Programs
ISPA
Awards
Recognizing outstanding contributions to the global performing arts community. Four awards are presented annually, honoring artists, advocates, leaders, and supporters who have made a lasting difference in our field.
Distinguished Artist Award
International Citation of Merit
Award Categories
Four awards. One global community.
Each award recognizes a distinct form of excellence in the performing arts — from artistic brilliance to transformative leadership, from lifelong service to philanthropic vision.
✦ Distinguished Artist Award
Distinguished Artist Award
Presented to artists who have made an outstanding contribution of talent, artistry, dedication, and service to the world of the performing arts. Recipients have gone above and beyond their prowess as performers to shape the global
arts landscape.
All Recipients →
◆ International Citation of Merit
International Citation of Merit
Presented for unique lifetime achievement enriching the international performing arts — not for performance, but for distinguished service within the profession. This includes work as a manager, educator, festival director, architect,
or other associated activities.
All Recipients →
★ Patrick Hayes Award
Patrick Hayes Award
Named for Patrick Hayes — founding President of the International Society of the Arts Foundation and a true change maker. This award recognizes an ISPA member at any career stage who has demonstrated transformative leadership in
the performing arts, including innovation in arts management, presenting, touring, or producing.
All Recipients →
♦ Angel Award
Angel Award
Presented to an individual or organization demonstrating a significant and lasting contribution to the support of the performing arts that transcends the boundaries of one country or institution. This may be through outstanding
philanthropy, advocacy, innovation, scholarship, or curatorship.
All Recipients →
Distinguished Artist
Citation of Merit
Patrick Hayes Award
Angel Award
Emerging Leaders
Celebrating Our Planet
| 2025 |
Yaron Lifschitz, Łukasz Twarkowski, Cindy Van Acker |
| 2024 |
Tania León |
| 2023 |
Phelim McDermott, Hideki Noda, Selina Thompson |
| 2022 |
Shen Wei, Yan Huichang, Jack Charles |
| 2021 |
Camille A. Brown |
| 2020 |
Angélique Kidjo |
| 2019 |
Gustavo Dudamel, Diego Luna, Javier Camarena, Elisa Carrillo Cabrera |
| 2018 |
Taylor Mac, Nasrdin Dchar, Lotte de Beer |
| 2017 |
Peter Brook CH CBE, Margie Gillis, Robert Lepage, Kent Nagano |
| 2016 |
Bill T. Jones, Archie Roach AM |
| 2015 |
David Henry Hwang, Kirsten Dehlholm, Nils Landgren |
| 2014 |
Tan Dun, Totó la Momposina |
| 2013 |
David Lang, Krzysztof Penderecki |
| 2012 |
Mark Morris, Byungki Hwang |
| 2011 |
Karen Kain, Akram Khan, Michael Levine, Luc Plamondon |
| 2010 |
Ruža Pospiš Baldani, Eliza Gerner, Nicholas Hytner, Milko Šparemblek |
| 2009 |
Anna Deavere Smith, Nelson Freire, Grupo Corpo, Fernanda Montenegro |
| 2008 |
Emerson String Quartet, Dr. John Kani, Prof. Joseph Shabalala |
| 2007 |
Regina Carter |
| 2006 |
Madame Pak Suet-sin, Lin Hwai-min, Gilberto Gil |
| 2005 |
