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{{short description|American folk arts award}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2019}}
{{Infobox award
| name             = National Heritage Fellowship
| subheader        = <!-- or | current_awards = -->
| image            =
| image_size       = <!-- or | image_upright = -->
| alt              = 
| caption          = 
| awarded_for      = Lifetime achievement in folk or traditional arts
| location         = Washington, D.C.
| country          = United States
| presenter        = National Endowment for the Arts
| reward           = $25,000
| year             = 1982
| year2            = present
| website          = <!-- {{URL|https://www.arts.gov/honors/heritage}} -->
}}

The '''National Heritage Fellowship''' is a lifetime honor presented to master [[folklore|folk]] and traditional artists by the [[National Endowment for the Arts]].  Similar to Japan's [[Living National Treasure (Japan)|Living National Treasure]] award,<ref name="Siporin">{{cite book |last=Siporin |first=Steve |year=1992 |chapter=Introduction |title=American Folk Masters: The National Heritage Fellows |location=New York |publisher=Harry N. Abrams, Inc. in association with The Museum of International Folk Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico |pages=14–21 |isbn=0810919176 |oclc=24699109}}</ref> the Fellowship is the United States government's highest honor in the [[folk art|folk]] and [[folklife|traditional arts]].<ref name="fed">{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=National Endowment for the Arts Announces 2013 NEA National Heritage Fellowship Recipients |url=https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-2988935041.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171214014231/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-2988935041.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 14, 2017 |work=US Fed News Service |location=Washington, DC |date=June 6, 2013 |access-date=December 12, 2017}}</ref><ref name="Lane">{{cite news |last=Lane |first=Sarah |date=September 24, 2015 |title=Daniel Sheehy Named National Heritage Fellow |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/fairfax-county-news-in-brief/2015/09/21/72b0ed62-5b18-11e5-8e9e-dce8a2a2a679_story.html |work=The Washington Post |location=Washington, DC |page=Metro section, T23 |access-date=December 12, 2017}}</ref> It is a one-time only award and fellows must be living citizens or permanent residents of the United States. Each year, fellowships are presented to between nine and fifteen artists or groups at a ceremony in Washington, D.C.

The Fellows are nominated by individual citizens, with an average of over 200 nominations per year. From that pool of candidates, recommendations are made by a rotating panel of specialists, including one layperson, as well as folklorists and others with a variety of forms of cultural expertise. The recommendations are then reviewed by the [[National Council on the Arts]], with the final decisions made by the chairperson of the National Endowment for the Arts.<ref name="30th">{{cite web |url=https://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/2011-Heritage.pdf |title=National Heritage Fellowships 30th Anniversary |author=<!--Not stated--> |year=2011 |website=arts.gov |publisher=National Endowment for the Arts |access-date=December 12, 2017}}</ref> As of 2024, 487 artists in a wide variety of fields have received Fellowships.<ref name="2024honorees" />

==History==
The program was officially founded in 1982 by [[Bess Lomax Hawes]], the first director of the Folk and Traditional Arts Program at the NEA,<ref>{{cite news |last=Sullivan |first=Patricia |date=December 2, 2009 |title=Bess Lomax Hawes, 88; folklorist, performer, NEA official |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/01/AR2009120104228.html |work=The Washington Post |access-date=October 19, 2017}}</ref> following a five-year period of development.<ref name="30th"/> In 1982, the monetary award associated with the Fellowship was $5,000;<ref name="Siporin"/> in 1993, it was increased to $10,000 and since 2009, the award amount is $25,000, which is considered "enough to make a difference, but not enough to go to anyone's head".<ref name="30th"/> Each recipient receives a certificate of honor, the monetary award, and a congratulatory letter from the President of the United States.

The annual recognition events are held in the Fall and consist of an awards ceremony, a banquet, and a concert that is open to the public. Over the years, the awards ceremony has been held at different locations in the US capital city, including the NEA headquarters, [[Ford's Theatre]], [[George Washington University]],<ref name="Siporin"/> the [[Library of Congress]],<ref name="fact">{{cite web |url=https://www.arts.gov/sites/default/files/NEA-Heritage-Fellows-Fact-Sheet-June2017-revised.pdf |title=NEA National Heritage Fellows Fact Sheet |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=September 2017 |website=arts.gov |publisher=National Endowment for the Arts |access-date=December 12, 2017}}</ref> and for the first time at the [[White House]] in 1995.<ref name="post">{{cite news |last=Trescott |first=Jacqueline |date=September 28, 1995 |title=First Lady Defends NEA: Art Fellowships Presented at the White House |work=The Washington Post |page=Style section, C03}}</ref> Since 2000, the banquet has been held in the Great Hall of the Library of Congress.<ref name="30th"/> The concert features musical performances, craft demonstrations, and interviews with the honorees.<ref name="fact"/> [[Master of ceremonies|Masters of ceremonies]] at the concerts have included folksinger [[Pete Seeger]], actress [[Ruby Dee]], author [[Studs Terkel]], journalist [[Charles Kuralt]], and since 1997 [[Nick Spitzer]], the host of public radio program ''[[American Routes]]''.<ref name="30th"/> Beginning in 2010, the Fellowship concerts have been streamed live on the NEA website and archived on YouTube.

In 2000, the NEA instituted the Bess Lomax Hawes Award in conjunction with the Fellowships, "given to an individual for achievements in fostering excellence, ensuring vitality, and promoting public appreciation of the folk and traditional arts".<ref name="fact"/> The Hawes Award has been given annually since 2000 to recognize "artists whose contributions, primarily through teaching, advocacy, and organizing and preserving important repertoires, have greatly benefited their artistic tradition. It also recognizes individuals, such as producers and activists, who have comprehensively increased opportunities for and public visibility of traditional artists."<ref name="30th"/>

==Publications==
* A companion volume titled ''American Folk Masters: The National Heritage Fellows'' was published in 1992 to accompany a traveling exhibition (1991–1994) called "America's Living Folk Traditions" that featured the artistry of 36 Fellowship recipients.<ref name="Siporin"/><ref name="Sullivan">{{cite news |last=Sullivan |first=Meg |date=July 3, 1992 |title=Keeping Traditional Crafts Alive |work=Daily News of Los Angeles |location=Los Angeles, California |page=L.A. Life Section, L45}}</ref>
* A two-volume biographical dictionary of the award winners from the first 20 years was published in 2001, titled ''Masters of Traditional Arts''.<ref name="biodic">{{cite book |last=Govenar |first=Alan |date=2001 |title=Masters of Traditional Arts: A Biographical Dictionary |location=Santa Barbara, California |publisher=ABC-Clio |isbn=1576072401}}</ref>
*A young readers book featuring five of the National Heritage Fellows entitled ''Extraordinary Ordinary People: Five American Masters of Traditional Arts'' was published in 2006.<ref name="eop">{{cite book |last=Govenar |first=Alan B. |date=2006 |title=Extraordinary Ordinary People: Five American Masters of Traditional Arts |location=Cambridge, Massachusetts |publisher=Candlewick Press |isbn=9780763620479 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/extraordinaryord00gove}}</ref>

==Winners==
Awardees have included Native American basket weavers, African American [[blues]] musicians, traditional [[fiddle]]rs, [[Mexican American]] [[accordion]]ists, and all manner of traditional artisans and performers of numerous ethnic backgrounds.

