyde” Godbolt * African American Tap Dancer Hanson, MA
Ulysses “Uly” Goode * Western Mono Basketmaker North Fork, CA
Bob Holt * Ozark Fiddler Ava, MO
Zakir Hussain * North Indian Master Tabla Drummer San Anselmo, CA
Elliott “Ellie” Manette * Trinidadian Steel Pan Builder, Tuner, Performer Osage, WV
Mick Moloney * Irish Musician New York, NY
Eudokia Sorochaniuk * Ukranian Weaver, Textile Artist, Embroidery Pennsuaken, NJ
Ralph Stanley * Master Boatbuilder, (Friendship Sloop) Southwest Harbor, ME
2000
Bounxou Chanthraphone Lao Weaver, Embroiderer Brookland Park, MN
Dixie Hummingbirds * African American Gospel Quartet Philadelphia, PA
Felipe García Villamil Afro-Cuban Drummer/Santero Los Angeles, CA
José González * Puerto Rican Hammock Weaver San Sebastián, PR
Nettie Jackson * Klickitat Basketmaker White Swan, WA
Santiago Jiménez, Jr Tex-Mex Accordionist/Singer San Antonio, TX
Genoa Keawe * Hawaiian Tto Singer/ Ukulele Player Honolulu, HI
Frankie Manning * Lindy Hop Dancer Choreographer/Innovator Corona, NY
Joe Willie “Pinetop” Perkins *
Blues Piano Player La Porte, IN
Konstantinos Pilarinos * Orthodox Byzantine Icon Woodcarver Astoria, NY
Chris Strachwitz * BESS LOMAX HAWES AWARD Record Producer/Label Founder El Cerrito, CA
B. Dorothy Thompson * Appalachian Weaver Davis, WV
Don Walser * Cowboy & Western Singer/ Guitarist/Composer Austin, TX
* Deceased
2001
Celestino Avilés * Santero Orocovis, PR
Mozell Benson * African American Quilter Opelika, AL
Wilson “Boozoo” Chavis *
Zydeco Accordionist Lake Charles, LA
Hazel Dickens * Appalachian Singer Washington, DC
Evalena Henry Apache Basketweaver Peridot, AZ
Peter Kyvelos * Oud Builder Bedford, MA
João “João Grande”
Olivera Dos Santos Capoeira Angola Master New York, NY
Eddie Pennington Thumbpicking Style Guitarist Princeton, KY
Qi Shu Fang Peking Opera Performer Woodhaven, NY
Seiichi Tanaka
Taiko Drummer Dojo Founder San Francisco, CA
Dorothy Trumpold * Rug Weaver High Amana, IA
Fred Tsoodle * Kiowa Sacred Song Leader Mountain View, OK
Joseph Wilson *
BESS LOMAX HAWES AWARD Folklorist/Advocate/Presenter Fries, VA
2002
Ralph Blizard * Old-Time Fiddler Blountville, TN
Loren Bommelyn
Tolowa Singer, Tradition Bearer, Basketmaker Crescent City, CA
Kevin Burke
Irish Fiddler Portland, OR
Francis * & Rose Cree * Ojibwa Basketmakers/ Storytellers Dunseith, ND
Luderin Darbone */
Edwin Duhon * Cajun Fiddler and Accordionist Sulphur/Westlake, LA
Nadim Dlaikan
Lebanese Nye (Reed Flute) Player Southgate, MI
David “Honeyboy”
Edwards *
Delta Blues Guitarist/Singer Chicago, IL
Flory Jagoda *
Sephardic Musician/Composer Alexandria, VA
Losang Samten
Tibetan Sand Mandala Painter Philadelphia, PA
Bob McQuillen * Contra Dance Musician Composer Peterborough, NH
Clara Neptune Keezer * Passamaquoddy Basketmaker Perry, ME
Jean Ritchie *
BESS LOMAX HAWES AWARD
Appalachian Singer/Songwriter Dulcimer Player Port Washington, NY
Domingo “Mingo”
Saldivar
Conjunto Accordionist San Antonio, TX
2003
