NEA Jazz Masters
Jazz musicians who received the NEA Jazz Masters: list of 159 recipients by year.
Recipients
| 2025 | Marshall Allen American jazz saxophonist, flutist and oboist (born 1924) |
| 2023 | Kenny Garrett American musician |
| 2023 | Regina Carter American jazz violinist |
| 2023 | Louis Hayes American drummer |
| 2021 | Henry Threadgill American jazz musician (born 1944) |
| 2018 | Pat Metheny American jazz musician |
| 2009 | Toots Thielemans Belgian jazz musician (1922–2016) |
| 2008 | Quincy Jones American record producer and composer (1933–2024) |
| 2006 | Tony Bennett American singer (1926–2023) |
| 2004 | Herbie Hancock American jazz pianist and composer (born 1940) |
| 2004 | Luther Henderson American composer and pianist (1919-2003) |
| 2000 | David Baker American jazz composer, trombonist, professor of music and author… |
| 1989 | Hank Jones American jazz pianist, bandleader, arranger and composer (1918-2010) |
| 1985 | Ella Fitzgerald American jazz singer (1917–1996) |
| 1983 | Count Basie American jazz musician and composer (1904–1984) |
| 1983 | Sonny Rollins American jazz saxophonist and composer (1930–2026) |
| — | Miles Davis American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer (1926–1991) |
| — | Dave Brubeck American jazz pianist and composer (1920–2012) |
| — | Dizzy Gillespie American jazz trumpeter (1917–1993) |
| — | Ornette Coleman American jazz saxophonist, violinist, trumpeter, and composer… |
| — | Chick Corea American jazz and fusion pianist, keyboardist, and composer… |
| — | Wynton Marsalis American jazz musician and educator |
| — | Sarah Vaughan American jazz and classical singer (1924–1990) |
| — | George Benson American guitarist and singer (born 1943) |
| — | Dexter Gordon American jazz saxophonist (1923–1990) |
| — | Keith Jarrett American jazz/classical pianist and composer (born 1945) |
| — | Bobby McFerrin American jazz vocalist and composer (born 1950) |
| — | Benny Carter American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer… |
| — | Max Roach American jazz percussionist, drummer, and composer (1924–2007) |
| — | Lionel Hampton American jazz musician (1908–2002) |
| — | Wayne Shorter American jazz saxophonist and composer (1933–2023) |
| — | Sun Ra American jazz composer and bandleader (1914–1993) |
| — | Art Blakey American jazz drummer and bandleader (1919–1990) |
| — | Nancy Wilson American singer (1937–2018) |
| — | Clark Terry American swing and bebop trumpeter (1920–2015) |
| — | Ahmad Jamal American jazz pianist (1930-2023) |
| — | Charlie Haden American musician and educator (1937–2014) |
| — | Cecil Taylor American jazz pianist and poet (1929–2018) |
| — | Dee Dee Bridgewater American singer (born 1950) |
| — | Freddie Hubbard American jazz trumpeter (1938–2008) |
| — | Donald Byrd American recording artist; jazz and rhythm & blues trumpeter and… |
| — | Paquito D'Rivera Cuban musician |
| — | Gil Evans American composer, arranger, bandleader, and pianist (1912–1988) |
| — | Archie Shepp American jazz musician |
| — | Carmen McRae American jazz musician and actress (1922-1994) |
| — | Ron Carter American jazz bassist, cellist, and composer (born 1937) |
| — | McCoy Tyner American jazz pianist (1938–2020) |
| — | Abbey Lincoln American singer (1930–2010) |
| — | Abdullah Ibrahim South African pianist and composer (1934–2026) |
| — | Roy Eldridge American trumpeter (1911–1989) |
| — | Elvin Jones American jazz drummer (1927–2004) |
| — | Teddy Wilson American jazz pianist (1912–1986) |
| — | Art Farmer American jazz trumpeter (1928–1999) |
| — | Stanley Clarke American bassist, film composer and founding member of Return to… |
| — | Jimmy Smith American jazz organist |
| — | Yusef Lateef American jazz multi-instrumentalist, composer, educator and… |
| — | Ray Brown American jazz musician (1926–2002) |
| — | Lee Konitz American jazz musician (1927–2020) |
| — | Carla Bley American jazz composer, pianist, organist and bandleader (1936–2023) |
| — | Anita O'Day American jazz singer (1919–2006) |
| — | Jim Hall American jazz guitarist, composer (1930–2013) |
| — | Pharoah Sanders American jazz saxophonist (1940–2022) |
| — | J. J. Johnson American jazz trombonist, composer and arranger (1924–2001) |
| — | Marian McPartland British pianist, composer, writer and radio host (1918–2013) |
| — | Gary Burton American vibraphonist |
| — | Horace Silver American jazz pianist and composer (1928–2014) |
| — | Cassandra Wilson American jazz singer, songwriter, and producer from Jackson… |
| — | Benny Golson American bebop/hard bop jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and… |
| — | Milt Jackson American musician (1923–1999) |
| — | Joe Henderson American jazz saxophonist (1937–2001) |
| — | Anthony Braxton American musician, composer and philosopher (born 1945) |
| — | Roy Haynes American jazz drummer and group leader (1925–2024) |
| — | Toshiko Akiyoshi Japanese American jazz pianist, composer, arranger, band master |
| — | Kenny Burrell American jazz guitarist (born 1931) |
| — | Artie Shaw American clarinetist, composer, and bandleader (1910-2004) |