{|  style="margin:0 auto; margin:auto;"  class="toccolours"
|-
|align="right"| 
[[#1982|1982]] | [[#1983|1983]] | [[#1984|1984]] | [[#1985|1985]] | [[#1986|1986]] | [[#1987|1987]] | [[#1988|1988]] | [[#1989|1989]] | [[#1990|1990]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;"| 
[[#1991|1991]] | [[#1992|1992]] | [[#1993|1993]] | [[#1994|1994]] | [[#1995|1995]] | [[#1996|1996]] | [[#1997|1997]] | [[#1998|1998]] | [[#1999|1999]] | [[#2000|2000]]
|-
|align="left"| 
[[#2001|2001]] | [[#2002|2002]] | [[#2003|2003]] | [[#2004|2004]] | [[#2005|2005]] | [[#2006|2006]] | [[#2007|2007]] | [[#2008|2008]] | [[#2009|2009]] | [[#2010|2010]] 
|-
|align="right"| 
[[#2011|2011]] | [[#2012|2012]] | [[#2013|2013]] | [[#2014|2014]] | [[#2015|2015]] | [[#2016|2016]] | [[#2017|2017]] | [[#2018|2018]] | [[#2019|2019]] | [[#2020|2020]]
|-
|align="left"| 
[[#2021|2021]] | [[#2022|2022]] | [[#2023|2023]] | [[#2024|2024]]
|}

National Heritage Fellowship winners are:

===1982===
*[[Dewey Balfa]], [[Cajun]] fiddler
*[[Joe Heaney]], Irish [[Sean-nós singing|sean-nós]] singer
*[[Tommy Jarrell]], Appalachian fiddler
*[[Bessie Jones (American singer)|Bessie Jones]], singer, member of the [[Georgia Sea Island Singers]]
*[[George López]], [[Santo (art)|Santos]] woodcarver
*[[Brownie McGhee]], blues guitarist
*[[Hugh McGraw]], [[shape note]] singer
*[[Lydia Mendoza]], [[Mexican American]] singer
*[[Bill Monroe]], bluegrass musician
*[[Elijah Pierce]], carver and painter
*[[Adam Popovich]], Tamburitza musician
*[[Georgeann Robinson]], [[Osage Nation|Osage]] ribbonworker
*[[Duff Severe]], saddlemaker
*[[Philip Simmons]], ornamental [[ironworker]] and [[blacksmith]]
*[[Sonny Terry|Sanders "Sonny" Terry]], blues musician

===1983===
*[[Mildred Barker|Sister Mildred Barker]], Shaker singer
*[[Rafael Cepeda]], [[Bomba (Puerto Rico)|bomba]] dancer and musician
*[[Ray Hicks]], [[Appalachia]]n storyteller
*[[Stanley Hicks]], Appalachian musician and storyteller
*[[John Lee Hooker]], blues guitarist and singer
*[[Mike Manteo]], [[Sicily|Sicilian]] marionettist ([[Marionette]] maker)
*[[Narciso Martínez]], [[accordionist]] and composer
*[[Lanier Meaders]], potter from Georgia
*[[Almeda Riddle]], ballad singer
*[[Simon St. Pierre]], [[French American]] fiddler from Maine
*[[Joe Shannon (piper)]], Irish [[Bagpipes|piper]]
*[[Alex Stewart (artisan)|Alex Stewart]], copper and woodworker
*[[Ada Thomas]], [[Chitimacha]] basketmaker
*[[Lucinda Toomer]], African American quilter
*[[Lem Ward]], [[Duck decoy (model)|duck decoy]] maker and painter
*[[Dewey Williams (singer)|Dewey Williams]], [[shape note]] singer

===1984===
*[[Clifton Chenier]], [[zydeco]] accordionist
*[[Bertha Cook]], knotted bedspread maker
*[[Joseph Cormier]], violinist
*[[Elizabeth Cotten]], guitarist and songwriter
*[[Burlon Craig]], potter
*[[Albert Fahlbusch]], [[hammered dulcimer]] maker and player
*[[Janie Hunter]], singer and storyteller
*[[Mary Jane Manigault]], [[seagrass]] basket maker
*[[Genevieve Mougin]], [[lace]] maker
*[[Martin Mulvihill]], fiddler
*[[Howard Sims|Howard "Sandman" Sims]], [[tap dance]]r
*[[Ralph Stanley]], Appalachian banjo player and singer
*[[Margaret Tafoya]], potter
*[[Dave Tarras]], [[klezmer]] clarinetist
*[[Paul Tiulana]], [[Eskimo]] maskmaker, dancer, and singer
*[[Cleofes Vigil]], storyteller and singer
*[[Emily Kau'i Zuttermeister]], [[hula]] master

===1985===
*[[Eppie Archuleta]], weaver
*[[Alice Blue Legs|Alice New Holy Blue Legs]], [[Lakota people|Lakota Sioux]] quill artist
*[[Periklis Halkias]], clarinetist
*[[Jimmy Jausoro]], accordionist
*[[Meali'i Kalama]], quilter
*[[Lily May Ledford]], Appalachian musician and singer
*[[Leif Melgaard]], woodcarver
*[[Bua Xou Mua]], [[Hmong people|Hmong]] musician
*[[Julio Negrón-Rivera]], instrument maker
*[[Glenn Ohrlin]], cowboy singer, storyteller, and illustrator
*[[Henry Townsend (musician)|Henry Townsend]], blues musician and songwriter
*[[Horace "Spoons" Williams]], [[Spoon (musical instrument)|spoons]] and [[Bones (instrument)|bones]] player and poet