BASQUE “BERTSOLARI” POETS
Jesus Arriada San Francisco, CA
Johnny Curutchet
South San Francisco, CA
Martin Goicoechea Rock Springs, WY
Jesus Goni Reno, NV
Rosa Elene Egipciaco *
Puerto Rican Bobbin Lace “Mundillo” New York, NY
Agnes Oshanee
Kenmille *
Salish Beadwork and Tanning Ronan, MT
Norman Kennedy
Weaver/Ballad Singer Marshfield, VT
Roberto * & Lorenzo Martinez
Hispanic Guitarist & Violinist Albuquerque, NM
Norma Miller *
African American Jazz Dancer, Choreographer Cape Coral, FL
Carmencristina Moreno
BESS LOMAX HAWES AWARD
Mexican American Singer, Composer, Teacher Fresno, CA
Ron Poast
Hardanger Fiddle Luthier and Player Black Earth, WI
Felipe I. & Joseph K. Ruak
Carolinian Stick Dance Leaders Saipan, MP
Manoochehr Sadeghi Persian Santour Player Sherman Oaks, CA
Nicholas Toth
Diving Helmet Builder Tarpon Springs, FL
2001 Fellow
Hazel Dickins Tom Pich Photography
2004
Anjani Ambegaokar *
Kathak Dancer
Diamond Bar, CA
Charles “Chuck” T.
Campbell
Gospel Steel Guitarist Rochester, NY
Joe Derrane *
Irish American Button Accordionist Randolph, MA
Jerry Douglas
Dobro Player Nashville, TN
Gerald Subiyay Miller * Skokomish Tradition Bearer Shelton, WA
Milan Opacich * Tamburitza Instrument Maker Schererville, IN
Eliseo & Paula Rodriguez * Straw Applique Artists Santa Fe, NM
Koko Taylor * Blues Musician Country Club Hills, IL
Yuqin Wang & Zhengli Xu
Chinese Rod Puppeteers Tigard, OR
Chum Ngek
BESS LOMAX HAWES AWARD
Cambodian Musician and Teacher Gaithersburg, MD
2005
Herminia Albarrán Romero Paper-Cutting Artist San Francisco, CA
Eldrid Skjold Arntzen * Norwegian American Rosemaler Watertown, CT
Earl Barthé *
Decorative Building Craftsman New Orleans, LA
Chuck Brown * African American Musical Innovator Brandywine, MD
Janette Carter *
BESS LOMAX HAWES AWARD
Appalachian Musician, Advocate Hiltons, VA
Michael Doucet
Cajun Fiddler, Composer, and Band Leader Lafayette, LA
Jerry Grcevich
Tamburitza Musician, Prim Player North Huntingdon, PA
Grace Henderson Nez * Navajo Weaver Ganado, AZ
Wanda Jackson
Early Country, Rockabilly, and Gospel Singer Oklahoma City, OK
Beyle SchaechterGottesman * Yiddish Singer, Poet, Songwriter Bronx, NY
Albertina Walker * Gospel Singer Chicago, IL
James Ka’upena Wong * Hawaiian Chanter Waianae, HI
2006
Charles M. Carrillo
Santero (Carver and Painter of Sacred Figures) Santa Fe, NM
Delores E. Churchill
Haida (Native Alaskan) Weaver Ketchican, AK
Henry Gray *
Blues Piano Player, Singer Baton Rouge, LA
Doyle Lawson Gospel and Bluegrass Singer, Arranger, and Bandleader Bristol, TN
Esther Martinez * Native American Linguist and Storyteller San Juan Pueblo, NM
Diomedes Matos
Cuatro (10-String Puerto Rican Guitar) Maker Deltona, FL
George Na’ope * Kumu Hula (Hula Master) Hilo, HI
Wilho Saari * Finnish Kantele (Lap-Harp) Player Naselle, WA
Mavis Staples Gospel, Rhythm and Blues Singer Chicago, IL
Nancy Sweezy * BESS LOMAX HAWES AWARD Advocate, Scholar, Presenter, and Preservationist Lexington, MA