| — | Dianne Reeves American jazz singer |
| — | John Lewis American jazz pianist, composer and arranger (1920–2001) |
| — | Lou Donaldson American saxophonist (1926–2024) |
| — | Betty Carter American jazz singer, recording artist, songwriter (1929–1998) |
| — | Randy Weston American jazz pianist (1926–2018) |
| — | Phil Woods American jazz alto saxophonist, clarinetist, bandleader, and… |
| — | Cedar Walton American jazz pianist (1934–2013) |
| — | Tommy Flanagan American jazz pianist (1930-2001) |
| — | Gunther Schuller American composer and conductor (1925–2015) |
| — | Charles Lloyd American jazz musician |
| — | Billy Taylor American jazz pianist, composer, broadcaster, and educator (1921-2010) |
| — | Eddie Palmieri American musician |
| — | Ramsey Lewis American jazz composer (1935–2022) |
| — | Ray Barretto American percussionist and bandleader of Puerto Rican ancestry… |
| — | Kenny Clarke American jazz drummer (1914–1985) |
| — | Branford Marsalis American saxophonist, composer, and bandleader |
| — | Joe Williams American jazz singer (1918–1999) |
| — | Sheila Jordan American jazz singer (1928–2025) |
| — | James Moody American jazz musician (1925-2010) |
| — | Kenny Barron American jazz pianist |
| — | Bob Brookmeyer American jazz valve trombonist, pianist, arranger, and composer… |
| — | Chico Hamilton American musician (1921–2013) |
| — | Bobby Hutcherson American jazz vibraphone and marimba player (1941–2016) |
| — | Buddy DeFranco American jazz clarinetist and bandleader (1923–2014) |
| — | Dick Hyman American jazz pianist and composer |
| — | Jackie McLean American jazz saxophonist, composer, bandleader, and educator… |
| — | Andrew Hill American jazz pianist and composer (1931-2007) |
| — | Mose Allison American jazz blues pianist and singer (1927–2016) |
| — | Jay McShann American blues, jazz, and swing bandleader, pianist and singer… |
| — | Louie Bellson American jazz drummer (1924–2009) |
| — | Shirley Horn American singer (1934–2005) |
| — | Curtis Fuller American jazz musician (1932–2021) |
| — | Dave Liebman American jazz composer, saxophonist and flautist |
| — | Dave Holland British jazz musician |
| — | Terri Lyne Carrington American drummer (born 1965) |
| — | Jimmy Cobb American jazz drummer (1929–2020) |
| — | Ellis Marsalis Jr. American jazz pianist and educator (1934–2020) |
| — | Muhal Richard Abrams American musician (1930-2017) |
| — | Annie Ross British-American actress, singer and vocalist |
| — | Johnny Mandel American composer and arranger of popular songs, film music and jazz… |
| — | George Russell American pianist and composer (1923–2009) |
| — | Jimmy Heath American jazz saxophonist, composer, arranger and big band leader… |
| — | Harry Edison American trumpeter (1915-1999) |
| — | Roscoe Mitchell American jazz musician (born 1940) |
| — | Jo Jones American jazz drummer (1911–1985) |
| — | Hubert Laws American flutist and saxophonist |
| — | Maria Schneider Jazz bandleader and composer |
| — | Frank Wess American saxophonist, flutist, composer and arranger |
| — | Barry Harris American jazz pianist and educator (1929–2021) |
| — | Slide Hampton American trombonist (1932–2021) |
| — | Percy Heath American musician (1923–2005) |
| — | Albert Heath American drummer (1935–2024) |
| — | Jimmy Scott American jazz singer (1925-2014) |
| — | Buck Clayton American jazz trumpeter (1911-1991) |
| — | Frank Foster American jazz musician and bandleader (1928–2011) |
| — | Billy Hart American jazz drummer |
| — | Lonnie Smith American jazz musician (1942–2021) |
| — | Richard Davis American double-bassist (1930-2023) |
| — | Billy Higgins American jazz drummer (1936–2001) |
| — | Cándido Camero Cuban percussionist (1921-2020) |
| — | Jon Hendricks American jazz singer, lyricist, jazz critic and historian (1921–2017) |
| — | Gerald Wilson American trumpetist (1918–2014) |
| — | Bill Holman American composer, arranger, and conductor (1927–2024) |
| — | George Coleman American jazz saxophonist (b. 1935) |
| — | Reggie Workman American double-bassist |
| — | Milt Hinton American musician and photographer (1910-2000) |
| — | Andy Kirk American jazz saxophonist and tubist, bandleader (1898-1992) |
| — | Melba Liston American jazz trombonist, musical arranger, and composer (1926–1999) |
| — | George Wein American promoter and musician (1925–2021) |
| — | Dorothy Donegan American jazz pianist (1922–1998) |
| — | Danny Barker American jazz musician (1909–1994) |
| — | Donald Harrison American musician (born 1960) |
| — | John Levy American musician (1912-2012) |
| — | Joanne Brackeen American jazz pianist and music educator |
| — | Snooky Young American musician (1919–2011) |
| — | Delfeayo Marsalis American trombonist |
| — | Cleo Brown American singer (1909–1995) |
| — | Von Freeman American jazz saxophonist (1923–2012) |
| — | Joe Wilder American trumpeter (1922-2014) |
| — | Bob Dorough American pianist and singer (1923-2018) |
| — | Tom McIntosh American musician (1927–2017) |
| — | Jason Marsalis American drummer |
| — | Jamey Aebersold American musician |
| — | Jimmy Owens American jazz trumpeter, composer, lecturer, and educator |