Bruce Springsteen receives prestigious National Medal of Arts award from President Biden
The National Medal of Arts
Last updated 22nd Mar 2023
Bruce Springsteen has received a National Medal of Arts award from President Joe Biden, the highest honour given to artists and arts patrons by the United States government.
The Boss picked up his prestigious gong at a White House ceremony hosted by President Joe Biden at 4.30pm US time yesterday (21st March). Bruce's fellow recipients from the world of music were Gladys Knight and Jose Feliciano.
The singer is part of the 2021 class of the National Medal of Arts – the ceremony has previously been stalled due to the pandemic.
"The National Medal of Arts recipients have helped to define and enrich our nation’s cultural legacy through their life long passionate commitment," says National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Chair Maria Rosario Jackson.
"We are a better nation because of their contributions. Their work helps us see the world in different ways. It inspires us to reach our full potential and recognize our common humanity. I join the President in congratulating and thanking them."
Lavishing Bruce with praise, the statement describes him as "one of our greatest performers and storytellers," before adding: "Bruce Springsteen’s music celebrates our triumphs, heals our wounds, and gives us hope, capturing the unyielding spirit of what it means to be American."
Other recipients of National Medal of Arts today include actor Julia Louis-Dreyfus, designer Vera Wang and The Billie Holiday Theatre.
The National Medal of Arts is the third honour Bruce Springsteen has picked up at The White House following his Kennedy Center Honors award from President Barack Obama in 2009, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Obama in 2016.
First awarded in 1985 by President Ronald Reagan, The National Medal of Arts honours "outstanding contributions to the excellence, growth, support and availability of the arts in the United States."
Previous recipients over the past 38 years include Dolly Parton, Bob Dylan, James Taylor, Ray Charles, Fats Domino, Alison Krauss, Buddy Guy, Linda Ronstadt and Herb Alpert.
Bruce Springsteen plays sold-out UK stadium and festival shows in Edinburgh, Birmingham and London this summer.
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Now read:
Everything you need to know about Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band's 2023 UK tour
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