Treme Brass Band New Orleans Brass Band New Orleans, LA
2007
Nicholas Benson Stone Letter Carver and Calligrapher Newport, RI
Sidiki Conde Guinean Dancer and Musician New York, NY
Violet De Cristoforo * Haiku Poet And Historian Salinas, CA
Roland Freeman * BESS LOMAX HAWES AWARD Photo Documentarian, Author, and Exhibit Curator Washington, DC
Pat Courtney Gold * Wasco Sally Bag Weaver Scappoose, OR
Eddie Kamae * Hawaiian Musician, Composer, Filmmaker Honolulu, HI
Agustin Lira Chicano Singer, Musician, Composer Fresno, CA
Julia Parker Kashia Pomo Basketmaker Midpines, CA
Mary Jane Queen * Appalachian Musician Cullowhee, NC
Joe Thompson * African American String Band Musician Mebane, NC
Irvin L. Trujillo Rio Grande Weaver Chimayo, NM
Elaine Hoffman Watts * Klezmer Musician Havertown, PA
Horace P. Axtell * Nez Perce Elder, Spiritual Leader, and Drum Maker Lewiston, ID
Dale Harwood Saddlemaker Shelley, ID
Bettye Kimbrell * Quilter Mt. Olive, AL
Jeronimo E. Lozano * Retablo Maker Salt Lake City, UT
Walter Murray Chiesa * BESS LOMAX HAWES AWARD Traditional Crafts Advocate Bayamón, PR
Oneida Hymn Singers Of Wisconsin Hymn Singing Oneida, WI
Sue Yeon Park Korean Dancer and Musician New York, NY
Moges Seyoum Ethiopian Church Musician Alexandria, VA
Jelon Vieira Capoeira Master New York, NY
Michael G. White Jazz Clarinetist, Band Leader, Scholar New Orleans, LA
Mac Wiseman * Bluegrass and Country Singer and Musician Nashville, TN
Deceased
2008 Fellow Dale Harwood
Photo by Michael G. Stewart *
2009
The Birmingham Sunlights
A Cappella Gospel Group Birmingham, AL
Edwin Colón Zayas Cuatro Player Orocovis, PR
Chitresh Das *
Kathak Dancer and Choreographer San Francisco, CA
Leroy Graber * German Russian Willow Basketmaker Freeman, SD
“Queen” Ida Guillory Zydeco Musician Daly City, CA
Dudley Laufman
Dance Caller and Musician Cantebury, NH
Amma D. McKen
Yoruba Orisha Singer Brooklyn, NY
Joel Nelson Cowboy Poet Alpine, TX
Teri Rofkar * Tlingit Weaver and Basketmaker Sitka, AK
Mike Seeger *
BESS LOMAX HAWES AWARD Musician, Cultural Scholar, and Advocate Lexington, VA
Sophiline Cheam
Shapiro
Cambodian Classical Dancer and Choreographer Long Beach, CA
2010
Yacub Addy *
Ghanaian Drum Master Latham, NY
Jim “Texas Shorty”
Chancellor Fiddler Rockwall, TX
Gladys Kukana Grace *
Lauhala (Palm Leaf) Weaver Honolulu, HI
Mary Jackson
Sweetgrass Basketweaver Johns Island, SC
Del McCoury
Bluegrass Guitarist and Singer Hendersonville, TN
Judith McCulloh *
BESS LOMAX HAWES AWARD
Folklorist and Editor Urbana, IL
Kamala Lakshmi
Narayanan
Bharatanatyam Indian Dancer Mastic, NY
Mike Rafferty *
Irish Flute Player Hasbrouck Heights, NJ
Ezequiel Torres
Afro-Cuban Drummer and Drum Builder Miami, FL
2011
Laverne Brackens
Quilter Fairfield, TX
Bo Dollis *
Mardi Gras Indian Chief New Orleans, LA
Jim Griffith *
BESS LOMAX HAWES AWARD
Folklorist Tuscon, AZ
Roy and Pj Hirabayashi
Taiko Drum Leaders San Jose, CA
Ledward Kaapana
Slack Key Guitarist Kaneohe, HI
