The National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA) The NCTA is the nation’s oldest multicultural arts presenting organization. For over eight decades, through festivals, tours, symposia, exhibits, and media productions, the NCTA has showcased the very best of the myriad grassroots folk, tribal and ethnic cultures that comprise our diverse nation.
About the National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowships
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) National Heritage Fellowship is the highest honor that our nation bestows upon its folk and traditional artists. Each year, nine to thirteen individuals—“national living treasures” from across the nation—are chosen to receive this one-time-only Fellowship in recognition of lifetime achievement, artistic excellence, and contributions to our nation’s cultural heritage. Bess Lomax Hawes, first director of NEA’s Folk & Traditional Arts Program, created the National Heritage Fellowships in 1982, and in 2000 the Bess Lomax Hawes National Heritage Fellowship was established to honor an individual who has made a significant contribution to the preservation and awareness of cultural heritage.
Since 1983, the NCTA has organized the annual week of activities in Washington, D.C. honoring Fellowship recipients. These include a Capitol Hill award ceremony, a banquet in the Great Hall of the Library of Congress and, until 2019, a culminating gala public concert featuring the Fellowship awardees produced by the NCTA. From 2020-2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the concert was re-imagined as a film, taking viewers across the country, visiting with each Fellow in their home communities. 2023 saw the return of an in-person gathering with a special public presentation as well as the award ceremony and banquet. The NCTA has continued to produce documentary films on each Fellow in association with Hypothetical, and in 2024, they were screened at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
For information on how to nominate a deserving traditional artist for a National Endowment for the Arts’ National Heritage Fellowship, visit the NEA’s website.
Current class of NEA National Heritage Fellows
Gathering in Fellowship: The Legacy and Impact of NEA National Heritage Fellows
WATCH: National Heritage Fellow tributes and past concerts
LISTEN: to the latest from NEA National Heritage Fellows
EXPLORE: the interactive Masters of Tradition map
2025 National Heritage Fellows
The NEA will honor the 2025 NEA National Heritage Fellows at an award ceremony on Wednesday September 17, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. ET. The event will include remarks by NEA Senior Advisor Mary Anne Carter, members of Congress, and the honorees, as well as performances by and in honor of the recipients. This event is hosted by the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.
Watch the live webcast at arts.gov/heritage on September 17!
Carmen Baron, Mexican folk costume maker and dancer (Tucson, Arizona)
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.
Peniel Guerrier, Haitian dancer, drummer, and educator (Astoria, New York)
An internationally renowned dancer and teacher, Peniel Guerrier has dedicated his life to preserving and promoting Haiti’s rich cultural heritage through dance and drumming, influenced by Haitian history and traditional Vodou practices.
Adrienne Reiko Iwanaga, Bon Odori dancer, teacher, and choreographer (Saratoga, California)
Adrienne Reiko Iwanaga has preserved and revitalized the traditional Japanese folk dance of Bon Odori, sparking new interest in the art form and expanding its reach and popularity through her innovative approach and artistic contributions.
Ernie Marsh, bit & spur maker and silversmith (Lovell, Wyoming)
Characterized by high-relief engraving, engraved steel, and French Gray finishes, Ernie Marsh’s craftsmanship is instantly recognizable and known among horsemen, collectors, and fellow makers for its balance of function and beauty.
Edward Poullard, Creole musician (Beaumont, Texas)
A third-generation Creole musician, Edward Poullard mastered various instruments throughout his musical journey and is known for teaching Creole and Cajun fiddle and accordion styles throughout the United States and Europe.
Steven Tamayo (Sicangu Lakota), traditional Lakota artist & educator (Omaha, Nebraska)
Steve Tamayo has spent decades reclaiming and celebrating Lakota culture through his art, helping students deepen their knowledge of traditional activities like regalia making, drumming, and powwow dancing, which are vital to cultural preservation and unity.
Tamayo is the 2025 recipient of the Bess Lomax Hawes National Heritage Fellowship, presented in recognition of an individual who has made a significant contribution to the preservation and awareness of cultural heritage.
Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus of North America, men’s choral & bandura ensemble (Detroit, Michigan)
A musical ambassador of Ukrainian culture, music, and the bandura (a lute-harp hybrid instrument), the Ukrainian Bandurist Chorus of North America has its roots in pre-World War II Ukraine, and regularly travels for rehearsals, performances, and other community-supported events.
Flip through the program booklet below.
Gathering in Fellowship: The Legacy and Impact of NEA National Heritage Fellows
In September 2023, NEA National Heritage Fellows from the 2020-23 classes joined together in a convening titled Gathering in Fellowship: The Legacy and Impact of NEA National Heritage Fellows. At the gathering, the fellows explored topics such as: 1) the people, support systems, and community processes that have been a part of their journey and ultimate success as artists, 2) the legacy and impact of receiving the award on both themselves as individuals and on their communities, 3) connections between artmaking and their lived environments, and 4) the role the NEA plays or can play in supporting their creative work. Read a summary of the fellows’ conversations.
Watch National Heritage Fellow tributes and concerts
Starting in 2017, the NEA and the NCTA have worked with the Fellows, state arts agencies, folklorists and filmmakers to create short, documentary-style videos showcasing the artistry of each Fellow, their home community, and their traditions. These beautifully told tributes shine a light on the nation’s preeminent master artists and the cultural communities they represent. In 2020, we began working with Hypothetical to produce short documentary films on each Fellow. Click the links below to watch the films, gala concerts, and more.
2017-present NEA National Heritage Fellow tributes
2010-present NEA National Heritage Fellowships concerts and award ceremonies
Listen to the latest from NEA National Heritage Fellows
American Routes public radio series semi-annually airs programs highlighting recent National Heritage Fellows. Tune in on Thanksgiving and Memorial Day for these special programs. For the latest, click here.
NEA’s podcasts featuring National Heritage Fellows explore the honorees and their distinct art forms through one-on-one interviews.
Explore the interactive Masters of Tradition map
Masters of Tradition: A Cultural Journey Across America is an interactive story map and multimedia library from Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage showcasing the lives and works of National Heritage Fellows. Launching on September 16, this online resource documents and celebrates the cultural complexity and richness of the United States.
“The folk and traditional arts which include music, crafts, dance, storytelling, and others are those that are learned as part of the cultural life of a community whose members share a common ethnic heritage, language, religion, occupation, or geographic region. These traditions are shaped by the aesthetics and values of a shared culture and are passed from generation to generation, most often within family and community through observation, conversation, and practice.”
National Endowment for the Arts