Audra McDonald, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies |
| 2004 |
Alejandro Luna Ledesma, Fernando de la Mora |
| 2003 |
Ong Keng Sen, Sardono W. Kusumo, Ravi Shankar |
| 2002 |
Evelyn Glennie, Van Cliburn |
| 2001 |
Peter Sculthorpe, Tan Dun |
| 2000 |
Laurie Anderson, Pina Bausch |
| 1999 |
Maureen Forrester, Cleo Laine & John Dankworth |
| 1998 |
Max Roach, Elisabeth Söderström |
| 1997 |
Yehudit Arnon, Leon Fleisher |
| 1996 |
Sir Cameron Mackintosh, Sir Simon Rattle, Twyla Tharp |
| 1995 |
Eliot Carter, Oscar Peterson |
| 1994 |
Erick Hawkins, Stephen Sondheim, Teresa Stratas, Dame Joan Sutherland, Mandawuy Yunupingu |
| 1993 |
Cab Callaway, Merce Cunningham, Juilliard String Quartet, Christa Ludwig, Kurt Masur |
| 1992 |
Pierre Boulez, Lukas Foss, Skitch Henderson, Amalia Hernandez, Marcel Marceau, Jean Pierre Rampal, Tony Randall |
| 1991 |
Herb Alpert, Ion Caramitru, Henry Mancini, Anna Sokolow, Billy Taylor |
| 1990 |
Sir Colin Davis, Bella Lewitzky, Peter Sellars, Peter Serkin |
| 1989 |
Gerald Arpino, Betty Comden & Adolph Green, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Philip Glass, Sherrill Milnes |
| 1988 |
Elly Ameling, James Levine, Marvin Hamlisch, Kitty Carlisle Hart, Alwin Nikolais |
| 1987 |
Robert Brustein, Sir Yehudi Menuhin, Peter Schickele, Edward Villella, Andre Watts |
| 1986 |
William Schuman, Michael Tilson Thomas, Suzanne Farrell, John Houseman, Dave Brubeck |
| 1985 |
Isaac Stern, Leontyne Price, Paul Taylor, Ruth Gordon, Peter Nero |
| 1984 |
Itzhak Perlman, Alvin Ailey, Roger Stevens, George Shearing |
| 1983 |
Leonard Slatkin, Arthur Mitchell, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. |
| 1982 |
Roberta Peters, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Joshua Logan, Benny Goodman |
| 1981 |
Eugene Ormandy, Robert Joffrey, Pat Carroll, Victor Borge |
| 1980 |
Rise Stevens, Lucia Chase, Hal Holbrook, Ferrante & Teicher |
| 1979 |
Rudolf Serkin, Celia Franca, Fred Waring |
| 1978 |
Alexander Schneider, Jerome Robbins, Helen Hayes |
| 1977 |
Arthur Fiedler, Agnes de Mille, Joseph Papp |
| 1976 |
Arthur Rubinstein, Martha Graham |
| 1975 |
Beverly Sills |
| 2025 |
Cathy Graham, Michael Haefliger |
| 2024 |
Cathie Boyd |
| 2023 |
Lara Foot, Ellen van Loon |
| 2022 |
Winsome Chow, Carmen Romero Quero |
| 2021 |
Margo Kane |
| 2020 |
Joseph V Melillo |
| 2019 |
Alistair Spalding CBE, Mario Espinosa |
| 2018 |
David Staples, Joop Mulder |
| 2017 |
Dr. Ahmad Naser Sarmast, Alain Simard, André Ménard |
| 2016 |
Claudia Toni, Sue Nattrass AO |
| 2015 |
Graham Sheffield CBE |
| 2014 |
Ann Summers Dossena, Octavio Arbelaez |
| 2013 |
Russell Willis Taylor |
| 2012 |
Sir Clive Gillinson, Julia H. Moon |
| 2011 |
Anthony Field |
| 2010 |
Byron Gustafson, Martijn Sanders |
| 2009 |
Maestro José Antonio Abreu |
| 2008 |
Edna Landau, Dr. Miriam Makeba |
| 2007 |
Paul Kellogg |
| 2006 |
Robyn Archer, Prof. Lo King-man |
| 2005 |
Robert Harth, Dorothy Heathcote |
| 2004 |
Palacio de Bellas Artes |
| 2003 |
Val Bourne |
| 2002 |
Lotfi Mansouri |
| 2001 |
Robert Mann |
| 2000 |
Ellen Stewart, Kenneth Tribe |