Frank Newsome
Old Regular Baptist Singer Haysi, VA
Carlinhos Pandeiro
De Ouro
Frame Drum Player and Percussionist Los Angeles, CA
Warner Williams * Piedmont Blues Songster Gaithersburg, MD
Yuri Yunakov
Bulgarian Saxophonist Bloomfield, NJ
Mike Auldridge *
Dobro Player Silver Spring, MD
Paul * & Darlene Bergren * Dog Sled and Snowshoe Designers and Builders Minot, ND
Harold A. Burnham
Master Shipwright Essex, MA
Albert B. Head
BESS LOMAX HAWES AWARD
Traditional Arts Advocate Montgomery, AL
Leonardo “Flaco” Jimenez *
Tejano Accordion Player San Antonio, TX
Lynne Yoshiko Nakasone * Okinawan Dancer Honolulu, HI
Molly Jeannette
Neptune Parker * Passamaquoddy Basket Maker Princeton, ME
The Paschall Brothers
Tidewater Gospel Quartet Chesapeake, VA
Andy Statman
Klezmer Clarinetist, Mandolinist, and Composer Brooklyn, NY
2009 Fellow
Teri Rofkar
2011 Fellow
Yuri Yunakov
Photo by Michael G. Stewart
Photo by Michael G. Stewart
2013
Sheila Kay Adams
Ballad Singer, Musician, & Storyteller Marshall, NC
Ralph Burns
Storyteller, Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe Nixon, NV
Verónica Castillo
Ceramicist & Clay Sculptor San Antonio, TX
Séamus Connolly Irish Fiddler North Yarmouth, ME
Nicolae Feraru Cimbalom Player Chicago, IL
Carol Fran * Swamp Blues Singer & Pianist Lafayette, LA
Pauline Hillaire *
BESS LOMAX HAWES AWARD Tradition Bearer, Lummi Tribe Bellingham, WA
David Ivey
Sacred Harp Hymn Singer Huntsville, AL
Ramón “Chunky”
Sánchez *
Chicano Musician & Culture Bearer San Diego, CA
2014
Henry Arquette *
Mohawk Basketmaker Hogansburg, NY
Manuel “Cowboy”
Donley *
Tejano Musician and Singer Austin, TX
Kevin Doyle
Irish Step Dancer Barrington, RI
THE HOLMES BROTHERS
Sherman Holmes
Wendell Holmes *
Popsy Dixon *
Blues, Gospel, and Rhythm and Blues Band
Rosedale, MD Saluda, VA
Yvonne Walker Keshick
Odawa Quillworker Petoskey, MI
Carolyn Mazloomi
BESS LOMAX HAWES AWARD Quilting Community Advocate West Chester, OH
Vera Nakonechny
Ukrainian Embroiderer, Weaver and Beadworker Philadelphia, PA
Singing and Praying Bands of MD and DE African American Religious Singers MD and DE
Rufus White
Omaha Traditional Singer and Drum Group Leader Walthill, NE
2015 Fellows
Mary Lee Bendolph and Lucy Mingo
Photo by Michael G. Stewart
2015
Rahim AlHaj Oud Player & Composer Albuquerque, NM
Michael Alpert
Yiddish Musician and Tradition Bearer New York, NY
Mary Lee Bendolph,
Lucy Mingo, and Loretta Pettway Quilters of Gee’s Bend Boykin, AL
Dolly Jacobs Circus Aerialist Sarasota, FL
Yary Livan Cambodian Ceramicist Lowell, MA
Daniel Sheehy
BESS LOMAX HAWES AWARD Ethnomusicologist/Folklorist Falls Church, VA
Drink Small Blues Artist Columbia, SC
Gertrude Yukie Tsutsumi
Japanese Classical Dancer Honolulu, HI
Sidonka Wadina Slovak Straw Artist/Egg Decorator Lyons, WI
Bryan Akipa
Dakota Flute Maker and Player Sisseton, SD
Joseph Pierre “Big Chief Monk” Boudreaux
Mardi Gras Indian Craftsman and Musician New Orleans, LA
Billy McComiskey