===1986===
*[[Alphonse "Bois Sec" Ardoin]], Creole accordionist
*[[Earnest Bennett]], whittler
*[[Helen Cordero]], potter
*[[Sonia Domsch]], bobbin lace maker
*[[Canray Fontenot]], Creole fiddler
*[[John Jackson (blues musician)|John Jackson]], songster and guitarist
*[[Peou Khatna]], Cambodian court dancer and choreographer
*[[Valerio Longoria]], accordionist
*[[Doc Tate Nevaquaya]], Comanche flutist
*[[Luis Ortega (artist)|Luis Ortega]], rawhide worker
*[[Ola Belle Reed]], Appalachian banjo picker/singer
*[[Jennie Thlunaut]], [[Chilkat weaving|Chilkat blanket weaver]]
*[[Nimrod Workman]], Appalachian ballad singer

===1987===
*[[Juan Alindato]], Carnival maskmaker
*[[Louis Bashell]], [[polka]] musician
*[[Genoveva Castellanoz]], corona maker
*[[Thomas Edison Ford]], cowboy singer and storyteller
*[[Fujima Kansuma]], Japanese classical dancer
*[[Claude Joseph Johnson]], religious singer and orator
*[[Raymond Kāne|Raymond Kane]], [[slack-key guitar|slack key guitarist]] and singer
*[[Wade Mainer]], [[Bluegrass (music)|bluegrass]] [[banjo]]ist
*[[Sylvester McIntosh]], singer and bandleader
*[[Allison Montana|Allison "Tootie" Montana]], [[Mardi Gras Indians|Mardi Gras Indian]] chief and costume maker
*[[Whistlin' Alex Moore|Alex Moore, Sr.]], [[blues]] pianist
*[[Emilio and Senaida Romero]], tin embroiderers
*[[Newton Washburn]], split ash basketmaker

===1988===
*[[Pedro Ayala]], accordionist
*[[Kepka Belton]], [[Egg decorating|egg painter]]
*[[Amber Densmore]], quilter and needleworker
*[[Michael Flatley]], [[Irish stepdance|Irish step dancer]]
*[[Sister Rosalia Haberl]], [[bobbin lace]]maker
*[[John Dee Holeman]], dancer, musician, and singer
* Albert "[[Sunnyland Slim]]" Luandrew, blues pianist and singer
*[[Yang Fang Nhu]], weaver and embroiderer
*[[Kenny Sidle]], fiddler
*[[Willie Mae Ford Smith]], gospel singer
*[[Clyde Sproat|Clyde "Kindy" Sproat]], [[Singing cowboy|cowboy singer]] and [[ukulele]] player
*[[Doc Watson|Arthel "Doc" Watson]], guitarist and singer

===1989===
*[[Cephas & Wiggins|John Cephas]], [[Piedmont blues]] guitarist and singer
*[[The Fairfield Four]], a capella gospel singers
*[[José Gutiérrez (musician)|José Gutiérrez]], [[Jarocho]] musician and singer
*[[Richard Hagopian|Richard Avedis Hagopian]], [[oud]] player
*[[Christy Hengel]], [[concertina]] maker
*[[Ilias Kementzides]], [[Cretan lyra|lyra]] player
*[[Ethel Kvalheim]], [[Rosemåling|rosemaler]]
*[[Vanessa Jennings|Vanessa Paukeigope Morgan]], [[Kiowa]] [[regalia]] maker
*[[Mabel E. Murphy]], quilter
*[[LaVaughn Robinson]], [[tap dance]]r and choreographer
*[[Earl Scruggs]], banjo player
*[[Harry V. Shourds]], wildlife decoy carver
*[[Chesley Goseyun Wilson]], [[Apache fiddle]] maker<ref>[http://www.arts.gov/honors/heritage/fellows/fellow.php?id=1989_13 1989 NEA National Heritage Fellow: Chesley Goseyun Wilson] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081005101621/http://www.arts.gov///honors/heritage/fellows/fellow.php?id=1989_13 |date=October 5, 2008 }}, National Endowment for the Arts (USA)</ref>

===1990===
*[[Howard Armstrong (musician)|Howard Armstrong]], string band musician
*[[Em Bun]], silk weaver
*[[Nati Cano]], [[Mariachi]] musician, leader of [[Mariachi los Camperos]]<ref name=latimes>{{cite news |first=David |last=Colker |title=Musician Nati Cano dies at 81; leader of Mariachi los Camperos |url=http://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-nati-cano-20141005-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |date=October 4, 2014 |access-date=October 25, 2014}}</ref>
*[[Giuseppe and Raffaela DeFranco]], Southern Italian musicians and dancers
*[[Maude Kegg]], [[Ojibwe]] storyteller and craftswoman
*[[Kevin Locke (musician)|Kevin Locke]], [[Lakota people|Lakota]] flute player, singer, and dancer
*[[Marie McDonald (artist)|Marie McDonald]], [[Lei (garland)|lei]] maker
*[[Wally McRae]], [[Cowboy poetry|cowboy poet]]
*[[Art Moilanen]], accordionist
*[[Emilio Rosado]], woodcarver
*[[Robert Spicer]], [[Clogging|flatfoot]] dancer
*[[Doug Wallin|Douglas Wallin]], Appalachian ballad singer

===1991===
*[[Etta Baker]], guitarist
*[[George Blake (artists)|George Blake]], [[Hupa]]-[[Yurok]] craftsman
*[[Jack Coen]], flautist
*[[Rose Frank]], [[Husk|cornhusk]] weaver
*[[Lalo Guerrero|Eduardo "Lalo" Guerrero]], singer, guitarist, and composer
*[[Khamvong Insixiengmai]], singer
*[[Don King (artist)|Don King]], western saddlemaker
*[[B.B. King|Riley "B.B." King]], bluesman
*[[Esther Littlefield]], [[Tlingit]] [[regalia]] maker
*[[Seisho "Harry" Nakasone]], musician
*[[Irvan Perez]], [[Isleño]] [[décima]] singer and [[woodcarver]]
*[[Morgan Sexton]], Appalachian banjo player and singer
*[[Nikitas Tsimouris]], bagpipe player
*[[Gussie Wells]], quilter
*[[Arbie Williams]], quilter
*[[Melvin Wine]], [[Appalachian music|Appalachian]] fiddler

