The Doris Duke Artist Award is undertaken by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and designed to "empower, invest in and celebrate artists by offering multi-year, unrestricted funding as a response to financial and funding challenges both unique to the performing arts and to each grantee". Started in 2011, the program supports artists in jazz, theatre, and contemporary dance. The Doris Duke Artist Award now offers up to $575,000 of individual support ($550,000 in unrestricted funding and up to $25,000 to artists who have demonstrated that they are saving towards later years of their career). The prize was $275,000 until it was doubled 2023 in commemoration of the 10th Anniversary of the program and Doris Duke Foundation's continued commitment to supporting individual performing artists. Two classes of Doris Duke Impact Awards totaling $80,000 were made in 2014 and 2015, but the program was discontinued after that.
Eligibility Individuals are nominated for the award by nominators who are experts in the fields DDCF funds, as well as by previous Doris Duke Artists, and become eligible for the Award when they have won at least three designated national or regional grants, awards, or accolades. An anonymous panel reviews all eligible artists and recommends a class of recipients every year.
Recipients
2012 Artist Award Recipients Anne Bogart, theatre Don Byron, jazz Wally Cardona, dance Rinde Eckert, theatre Bill Frisell, jazz Deborah Hay, dance John Hollenbeck, jazz Vijay Iyer, jazz Marc Bamuthi Joseph, theatre Elizabeth LeCompte, theatre Young Jean Lee, theatre Ralph Lemon, dance Richard Maxwell, theatre Sarah Michelson, dance Bebe Miller, dance Nicole Mitchell, jazz Meredith Monk, dance Eiko Otake, dance Takashi Koma Otake, dance Basil Twist, theatre Reggie Wilson, dance
2013 Artist Award Recipients Anthony Braxton Billy Childs Ping Chong Kelly Copper Lisa D'Amour DD Dorvillier Amir ElSaffar David Gordon Pat Graney Stacy Klein David Lang Pavol Liska Rudresh Mahanthappa John Malpede Miya Masaoka Myra Melford Tere O'Connor William Parker Elizabeth Streb Jawole Willa Jo Zollar
2014 Impact Award Recipients Muhal Richard Abrams Ambrose Akinmusire Steve Coleman Anna Halprin Trajal Harrell Julia Jarcho Jennifer Lacey Jodi Melnick Ben Monder Jennifer Monson Dean Moss Lucia Neare Aruán Ortiz Matana Roberts Tina Satter Jen Shyu Johnny Simons Michael Sommers Adrienne Truscott Cristal Chanelle Truscott
2014 Artist Award Recipients John Collins Joanna Haigood David Henry Hwang John Jasperse Emily Johnson Bill T. Jones Melanie Joseph Nancy Keystone Lisa Kron Oliver Lake Steve Lehman Tarell Alvin McCraney Roscoe Mitchell Zeena Parkins Annie-B Parson Ranee Ramaswamy Peggy Shaw Craig Taborn Randy Weston
2015 Artist Award Recipients
Muhal Richard Abrams Ambrose Akinmusire Darcy James Argue Camille A. Brown Ronald K. Brown Ann Carlson Nora Chipaumire Steve Coleman Paul S. Flores Cynthia Hopkins Daniel Alexander Jones Alonzo King Okkyung Lee Linda Parris-Bailey Stephen Petronio Mildred Ruiz-Sapp Steven Sapp Shawn Sides Yosvany Terry Doug Varone
2015 Impact Award Recipients Becca Blackwell Kris Davis Lear deBessonet Mark Dresser Michelle Ellsworth Beth Gill Milford Graves Ishmael Houston-Jones Morgan Jenness Heather Kravas Dohee Lee Dianne McIntyre Matt Mitchell Carlos Murillo Brooke O'Harra Susan Rethorst Tyshawn Sorey Henry Threadgill Reggie Workman Pamela Z
2016 Artist Award Recipients Kyle Abraham Sharon Bridgforth Dave Douglas Faye Driscoll Janie Geiser Miguel Gutierrez Fred Hersch Wayne Horvitz Taylor Mac Dianne McIntyre Jason Moran Mark Morris Lynn Nottage Thaddeus Phillips Will Power Aparna Ramaswamy Matana Roberts Jen Shyu Wadada Leo Smith Morgan Thorson Henry Threadgill
2018 Artist Award Recipients Dee Dee Bridgewater Regina Carter Michelle Dorrance Stefon Harris Muriel Miguel Okwui Okpokwasili Rosalba Rolón
2019 Artist Award Recipients
Donald Byrd Terri Lyne Carrington Michelle Ellsworth Marcus Gardley George E. Lewis Lauren Yee
2020 Artist Award Recipients
Ana María Alvarez Andrew Cyrille Sean Dorsey Michael John Garcés Rennie Harris Dael Orlandersmith Cécile McLorin Salvant Pam Tanowitz
2021 Arts Award Recipients
Lileana Blain-Cruz Teo Castellanos Kris Davis Dormeshia Sumbry-Edwards Cynthia Oliver Danilo Pérez Wayne Shorter
2023 Arts Award Recipients
Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah Charlotte Brathwaite Ayodele Casel Somi Kakoma a.k.a. Somi Rosy Simas Kristina Wong
2024 Artist Award Recipients Nataki Garrett Shamel Pitts Acosia Red Elk esperanza spalding Chay Yew Miguel Zenón
2025 Artist Award Recipients Trajal Harrell Raja Feather Kelly Aya Ogawa Kassa Overall Kaneza Schaal Brandee Younger
References
Doris Duke Artist Awards | Unrestricted Support for Artists | Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Doris Duke Performing Artist Awards Arts - Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Creative Capital - Investing in Artists who Shape the Future Doris Duke Foundation Announces Inaugural Doris Duke Artists, Receiving $225,000 Grants; Anne Bogart, Rinde Eckert Among Recipients - Playbill.com New York Artists Lead Doris Duke Awards Anne Bogart, Rinde Eckert, Young Jean Lee, Basil Twist Among Doris Duke Artists - TheaterMania.com Duke Foundation creates nation's biggest artist-grant program Research nonprofits, funders, and grants Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Announces First Recipients in Performing Artists Initiative