Irish Button Accordionist Baltimore, MD
Artemio Posadas
BESS LOMAX HAWES AWARD
Master Huastecan Son Musician and Advocate San Jose, CA
Clarissa Rizal * Tlingit Ceremonial Regalia Maker Juneau, AK
Theresa Secord Penobscot Nation Ash/ Sweetgrass Basketmaker Waterville, ME
Bounxeung Synanonh Laotian Khaen (free-reed mouth organ) Player Fresno, CA
Michael Vlahovich Master Shipwright Tacoma, WA/St. Michaels, MD
Leona Waddell
White Oak Basketmaker Cecilia, KY
* Deceased
2017
Norik Astvatsaturov * Armenian Repoussé Metal Artist Wahpeton, ND
Anna Brown Ehlers Chilkat Weaver Juneau, AK
Modesto Cepeda Bomba and Plena Musician San Juan, PR
Ella Jenkins * Children’s Folk Singer and Musician Chicago, IL
Dwight Lamb *
BESS LOMAX HAWES AWARD
Danish Button Accordionist and Missouri-Style Fiddler Onawa, IA
Thomas Maupin
Old-time Buckdancer Murfreesboro, TN
Cyril Pahinui * Hawaiian Slack-key Guitarist, Waipahu, HI
Phil Wiggins * Acoustic Blues Harmonica Player Takoma Park, MD
Eva Ybarra
Conjunto Accordionist and Band Leader San Antonio, TX
2018
Feryal Abbasi-Ghnaim
Palestinian Embroiderer Milwaukie, OR
Eddie Bond
Appalachian Old-Time Fiddler Fries, VA
Kelly Church
Anishinabe (Gun Lake Band)
Black Ash Basketmaker Allegan, MI
Marion Coleman *
African American Quilter Castro Valley, CA
Manuel Cuevas Rodeo Tailor Nashville, TN
Ofelia Esparza
Chicana Altarista (Day of the Dead Altar Maker) Los Angeles, CA
Barbara Lynn R&B Musician Beaumont, TX
Ethel Raim
BESS LOMAX HAWES AWARD
Traditional Music and Dance Advocate New York, NY
Don & Cindy Roy
Franco-American Musicians Gorham, ME
2019
Dan Ansotegui
Basque Musician and Tradition Bearer Boise, ID
Grant Bulltail * Crow Storyteller Crow Agency, MT
Bob Fulcher
BESS LOMAX HAWES AWARD
Folklorist and State Park Manager Clinton, TN
Linda Goss
African American Storyteller Baltimore, MD
James F. Jackson Leatherworker Sheridan, WY
Balla Kouyaté
Balafon Player and Djeli Medford, MA
Josephine Lobato
Spanish Colcha Embroiderer Westminster, CO
Rich Smoker
Decoy Carver Marion Station, MD
LAS TESOROS DE SAN ANTONIO
Beatriz (La Paloma del Norte) Llamas * and Blanquita (Blanca Rosa)
Rodríguez
Tejano Singers San Antonio, TX
William Bell
Soul Singer and Songwriter Atlanta, GA
Onnik Dinkjian
Armenian Folk and Liturgical Singer Fort Lee, NJ
Zakarya * and Naomi Diouf
West African Diasporic Dancers
Oakland/Castro Valley, CA
Karen Ann Hoffman (Oneida Nation of Wisconsin)
Haudenosaunee Raised Beadworker
Stevens Point, WI
Los Matachines de la Santa Cruz de la Ladrillera
Traditional Religious Dancers Laredo, TX
Hugo N. Morales
BESS LOMAX HAWES AWARD
Radio Producer and Network Builder Fresno, CA
John Morris
Old-Time Fiddler and Banjo Player
Ivydale, WV
Suni Paz
Nueva Canción Singer and Songwriter Henderson, NV
Wayne Valliere (Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe)
Birchbark Canoe Builder Waaswaaganing (Lac du Flambeau), WI
2020 Fellow
Wayne Valliere (Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe)