===1992===
*[[Francisco Aguabella]], drummer
*[[Jerry Dolyn Brown|Jerry Brown]], stoneware potter<ref name="JBrown1992">{{cite web |url=https://www.arts.gov/honors/heritage/fellows/jerry-brown |title=Jerry Brown |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=arts.gov |publisher=National Endowment for the Arts |access-date=October 22, 2017}}</ref>
*[[Walker Calhoun]], [[Cherokee]] musician, dancer and teacher<ref>Broadfoot, Jan. "Twentieth-Century Tar Heels," Broadfoot's of Wendell, 2004.</ref>
*[[Clyde Davenport]], Appalachian fiddler
*[[Belle Deacon]], basketmaker
*[[Nora Ezell]], quilter
*[[Gerald R. Hawpetoss]], [[Menominee]]/[[Potawatomi]] [[regalia]] maker
*[[Fatima Kuinova]], [[Bukharan Jew]]ish singer<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.arts.gov/honors/heritage/fellows/fatima-kuinova |title=Fatima Kuinova |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=arts.gov |publisher=National Endowment for the Arts |access-date=October 22, 2017}}</ref>
*[[John Naka]], [[bonsai]] sculptor
*[[Marc Savoy]], accordion maker/musician
*[[Ng Sheung-Chi]], muk'yu folk singer
*[[Othar Turner]], fife player
*[[T. Viswanathan]], flutist and vocalist

===1993===
*[[Santiago Almeida]], [[conjunto]] musician
*[[Kenny Baker (fiddler)|Kenny Baker]], bluegrass fiddler
*[[Inez Catalon]], French Creole singer
*[[Nicholas & Elena Charles]], [[Yup'ik people|Yupik]] woodcarvers, maskmakers, and skinsewers
*[[Charles Hankins]], boatbuilder
*[[Nalani Kanaka'ole & Pualani Kanaka'ole Kanahel]], [[hula]] masters
*[[Everett Kapayou]], [[Meskwaki]] singer
*[[McIntosh County Shouters]], spiritual/shout performers
*[[Elmer Miller (artist)|Elmer Miller]], [[Bit (horse)|bit]] & [[spur]] maker/silversmith
*[[Jack Owens (blues singer)|Jack Owens]], blues singer and guitarist
*[[Mone & Vanxay Saenphimmachak]], weavers, needleworkers, and loommakers
*[[Liang-xing Tang]], [[pipa]] player

===1994===
*[[The Blind Boys of Alabama|Clarence Fountain & The Blind Boys]], gospel singers
*[[Liz Carroll]], fiddler
*[[Mary Mitchell Gabriel]], [[Passamaquoddy]] basketmaker
*[[Johnny Gimble]], [[Western swing]] fiddler
*[[Frances Varos Graves]], [[colcha embroidery|colcha embroiderer]]
*[[Vi Hilbert|Violet Hilbert]], [[Upper Skagit|Skagit]] storyteller
*[[Sosei Shizuye Matsumoto]], Chado [[tea ceremony]] master
*[[D. L. Menard]], Cajun songwriter and musician
*[[Simon Shaheen]], [[oud]] player
*[[Lily Vorperian]], Marash-style embroiderer
*[[Elder Roma Wilson]], gospel blues harmonica player<ref name="AMG">{{cite web |url={{Allmusic |class=artist |id=p165862/biography |pure_url=yes}} |title=Elder Roma Wilson |author=Jason Ankeny |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=October 28, 2011}}</ref>

===1995===
*[[Mary Holiday Black]], [[Navajo]] basketweaver
*[[Lyman Enloe]], fiddler
*[[Donny Golden]], [[Irish stepdance|Irish step dancer]]
*[[Wayne Henderson (luthier)|Wayne Henderson]], [[luthier]]
*[[Bea Ellis Hensley]], blacksmith
*[[Nathan Jackson (artist)|Nathan Jackson]], [[Tlingit]] woodcarver, metalsmith, dancer
*[[Danongan Kalanduyan]], [[kulintang]] musician
*[[Robert Lockwood Jr.|Robert Jr. Lockwood]], Delta blues guitarist
*[[Cachao|Israel López]], bassist, composer, and bandleader
*[[Nellie Star Boy Menard]], [[Lakota people|Lakota Sioux]] quiltmaker
*[[Bao Mo-Li]], [[jing erhu]] player
*[[Buck Ramsey]], [[Cowboy poetry|cowboy poet]] and singer

===1996===
*[[Obo Addy]], drummer
*[[Betty Pisio Christenson]], egg decorator
*[[Paul Dahlin]], fiddler
*[[Juan Gutiérrez (musician)|Juan Gutiérrez]], drummer
*[[Solomon & Richard Ho'opi'I]], Hawaiian singers
*[[Will Keys]], banjo player
*[[Joaquin Flores Lujan]], blacksmith
*[[Eva McAdams]], [[Shoshone]] [[regalia]] maker
*[[John Mealing (singer)|John Mealing]] & [[Cornelius Wright, Jr.]], railroad worksong singers
*[[Vernon Owens]], stoneware potter
*[[Dolly Spencer]], [[Inupiat]] dollmaker

===1997===
*[[Edward Babb]], [[shout band]] leader
*[[Charles Brown (musician)|Charles Brown]], blues pianist, singer and composer
*[[Gladys Clark]], [[Spinning (textiles)|spinner]] and weaver
*[[Georgia Harris]], [[Catawba (tribe)|Catawba]] potter
*[[Hua Wenyi]], [[Kunqu]] opera singer
*[[Ali Akbar Khan]], classical [[sarod]] player
*[[Ramón José López]], [[Santo (art)|santero]] and metalsmith
*[[Jim & Jesse|Jim & Jesse McReynolds]], bluegrass musicians
*[[Phong Nguyen (musician)|Phong Nguyen]] (Nguyễn Thuyết Phong), musician and ethnomusicologist
*[[Hystercine Rankin]], quilter
*[[Francis Whitaker]], blacksmith and ornamental ironworker

===1998===
*[[Apsara Ensemble]], Cambodian traditional dancers and musicians
*[[Eddie Blazonczyk]], musician and bandleader
*[[Dale Calhoun]], boat builder
*[[Bruce Caesar]], [[Sac and Fox]]-[[Pawnee people|Pawnee]], [[German silver]]smith<ref>[http://www.nea.gov/honors/heritage/fellows/fellow.php?id=1998_04 "Lifetime Honors: Bruce Caesar."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120924063809/http://www.nea.gov/honors/heritage/fellows/fellow.php?id=1998_04 |date=September 24, 2012 }} ''National Endowment for the Arts.'' (retrieved August 6, 2011)</ref>
*[[Antonio De La Rosa]], [[conjunto]] accordionist
*[[Epstein Brothers Orchestra|Epstein Brothers]], [[Klezmer]] musicians
*[[Sophia George (artist)|Sophia George]], [[Yakama]] – [[Colville (tribe)|Colville]] beadworker
*[[Nadjeschda Overgaard]], [[hardanger embroidery]] needleworker
*[[Harilaos Papapostolou]], Greek [[Byzantine chant]]er
*[[Claude Williams (musician)|Claude "Fiddler" Williams]], jazz and swing fiddler
*[[Pops Staples]], gospel and blues musician

