We are absolutely thrilled to announce that gospel and soul legends The Holmes Brothers of Christchurch, Virginia, have just received the NEA’s National Heritage Fellowship, the highest honor the United States bestows upon traditional artists. For nearly 40 years, brothers Wendell and Sherman Holmes, along with friend and neighbor Popsy Dixon, have shared their stunning harmonies and instrumentation with adoring fans across the globe. We could not be more proud!
The National Endowment for the Arts annually awards up to nine NEA National Heritage Fellowships to master folk and traditional artists to honor and preserve our nation’s diverse cultural heritage. These fellowships recognize lifetime achievement, artistic excellence, and contributions to our nation’s traditional arts heritage.
Virginia boasts fourteen National Heritage Award Winners:
- Ralph Stanley (1984)
Appalachian banjo player/singer - John Jackson (1986)
Piedmont Blues songster/guitarist - John Cephas (1989)
Piedmont Blues guitarist/singer - Wayne Henderson (1995)
guitar builder and player - Jim & Jesse McReynolds (1997)
Bluegrass musicians - Joe Wilson (2001)
folklorist, advocate, presenter - Flory Jagoda (2002)
Sephardic musician/composer - Janette Carter (2005)
country musician/advocate - Moges Seyoum (2008)
Ethiopian liturgical musician/scholar - Mac Wiseman (2008)
Bluegrass musician - Mike Seeger (2009)
musician, cultural scholar, advocate - Frank Newsome (2011)
Old Regular Baptist singer - The Paschall Brothers (2012)
Tidewater gospel quartet - The Holmes Brothers (2014)
Blues/gospel musicians
Comments