Photo by Hypothetical Films
Cedric Burnside
Hill Country Blues Musician Ashland, MS
Tom Davenport
BESS LOMAX HAWES AWARD Filmmaker, Documentarian, and Media Curator Delaplane, VA
Tagumpay Mendoza De Leon Rondalla Musician Burbank, CA
Anita Fields (Osage/Muscogee) Osage Ribbon Worker Tulsa, OK
Los Lobos
Mexican American Band Los Angeles, CA
Joanie Madden Irish Flute Player Yonkers, NY
Reginald “Reggio the Hoofer” McLaughlin Tap Dancer Chicago, IL
Nellie Vera
Mundillo Master Weaver Moca, PR
Winnsboro Easter Rock Ensemble Easter Rock Spiritual Ensemble Winnsboro, LA
2022
Michael Cleveland Bluegrass Fiddler Charlestown, IN
Eva Enciñias Flamenco Artist Albuquerque, NM
Excelsior Band Brass Band Musicians Mobile, AL
Stanley Jacobs Quelbe Flute Player and Bandleader St. Croix, VI
The Legendary Ingramettes Gospel Artists Richmond, VA
TahNibaa Naataanii (Navajo/Diné)
BESS LOMAX HAWES AWARD
Navajo/Diné Textile Artist and Weaver Shiprock, NM
Francis P. Sinenci
Master Hawaiian Hale Builder Hāna, HI
Tsering Wangmo Satho Tibetan Opera Singer & Dancer Richmond, CA
C. Brian Williams Step Artist and Producer Washington, DC
Shaka Zulu New Orleans Black Masking Craftsman, Stilt Dancer, and Musician New Orleans, LA
2023
R.L. Boyce * Hill Country Blues Musician Como, MS
Ed Eugene Carriere (Suquamish) Suquamish Basketmaker Indianola, WA
Michael A. Cummings
African American Quilter New York, NY
Joe DeLeon “Little Joe” Hernández Tejano Music Performer Temple, TX
Roen Hufford Kapa Maker Waimea, HI
Elizabeth James-Perry (Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head, Aquinnah) Wampum & Fiber Artist Dartmouth, MA
Nick Spitzer BESS LOMAX HAWES AWARD Folklife Presenter, Educator, and Radio Producer New Orleans, LA
Luis Tapia Sculptor, Hispano Woodcarving Tradition Santa Fe, NM
Wu Man Pipa Player Carlsbad, CA
Deceased
2024 Fellow June Kuramoto
Bril Barrett Tap Dancer Chicago, IL
Fabian Debora Chicano Muralist Los Angeles, CA
Rosie Flores
Rockabilly and Country Musician Austin, TX
Trimble Gilbert (Gwich’n) Gwich’n Fiddler Arctic Village, AK
Todd Goings Carousel Carver and Restorationist Marion, OH
Susan Hudson (Navajo/Diné) Quilter Sheep Springs, NM
Pat Johnson
BESS LOMAX HAWES AWARD Community Activist and Organizer Pocahontas, AR
June Kuramoto
Koto Musician Alhambra, CA
Sochietah Ung Cambodian Costume Maker and Dancer Washington, DC
Zuni Olla Maidens Traditional Zuni Dancers and Singers Zuni, NM
Photo by Tom Pich *
2021 Fellows Los Lobos
Photo by Hypothetical Films
Acknowledgments
NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS
Established by Congress, the National Endowment for the Arts is an independent federal agency that is the largest funder of the arts and arts education in communities nationwide and a catalyst of public and private support for the arts. By advancing opportunities for arts participation and practice, the NEA fosters and sustains an environment in which the arts benefit everyone in the United States.
