The Handel Medallion is an American award presented by the City of New York. It is the city's highest award given to individuals for their contribution to the city's intellectual and cultural life.
Establishment The award was first issued in 1959 to Virginia Portia Royall Inness-Brown, upon the 200th anniversary of the death of George Frideric Handel (1685–1759), the German-British Baroque composer, noted for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. The award was established under New York City Mayor Robert F. Wagner Jr.
Award winners Year Recipient Notes1959 Virginia Portia Royall Inness-Brown (1901–1990) 1964 Sidney Poitier (1927–2022) 1965 Joseph B. Martinson (1914–1970) Wagner files (January 12, 1965). "Text of Speech by Mayor Robert F. Wagner at Reception Meeting of the New York Shakespeare Festival". Robert F. Wagner Documents Collection Retrieved October 27, 2104.1966 David Sarnoff, Justino Diaz, and Lionel Hampton 1967 Richard Rodgers (1902–1979), William Schuman 1968 Janet D. Schenck 1969 Claire Raphael Reis 1970 Martha Graham, George Balanchine, Aaron Copland, Alice Tully 1971 Joseph Papp 1972 Harold Arlen, Charlie Chaplin, Elia Kazan, Dizzy Gillespie Gillespie, Dizzy with Al Fraser. To Be Or Not To Bop. New York: Da Capo Press. 1979.1973 Duke Ellington, Melissa Hayden, Lincoln Kirstein, Beverly Sills 1974 Oratorio Society of New York 1975 Joshua Logan 1976 George Abbott, Margot Fonteyn, Agnes de Mille, Jerome Robbins 1977 Marian Anderson, Leonard Bernstein 1978 Elliott Carter 1980 Marilyn Horne 1981 Lena Horne 1982 John Lennon 1985 Leontyne Price 1986 Alexandra Danilova, Antony Tudor 1988 Alvin Ailey 1989 Charles Wadsworth 1993 Robert Merrill, Arthur Mitchell 1997 Skitch Henderson (1918–2005) 1999 Merce Cunningham 2002 Licia Albanese, Roberta Peters 2008 Neil Simon 2009 Jessye Norman Press release (December 8, 1997). "MAYOR BLOOMBERG PRESENTS 2009 MAYOR’S AWARDS FOR ARTS & CULTURE AT FRANK SINATRA SCHOOL OF THE ARTS". Mayor of New York City's Press Office. Retrieved July 18, 2019.2010 Judith Jamison 2011 Stephen Sondheim 2013 Harvey Lichtenstein
Years unknown:
Ivan Davis Justino Díaz Geraldine Fitzgerald Benny Goodman Gary Graffman Kitty Carlisle Hart Robert Joffrey Vincent La Selva Jaime Laredo Yehudi Menuhin Renata Tebaldi Peter Wilhousky
See also
List of awards for contributions to culture
References