From its inception, jazz has been one of the essential elements of American music and Broadcast Music, Inc. has supported many of the most important composers in the field. Since 1982, the National Endowment for the Arts has honored some of the finest creators of jazz with their annual Jazz Masters Fellowship, the highest recognition that our government bestows upon jazz musicians.
Of the more than 157 individuals to receive this prestigious honor to date, 97 are BMI composers and include such giants as innovators Miles Davis and Dave Brubeck, vocalists Betty Carter and Anita O’Day, bassists Ron Carter and Percy Heath and improvisers like Sonny Rollins and Ornette Coleman.
BMI’s NEA Jazz Masters Honor Roll
Muhal Richard Abrams – 2010
Mose Allison – 2013
Ray Barretto - 2006
Kenny Barron - 2010
George Benson - 2009
Art Blakey – 1988
Carla Bley - 2015
Joanne Brackeen - 2018
Anthony Braxton - 2014
Bob Brookmeyer – 2006
Ray Brown - 1995
Dave Brubeck - 1999
Gary Burton - 2016
Donald Byrd – 2000
Terri Lyne Carrington 2021
Betty Carter - 1992
Ron Carter - 1998
Stanley Clarke - 2022
George Coleman - 2015
Chick Corea - 2006
Paquito D’Rivera – 2005
Miles Davis - 1984
Jack DeJohnette - 2012
Lou Donaldson - 2013
Gil Evans - 1985
Art Farmer - 1999
Tommy Flanagan - 1996
Von Freeman - 2012
Curtis Fuller - 2007
Benny Golson - 1996
Dexter Gordon – 1986
Charlie Haden - 2012
Jim Hall - 2004
Foreststorn “Chico” Hamilton - 2004
Lionel Hampton - 1988
Herbie Hancock - 2004
Barry Harris - 1989
Billy Hart - 2022
Roy Haynes - 1995
Albert “Tootie” Heath 2021
Percy Heath - 2002
Jimmy Heath - 2003
Luther Henderson - 2004
Joe Henderson - 1999
Billy Higgins - 1997
Andrew Hill - 2008
Dave Holland - 2017
Freddie Hubbard - 2006
Bobby Hutcherson - 2010
Milt Jackson - 1997
Ahmad Jamal – 1994
Keith Jarrett - 2014
James Louis “J.J.” Johnson – 1996
Quincy Jones - 2008
Elvin Jones - 2003
Sheila Jordan – 2012
Lee Konitz - 2009
Yusef Lateef - 2010
Hubert Laws – 2011
John Levy - 2006
John Lewis - 2001
Ramsey Lewis - 2007
David Liebman - 2011
Abbey Lincoln – 2003
Charles Lloyd - 2015
Delfeayo Marsalis - 2011
Bobby McFerrin - 2020
Tom McIntosh - 2008
Jackie McLean - 2001
Pat Metheny - 2018
James Moody – 1998
Anita O’Day – 1997
Jimmy Owens - 2012
Eddie Palmieri - 2013
Sun Ra - 1982
Max Roach - 1984
Sonny Rollins - 1983
Annie Ross - 2010
George Russell - 1990
Pharaoh Sanders - 2016
Gunther Schuller - 2008
Archie Sheep - 2016
Wayne Shorter - 1998
Jimmy Smith - 2005
Lonnie Smith - 2017
Cecil Taylor - 1990
Clark Terry - 1991
Jean-Baptiste “Toots” Thielemans - 2009
McCoy Tyner – 2002
Sarah Vaughan - 1989
Cedar Walton – 2010
Frank Wess - 2007
Randy Weston – 2001
Nancy Wilson - 2004
Gerald Wilson - 1990
Phil Woods – 2007
Reggie Workman - 2020