===1999===
*[[Frisner Augustin]], Haitian drummer
*[[Lila Greengrass Blackdeer]], [[Ho-Chunk]] [[Fraxinus nigra|Black Ash]] basketmaker and needleworker
*[[Shirley Caesar]], gospel singer
*[[Alfredo Campos]], horse hair hitcher
*[[Mary Louise Defender Wilson]], [[Dakotah]]-[[Hidatsa]] traditionalist and storyteller
*[[Jimmy Slyde|Jimmy "Slyde" Godbolt]], tapdancer
*[[Ulysses Goode]], [[Western Mono]] basketmaker
*[[Bob Holt (fiddler)|Bob Holt]], Ozark fiddler
*[[Zakir Hussain (musician)|Zakir Hussain]], tabla player
*[[Ellie Mannette|Elliott "Ellie" Mannette]], steel pan builder, tuner and player
*[[Mick Moloney]], Irish musician
*[[Eudokia Sorochaniuk]], Ukrainian American weaver and textile artist
*[[Ralph W. Stanley]], boatbuilder

===2000===
*[[Bounxou Chanthraphone]], weaver
*[[The Dixie Hummingbirds]], gospel quartet
*[[José González (hammock weaver)|José González]], hammock weaver
*[[Nettie Jackson]], [[Klickitat (tribe)|Klickitat]] basketmaker
*[[Santiago Jiménez Jr.]], accordionist
*[[Genoa Keawe]], singer and ukulele player
*[[Frankie Manning]], [[Lindy Hop]] dancer and choreographer
*[[Joe Willie "Pinetop" Perkins]], blues piano player
*[[Konstantinos Pilarinos]], Orthodox Byzantine icon woodcarver
*[[Chris Strachwitz]], record producer and label founder
*[[Dorothy Thompson (artist)|Dorothy Thompson]], weaver
*[[Felipe García Villamil]], drummer and santero
*[[Don Walser]], singer and guitarist

===2001===
*[[Celestino Avilés]], [[santo (art)|santero]]
*[[Mozell Benson]], quilter
*[[Boozoo Chavis|Wilson "Boozoo" Chavis]], Creole [[zydeco]] accordionist
*[[Hazel Dickens]], Appalachian singer and songwriter
* João Oliveira dos Santos ([[João Grande|Mestre João Grande]]), Capoeira Angola master
*[[Evalena Henry]], [[Apache]] basketweaver
*[[Peter Kyvelos]], [[oud]] maker
*[[Eddie Pennington]], thumbpicking-style guitarist
*[[Qi Shu Fang]], [[Beijing Opera]] performer
*[[Seiichi Tanaka]], [[Taiko]] drummer and dojo founder
*[[Dorothy Trumpold]], rug weaver
*[[Fred Tsoodle]], [[Kiowa]] sacred song leader
*[[Joseph Wilson (folklorist)|Joseph Wilson]], folklorist

===2002===
*[[Ralph Blizard]], fiddler
*[[Loren Bommelyn]], [[Tolowa]] tradition bearer
*[[Kevin Burke (musician)|Kevin Burke]], fiddler
*[[Rose Cree]] and [[Francis Cree]], [[Ojibwe]] basketmakers and storytellers
*[[Luderin Darbone]] and [[Edwin Duhon]], Cajun fiddler and accordionist
*[[Nadim Dlaikan]], nye (reed flute) player
*[[David "Honeyboy" Edwards]], blues guitarist and singer
*[[Flory Jagoda]], singer, songwriter, and guitarist
*[[Clara Neptune Keezer]], [[Passamaquoddy]] basketmaker
*[[Bob McQuillen]], [[contra dance]] musician and composer
*[[Jean Ritchie]], Appalachian musician and songwriter
*[[Domingo Saldivar]], [[Conjunto]] accordionist
*[[Losang Samten]], [[Tibetan people|Tibetan]] monk and creator of [[sandpainting]]s

===2003===
*[[Jesus Arriada]], [[Johnny Curutchet]], [[Martin Goicoechea]] and [[Jesus Goni]], [[Basque people|Basque]] ([[Bertsolari]]) poets
*[[Rosa Elena Egipciaco]], [[mundillo]] (Puerto Rican [[bobbin lace]]) maker 
*[[Agnes Kenmille|Agnes "Oshanee" Kenmille]], [[Salish people|Salish]] beadworker and [[regalia]] maker
*[[Norman Kennedy (singer)|Norman Kennedy]], weaver, singer, storyteller
*[[Roberto Martinez (musician)|Roberto Martinez]] and [[Lorenzo Martinez (New Mexico musician)|Lorenzo Martinez]], father and son musicians
*[[Norma Miller]], swing dancer and choreographer
*[[Carmencristina Moreno]], singer, composer, teacher
*[[Ron Poast]], [[Hardanger]] fiddle maker
*[[Felipe I. Ruak]] and [[Joseph K. Ruak]], father and son [[Carolinian people|Carolinian]] stick dancers
*[[Manoochehr Sadeghi]], [[Santoor (Persian instrument)|santur]] player
*Nicholas Toth, diving helmet builder

===2004===
*[[Anjani Ambegaokar]], [[Kathak]] dancer
*[[Charles "Chuck" T. Campbell]], Gospel steel guitarist
*[[Joe Derrane]], Irish-American button accordionist
*[[Jerry Douglas]], [[Dobro]] player
*[[Gerald "Subiyay" Miller]], [[Skokomish (tribe)|Skokomish]] tradition bearer, carver, basket maker
*[[Chum Ngek]], Cambodian musician and teacher
*[[Milan Opacich]], [[Tamburitza]] instrument maker
*[[Eliseo Rodriguez]] and [[Paula Rodriguez]], husband and wife straw appliqué artists
*[[Koko Taylor]], blues musician
*[[Yuqin Wang]] and [[Zhengli Xu]], Chinese rod puppeteers<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nea.gov/news/news04/Heritage/Wang.html |title=News &#124; NEA |publisher=Nea.gov |date=February 5, 2014 |access-date=February 11, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120921164948/http://www.nea.gov/news/news04/Heritage/Wang.html |archive-date=September 21, 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