| 1999 |
Dr. Walter Turnbull |
| 1998 |
Russell Johnson |
| 1997 |
Thea Dispeker |
| 1996 |
David Brierly, Harvey Lichtenstein |
| 2025 |
David Baile, Tisa Ho |
| 2024 |
Mary Lou Aleskie |
| 2023 |
Maria Claudia Parias Durán |
| 2022 |
Anthony Sargent CBE |
| 2021 |
Rika Iino |
| 2020 |
Maria Hansen |
| 2019 |
Jacqueline Z. Davis |
| 2018 |
Cathy Barbash |
| 2017 |
Louise Mitchell |
| 2016 |
Linda Brumbach |
| 2015 |
Susan Stockton |
| 2014 |
Géza Kovács |
| 2013 |
Benson Puah |
| 2012 |
Charles S. Cutts |
| 2011 |
Martha H. Jones |
| 2010 |
Elizabeth Bradley |
| 2009 |
Robert Gilder |
| 2008 |
Judith Lisi |
| 2007 |
David Staples |
| 2006 |
Ruth Felt |
| 2005 |
Shelton G. Stanfill |
| 2003 |
Ken Fischer |
| 2002 |
Anthony Field |
| 2001 |
Douglas Wheeler |
| 2000 |
Frank Salomon |
| 1999 |
Judith Allen & Sheldon Soffer |
| 1997 |
Herbert Barrett |
| 1996 |
Eckard Heintz |
| 1994 |
Clinton Norton |
| 1993 |
Joseph Golden |
| 1989 |
Earl Williams |
| 1987 |
Walter Pierce |
| 1986 |
William Thurnauer |
| 1985 |
Shelton Gold |
| 1984 |
Gail Rector |
| 1983 |
Ruth McCreery |
| 1981 |
Betty C. Connors |
| 1980 |
Patrick Hayes |
| 2025 |
Janet Cowperthwaite, Claus Christiansen & The Danish Research Foundation, Kevin, Rosemary, and Hannah Rose McNeely — KHR McNeely Family Foundation |
| 2024 |
Constantin Chiriac |
| 2023 |
Touretteshero, Douglas H. Wheeler |
| 2022 |
Prof. Tseng Sun-man |
| 2021 |
Virginia Braden OAM |
| 2020 |
Shaw Foundation Hong Kong |
| 2019 |
Michael M. Koerner, Susan Chapman M.B.E. |
| 2017 |
Sarah Billinghurst Solomon, Jacqueline Desmarais O.C. G.O.Q. |
| 2016 |
Elise Wessels, Myer Family |
| 2015 |
New England Foundation for the Arts |
| 2014 |
Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Semana Foundation |
| 2013 |
Petrobras, Polish Radio Channel 2, KGHM Fundacja Polska Miedź S.A., PKO Bank Polski |
| 2012 |
Barbara G. Fleischman, Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation |
| 2011 |
Dame Vivien Duffield DBE |
| 2010 |
Lola Jaffe |
| 2009 |
Dr. James Fleck O.C. |
| 2007 |
The Mirvish Family Foundation |
| 2006 |
Concert Artists Inc., Young Concert Artists Inc. |
| 2005 |
Garfield Weston Foundation, Charles Hamlen |
| 2004 |
Mexico City Historic Center Foundation |
| 2003 |
Jerwood Foundation |
| 2002 |
Walter Carsen, Credit Suisse |
| 2001 |
The Mellon Foundation |
| 2000 |
Alberto Vilar |
| 1996 |
Harry Groen |
| — |
BMW, Leslie Wexner, James D. Wolfensohn |
The Emerging Leaders Award celebrates creative and evolving practice in any aspect of the performing arts including presenting, touring, artist management, and creative producing. ISPA members as well as employees of ISPA members are eligible
to be nominated.
| 2024 |
Denisse Flores Somarriba |
The Celebrating Our Planet Award recognizes excellence and/or innovation with respect to creating, presenting, and/or touring the performing arts in a climate friendly, sustainable manner. This award recognizes the initiative(s) of an
ISPA member or a member of the community as a whole.
| 2025 |
Starmus Festival |
| 2024 |
Aneeshwar Kunchala |
|
