American Eagle Awards

Each year the Council presents its annual American Eagle Awards to honor individuals and institutions who have made comprehensive contribution to musical life in America.

The awards and the NMC’s frequent Leadership in Music Symposia bring together some of the nation’s most respected creators, legislators, educators, and music industry professionals to discuss issues of import to the music community and the country as a whole.

Previous American Eagle Award Recipients:

1982: Yehudi Menuin and Jule Styne
1983: Van Cliburn and Benny Goodman
1984: Virgil Thomson and Lionel Hampton
1985: George Wein (Kool Jazz Festival) and Otto Luening
1986: Morton Gould and Dizzy Gillespie
1987: Odetta and Carnegie Hall (Isaac Stern)
1988: Betty Allen and Dave Brubeck
1989: William Schuman and Blue Note Records (Bruce Lundvall, President)
1990: Rise Stevens and Billy Taylor
1991: Marian Anderson and Peter Schickele
1992: Elliott Carter and Max Roach
1993: Lena Horne and Roberta Peters
1994: Richard Riley and Jim Chapin
1995: Dorothy DeLay and Lee Eliot Berk
1996: Betty Carter, Bob McGrath and Shari Lewis
1997: Phil Ramone, The Oak Ridge Boys
1998: The Marsalis Family, John Sykes, Texaco, Inc. (Corporate Award)
1999: Roy Clark and Clark Terry, American Express (Corporate Award)
2000: Schuyler Chapin, Roberta Guaspari, And Leonard Slatkin
2001: John Corigliano, Michael Kamen, and Marian McPartland
2002: Margaret Whiting, Dawn Upshaw; United Service Organizations (USO)
2003: Richie Havens, William Warfield, The Waverly Consort
2004: Hal David, Frances W. Preston, Metlife Foundation
2005: Stephen Sondheim, Sesame Workshop, Congressman John Conyers Jr., Senator Orrin Hatch
2006: Richard Adler, Barbara Cook, Ervin M. Drake, Henry Juszkiewicz
2007: Clive Davis, Sheldon Harnick, VH1 Save the Music Foundation
2008: Lorin Maazel and Tom Chapin
2009: Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones,  The Hard Rock Cafe
2010: Kenny Rogers, Suzanne Vega, Ann Ruckert, John Mahlmann, Musical Instrument Museum
2011: PaquitoD'Rivera, Nile Rodgers, Peter Yarrow, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation
2012: Theodore Bickel, Judy Collins, Paul Shaffer, Sonny Fox (Golden Eagle Award), Cracker Barrel Country Store
2015: Kris Kristofferson, Jim Lauderdale, Jim Halsey, Sherman Halsey, Music Makes Us
2016: Emmylou Harris, Vince Gill, Grand Ole Opry
2017: Crystal Gayle, Patti Smith, Harry Shearer
2018: Chick Corea, The Manhattan Transfer
2019: George Clinton, Vince Guaraldi, The Country Music Hall of Fame
2021: Take 6, Music Educators of America
2022: David Lowery
2023: Ray Chew and Vivian Scott Chew