===2005===
*[[Eldrid Skjold Arntzen]], [[Rosemåling|rosemaler]]
*[[Earl Barthé]], building artisan
*[[Chuck Brown]], musical innovator
*[[Janette Carter]], country musician
*[[Michael Doucet]], [[Cajuns|Cajun]] fiddler, composer, band leader
*[[Big Joe Duskin]], blues and boogie-woogie pianist<ref name="Guardian">{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2007/jun/19/guardianobituaries.obituaries |title=Big Joe Duskin; Bluesman who flourished in later life – obituary by Tony Russell |work=The Guardian |access-date=November 25, 2009 |location=London |date=June 19, 2007}}</ref>
*[[Jerry Grcevich]], [[Tamburitza]] musician, prim player
*[[Wanda Jackson]], country, rockabilly and gospel singer
*[[Grace Henderson Nez]], [[Navajo]] weaver
*[[Herminia Albarrán Romero]], paper cutting artist
*[[Beyle Schaechter-Gottesman]], Yiddish singer, songwriter, and poet
*[[Albertina Walker]], gospel singer
*[[James Ka'upena Wong]], Hawaiian chanter<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.coconutinfo.com/Ka'upena.HTML |title=About Ka‘upena Wong |publisher=Coconutinfo.com |date=February 7, 2013 |access-date=February 11, 2014}}</ref>

===2006===
*[[Charles M. Carrillo]], [[santo (art)|santero]]
*[[Delores Churchill|Delores Elizabeth Churchill]], [[Haida people|Haida]] cedar bark weaver
*[[Henry Gray (musician)|Henry Gray]], blues piano player and singer
*[[Doyle Lawson]], gospel and bluegrass singer, bandleader
*[[Esther Martinez]], [[Tewa]] linguist and storyteller
*[[Diomedes Matos]], master string instrument maker
*[[George Na'ope]], [[hula]] master
*[[Wilho Saari]], [[kantele]] player
*[[Mavis Staples]], gospel, rhythm and blues singer
*[[Nancy Sweezy]], folklorist and potter
*[[Treme Brass Band]], New Orleans brass band

===2007===
*[[Nicholas Benson]], stone letter cutter and calligrapher
*[[Sidiki Conde]], Guinean dancer and musician
*[[Violet Kazue de Cristoforo]], Haiku poet and historian
*[[Roland Freeman]], photo documentarian, author, and exhibit Curator
*[[Pat Courtney Gold]], Wasco sally bag weaver
*[[Eddie Kamae]], Hawaiian musician
*[[Agustin Lira]], Chicano singer and musician,
*[[Julia F. Parker|Julia Parker]], Kashia Pomo basketmaker
*[[Mary Jane Queen]], Appalachian musician
*[[Joe Thompson (musician)|Joe Thompson]], string band musician
*[[Irvin Trujillo]], Rio Grande weaver
*[[Elaine Hoffman Watts]], Klezmer musician

===2008===
*[[Horace Axtell]], Nez Perce drum maker, singer, tradition-bearer
*[[Dale Harwood]], saddlemaker
*[[Bettye Kimbrell]], quilter
*[[Jeronimo E. Lozano]], Peruvian [[retablo]] maker
*[[Oneida Hymn Singers of Wisconsin]]
*[[Sue Yeon Park]], Korean dancer and musician
*[[Moges Seyoum]], Ethiopian liturgical minister and scholar
*[[Jelon Vieira]], Capoeira master
*[[Michael White (clarinetist)|Michael White]], traditional jazz musician and bandleader
*[[Mac Wiseman]], Bluegrass musician
*[[Walter Murray Chiesa]], traditional arts specialist and advocate

===2009===
*[[Birmingham Sunlights]], five-man, four-part [[harmony]] [[a cappella]] [[gospel]] group
*[[Edwin Colón Zayas]], Puerto Rican [[Cuatro (Puerto Rico)|cuatro]]
*[[Chitresh Das]], [[Kathak]] dancer and choreographer
*[[LeRoy Graber]], German-Russian [[willow]] [[basketmaker]] from [[South Dakota]]
*[[Queen Ida|"Queen" Ida Guillory]], [[Zydeco]] musician and singer
*[[Dudley Laufman]], [[Contra dance|Contra]] and [[Barn dance|barn]] [[Caller (dancing)|dance caller]] and musician
*[[Amma D. McKen]], [[Yoruba people|Yoruba]] [[Orisha]] singer
*[[Joel Nelson]], [[Cowboy poet]]
*[[Teri Rofkar]], [[Tlingit people|Tlingit]] weaver and basketmaker
*[[Mike Seeger]], folk musician, cultural scholar
*[[Sophiline Cheam Shapiro]], Cambodian classical dancer and choreographer

===2010===
*[[Yacub Addy]], Ghanaian drum master, preserves music of the [[Ga people]]
*[[Jim "Texas Shorty" Chancellor]], Texas fiddler
*[[Gladys Kukana Grace]], [[Lauhala]] (palm leaf) weaver
*[[Mary Jackson (artist)|Mary Jackson]], [[Gullah]] [[Muhlenbergia sericea|sweetgrass]] basketweaver
*[[Del McCoury|Delano Floyd "Del" McCoury]], Bluegrass guitarist and singer
*[[Judith McCulloh]], Folklorist and editor
*[[Kumari Kamala|Kamala Lakshmi Narayanan]], [[Bharatanatyam]] Indian dancer
*[[Mike Rafferty (flautist)|Mike Rafferty]], Irish flute player
*[[Ezequiel Torres]], [[Afro-Cuban]] drummer and drum-builder

===2011===
*[[Laverne Brackens]], Quilter
*[[Carlinhos Pandeiro de Ouro]], [[Frame drum]] player and percussionist
*[[Bo Dollis]], [[Mardi Gras Indians|Mardi Gras Indian Chief]]
*[[James S. Griffith|Jim Griffith]], folklorist
*[[Roy Hirabayashi|Roy]] and [[PJ Hirabayashi]], [[Taiko drum]] leaders
*[[Ledward Kaapana]], [[Ukulele]] and [[slack key]] guitarist
*[[Frank Newsome]], [[Old Regular Baptist]] singer
*[[Warner Williams and Jay Summerour|Warner Williams]], [[Piedmont blues]] songster
*[[Yuri Yunakov]], Bulgarian saxophonist

===2012===
* [[Mike Auldridge]], [[dobro]] player
* [[Paul & Darlene Bergren]], [[dog sled]] and [[snowshoe]] designers and builders
* [[Harold A. Burnham]], master [[Shipbuilding|shipwright]]
* [[Albert B. Head]], [[Folk art|traditional arts]] advocate
* [[Flaco Jiménez|Leonardo "Flaco" Jiménez]], accordionist
* [[Lynne Yoshiko Nakasone]], dancer
* [[Molly Neptune Parker]], [[Passamaquoddy]] basketmaker
* [[The Paschall Brothers]], gospel quartet
* [[Andy Statman]], [[klezmer]] clarinetist, mandolinist, and composer