Mary Anne Carter, Senior Advisor
Tony Chauveaux, Deputy Chairman for Programs & Partnerships
Christine Gant, Advisor to the Director of Event Management & Development
Allison Hill, Public Affairs Specialist
Jennie Terman, Programs & Partnerships Specialist (Folk & Traditional Arts)
Erin Jenkins Waylor, Programs & Partnerships Coordinator
Elizabeth Auclair, Assistant Director of Public Affairs (Press)
Diane Biddle, Senior Lead Grants Management Specialist
Carolyn Coons, Public Affairs Specialist
Jean Choi, Attorney Advisor
Lauren DeMarco, Programs & Partnerships Assistant Grants Management Specialist
Kimberly Jefferson, Council Coordinator
William Langer, Attorney Advisor
Kelli Rogowski, Visual Information Specialist
The National Endowment for the Arts expresses its appreciation to the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA) for its assistance in planning and producing the 2025 National Heritage Fellowships events, which were produced and managed for the NCTA by Senior Associate Director Madeleine Remez and Program Logistics Coordinator Becky Hill.
NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR THE TRADITIONAL ARTS
Founded in 1933, the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA) is the nation’s oldest folk arts organization. The NCTA presents the nation’s finest traditional artists to the public in festivals, national and international tours, concerts, radio and television programs, films, recordings and other programs. For over 30 years, the NCTA has worked with the National Endowment for the Arts on a consulting basis to manage and coordinate the National Heritage Fellowships activities honoring the Fellowship recipients.
Blaine Waide, Executive Director
Madeleine Remez, Senior Associate Director
Colleen Arnerich, Director of Production and Operations
Colleen (CJ) Holroyd, Program Services Manager
Víctor Hernández-Sang, Programming Manager
Bridgette Hammond, Festival Logistics Coordinator
Kayt Novak, Programming and Marketing Coordinator
Carrie Randall, Production Assistant
Deirdre Whitty, Finance Manager
Vitoria Ido, Accounting Associate
Lynn Witherspoon, National Folk Festival Technical Director
Elaine Randolph, Administrative Specialist
2025 National Heritage Fellowships Program Staff
Becky Hill, Program Logistics Coordinator
Amy Millin, Program Support
Eddie Mendoza, Ground Transportation Coordinator
Miako Villanueva, Sign Language Interpreter
Olivia Merrion/Hypothetical Films, Producer
Tom Pich, Edwin Remsberg, Documentation
Paul Douglas Michnewicz, Valerie Carlson, David Peters, Bruce Loughry, Awards Presentation Staff
Special thanks to
The staff at the Library of Congress and American Folklife Center
Mid South Audio
Old Town Trolleys
Canopy by Hilton, the Wharf
Program design by Fletcher Design, Inc./Washington, DC
Tribute films for each of the 2025 NEA National Heritage Fellows will be available on NEA’s YouTube channel in early 2026.
To learn more about the NEA National Heritage Fellowships, visit arts.gov/Heritage.
“Alicia’s” Warriors of The Plains by Steven Tamayo
Photo by Alexis Westphal/Sicangu Lakota Artist
2025 NEA NATIONAL HERITAGE FELLOWS
Carmen Baron
Mexican Folk costuMe Maker and dancer
Edward Poullard creole Musician
Peniel Guerrier
Haitian dancer, druMMer, and educator
Adrienne Reiko Iwanaga
Bon odori dancer, teacHer, and cHoreograpHer
Ernie Marsh
Bit & spur Maker and silversMitH
Steven Tamayo (Sicangu Lakota)
traditional l akota artist & educator
Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus of North America
Men’s cHoral & Bandura enseMBle
Carmen Baron, photo by John Baron; Peniel Guerrier, photo courtesy of Peniel Guerrier; Adrienne Reiko Iwanaga, photo credit lwanaga Family; Ernie Marsh, photo by Teresa Marsh; Edward Poullard, photo by Mark Marcin; Steve Tamayo Ancestral Voices Mural, South Omaha, Nebraska, Photo by Ryan Soderlin for the Flatwater Free Press; Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus of North America, photo by Stefan Iwaskewycz