===2013===
* [[Sheila Kay Adams]], Storyteller and musician
* [[Ralph Burns (storyteller)|Ralph Burns]], [[Pyramid Lake Paiute]] storyteller
* [[Verónica Castillo]], [[Ceramic art|Ceramicist]] and clay sculptor
* [[Séamus Connolly]], Irish fiddler and scholar
* [[Nicolae Feraru]], [[Cimbalom]] player
* [[Carol Fran]], [[Swamp blues]] singer and pianist (both French Creole and English singer)
* [[Pauline Hillaire]], [[Lummi people|Lummi]] artist, teacher, and storyteller
* [[David Ivey]], [[Sacred Harp]] singer
* [[Ramón "Chunky" Sánchez]], Chicano musician

===2014===
<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.arts.gov/news/2014/nea-announces-lifetime-honors-recipients#sthash.vhVjULz6.dpuf |title=NEA Announces Lifetime Honors Recipients |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=arts.gov |publisher=National Endowment for the Arts |date=June 25, 2014 |access-date=June 17, 2017}}</ref>
* [[Henry Arquette]], [[Mohawk people|Mohawk]] basketmaker
* [[Manuel "Cowboy" Donley]], Tejano musician and singer 
* [[Kevin Doyle (dancer)|Kevin Doyle]], Irish step dancer 
* [[The Holmes Brothers]], blues, gospel, and R&B band 
* [[Yvonne Walker Keshick]], Odawa quill artist<ref name=Hearts>{{cite book |title=Hearts of Our People: Native Women Artists |first=Jill Ahlberg |last=Yohe |first2=Teri |last2=Greeves |year=2019 |publisher=[[Minneapolis Institute of Art]] in association with the [[University of Washington Press]] |isbn=9780295745794 |lccn=2018967294 |page=131 |quote=Keshick refers to her practice as 'quill art' rather than 'quill work,' both to assert the aesthetic significance of her creations and to firmly position this artistic practice as a valued art form.}}</ref>
* [[Carolyn L. Mazloomi|Carolyn Mazloomi]], quilting community advocate 
* [[Vera Nakonechny]], Ukrainian embroiderer and bead worker 
* [[Singing & Praying Bands of Maryland and Delaware]], African-American religious singers 
* [[Rufus White]], Omaha traditional singer and drum group leader

===2015===
<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.arts.gov/news/2015/nea-announces-recipients-nation%E2%80%99s-highest-award-folk-and-traditional-arts#sthash.q5nFQfha.dpuf |title=NEA Announces Recipients of Nation's Highest Award in the Folk and Traditional Arts |author=<!--Not stated--> |website=arts.gov |publisher=National Endowment for the Arts |date=June 9, 2015 |access-date=June 17, 2017}}</ref>
* [[Rahim AlHaj]], [[oud]] player & composer
* [[Michael Alpert]], [[Yiddish]] musician and tradition bearer
* [[Mary Lee Bendolph]], [[Lucy Mingo]], and [[Loretta Pettway]]  — quilters of [[Gee's Bend]]
* [[Dolly Jacobs]], circus aerialist
* [[Yary Livan]], Cambodian ceramicist
* [[Daniel Sheehy]], ethnomusicologist/folklorist
* [[Drink Small]], blues artist
* [[Gertrude Yukie Tsutsumi]], Japanese classical dancer
* [[Sidonka Wadina]], Slovak straw artist/egg decorator

===2016===

* [[Bryan Akipa]], Dakota flute maker and player
* [[Monk Boudreaux]], Mardi Gras Indian craftsman and musician
* [[Billy McComiskey]], Irish button accordionist
* [[Artemio Posadas]], Master Huastecan son musician and advocate
* [[Clarissa Rizal]], Tlingit ceremonial regalia maker<ref>{{cite web |title=National Endowment for the Arts Statement on the Death of Clarissa Rizal, 2016 National Heritage Fellow |url=https://www.arts.gov/news/2016/national-endowment-arts-statement-death-clarissa-rizal-2016-national-heritage-fellow |website=National Endowment for the Arts |publisher=NEA |access-date=January 26, 2017}}</ref>
* [[Theresa Secord]], Penobscot Nation ash/sweetgrass basketmaker
* [[Bounxeung Synanonh]], Laotian khaen player
* [[Michael Vlahovich]], master shipwright
* [[Leona Waddell]], white oak basketmaker

===2017===
* [[Norik Astvatsaturov]], Armenian [[Repoussé and chasing|repoussé]] metal artist
* [[Anna Brown Ehlers]], [[Chilkat weaving|Chilkat weaver]]
* [[Modesto Cepeda]], [[Bomba (Puerto Rico)|bomba]] and [[plena]] musician
* [[Ella Jenkins]], children's folk singer and musician
* [[Dwight Lamb]], Danish [[button accordion]]ist and Missouri-style fiddler
* [[Thomas Maupin (artist)|Thomas Maupin]], old-time [[Clogging|buckdancer]]
* [[Cyril Pahinui]], Hawaiian [[Slack-key guitar|slack key guitarist]]
* [[Cephas & Wiggins|Phil Wiggins]], acoustic blues harmonica player
* [[Eva Ybarra]], [[conjunto]] accordionist and bandleader

===2018===
* [[Feryal Abbasi-Ghnaim]], Palestinian embroiderer
* [[Eddie Bond (fiddler)|Eddie Bond]], Appalachian fiddler
* [[Kelly Church]], Gun Lake Band Potawatomi black ash basket maker
* [[Marion Coleman]], African American quilter
* [[Manuel Cuevas]], Mexican-American rodeo tailor
* [[Ofelia Esparza]], Chicana ''altarista'' (Day of the Dead altar maker)
* [[Barbara Lynn]], African American R&B guitarist
* [[Don and Cindy Roy]], French-American musicians
* [[Ethel Raim]], advocate for customary music and dance<ref>{{cite web |title=National Endowment for the Arts Announces 2018 National Heritage Fellows |url=https://www.arts.gov/news/2018/national-endowment-arts-announces-2018-national-heritage-fellows |website=National Endowment for the Arts |date=June 20, 2018}}</ref>

===2019===
<ref name="2019honorees">{{cite web |title=National Endowment for the Arts Announces 2019 National Heritage Fellows |url=https://www.arts.gov/news/2019/national-endowment-arts-announces-2019-nea-national-heritage-fellows |website=arts.gov |publisher=National Endowment for the Arts |date=June 18, 2019 |access-date=July 23, 2019}}</ref>
* [[Dan Ansotegui]], [[Basque music]]ian and tradition bearer
* [[Grant Bulltail]], [[Crow Nation|Crow]] storyteller
* [[Linda Goss]], African-American storyteller
* James F. Jackson, leatherworker
* [[Balla Kouyaté]], [[Balafon|balafon player]] and [[Griot|djeli]]
* [[Josephine Lobato]], Spanish colcha embroiderer
* [[Rich Smoker]], [[decoy]] carver
* [[Las Tesoros de San Antonio]]: Beatriz "La Paloma del Norte" Llamas and Blanquita "Blanca Rosa" Rodríguez, [[Tejano music|Tejano singers]]
* Bob Fulcher, [[Folklore studies|folklorist]]

===2020===
<ref name="2020honorees">{{cite web |title=National Endowment for the Arts Announces 2020 Recipients of Nation's Highest Honor in the Folk and Traditional Arts |url=https://www.arts.gov/news/2020/national-endowment-arts-announces-2020-recipients-nation%E2%80%99s-highest-honor-folk-and |publisher=National Endowment for the Arts |date=June 23, 2020 |access-date=July 27, 2020}}</ref>
* [[William Bell (singer)|William Bell]], soul singer and songwriter 
* [[Onnik Dinkjian]], Armenian folk and liturgical singer 
* [[Zakarya and Naomi Diouf]], West African diasporic dancers 
* [[Karen Ann Hoffman]], Iroquois raised beadworker 
* [[Los Matachines de la Santa Cruz de la Ladrillera]], traditional religious dancers 
* John Morris, old-time fiddler and banjo player 
* [[Suni Paz]], Nueva Canción singer and songwriter 
* [[Wayne Valliere]], birchbark canoe builder 
* [[Hugo Morales (radio)|Hugo N. Morales]], radio producer and radio network builder

===2021===
<ref name="2021honorees">{{cite web |title=National Endowment for the Arts Announces 2021 NEA National Heritage Fellows |url=https://www.arts.gov/about/news/2021/national-endowment-arts-announces-2021-nea-national-heritage-fellows |publisher=National Endowment for the Arts |date=June 15, 2021 |access-date=July 5, 2021}}</ref>
* [[Cedric Burnside]], Hill Country blues musician 
* [[Tagumpay De Leon]], Rondalla musician
* [[Anita Fields]], Osage ribbon worker
* [[Los Lobos]], Mexican-American band
* [[Joanie Madden]], Irish flute player 
* [[Reginald McLaughlin]], tap dancer
* [[Nellie Vera Sánchez]], Mundillo master weaver
* [[Winnsboro Easter Rock Ensemble]], Easter Rock spiritual ensemble
* [[Tom Davenport (filmmaker)|Tom Davenport]], filmmaker, documentarian, and media curator

===2022===
<ref name="2022honorees">{{cite web |title=National Endowment for the Arts Announces 2022 NEA National Heritage Fellows |url=https://www.arts.gov/news/press-releases/2022/national-endowment-arts-announces-2022-nea-national-heritage-fellows |publisher=National Endowment for the Arts |date=June 28, 2022 |access-date=June 29, 2022}}</ref>
* [[Michael Cleveland]], bluegrass fiddler
* [[Eva Enciñias]], [[flamenco]] artist
* [[Excelsior Band]], [[brass band]] musicians
* [[Stanley Jacobs]], [[Fungi (music)|quelbe]] flutist and bandleader
* [[The Legendary Ingramettes]], gospel musicians
* [[Francis Palani Sinenci]], [[Hawaiian_architecture#Hale|Hawaiian hale]] builder
* [[Tsering Wangmo Satho]], Tibetan opera singer and dancer
* [[C. Brian Williams]], [[Step dance|step artist]] and producer
* Shaka Zulu, [[Mardi Gras Indians|Black masking]] craftsman, stilt dancer and musician
* [[TahNibaa Naataanii]], [[Navajo]] (Diné) textile artist and weaver

===2023===
<ref name="2023honorees">{{cite web |title=National Endowment for the Arts Announces 2023 NEA National Heritage Fellows |url=https://www.arts.gov/news/press-releases/2023/national-endowment-arts-announces-2023-nea-national-heritage-fellows |publisher=National Endowment for the Arts |date=February 28, 2023 |access-date=June 23, 2023}}</ref>
* [[R. L. Boyce]], [[Hill country blues]] musician
* [[Ed Eugene Carriere]], [[Suquamish]] basket maker
* [[Michael A. Cummings]], African-American quilter
* [[Little Joe (singer)|Joe DeLeon "Little Joe" Hernández]], Tejano musician
* [[Roen Hufford]], Hawaiian kapa maker
* [[Elizabeth James-Perry]], [[Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head|Wampanoag]] [[wampum]] and fiber artist
* [[Luis Tapia (artist)|Luis Tapia]], Hispano wood sculptor
* [[Wu Man]], Pipa musician
* [[Nick Spitzer]], folklife presenter, educator and radio producer

===2024===
<ref name="2024honorees">{{cite web |title=National Endowment for the Arts Announces 2024 NEA National Heritage Fellows |url=https://www.arts.gov/news/press-releases/2024/national-endowment-arts-announces-2024-nea-national-heritage-fellows |publisher=National Endowment for the Arts |date=February 28, 2024 |access-date=March 26, 2024}}</ref>
* [[Bril Barrett]], tap dancer
* [[Fabian Debora]], [[Chicano]] muralist
* [[Rosie Flores]], [[Rockabilly]] and Country musician
* [[Trimble Gilbert]], [[Gwich'in]] fiddler
* [[Todd Goings]], [[carousel]] carver and restorationist
* [[Susan Hudson (quilter)|Susan Hudson]], [[Navajo|Navajo/Diné]] quilter
* [[Pat Johnson (activist)|Pat Johnson]], community activist and organizer
* [[June Kuramoto]], [[koto (instrument)|Koto]] musician
* [[Sochietah Ung]], Cambodian costume maker and dancer
* [[Zuni Olla Maidens]], traditional [[Zuni people|Zuni]] dancers and singers

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|https://www.arts.gov/honors/heritage}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20200519054148/https://www.arts.gov/honors/heritage/last-name-all List of all NEA National Heritage Fellowships through 2019, by recipient name]

[[Category:National Heritage Fellowship winners| ]]
[[Category:Awards established in 1982]]
[[Category:Arts awards in the United States]]
[[Category:Fellowships]]
[[Category:1982 establishments in the United States]]
[[Category:National Endowment for the Arts]]