2028 NEA Jazz Masters: Nominate US Jazz Performers and Advocates by 12 November 2026
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is accepting nominations for the 2028 NEA Jazz Masters Fellowships, one of the United States' major lifetime honours for individuals who have significantly advanced jazz. The nomination period runs from 15 September to Thursday 12 November 2026, closing at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time. Each selected Jazz Master receives a $25,000 fellowship. The process is not an open competition for a musician to submit their own performance demo: another person must nominate an eligible individual for recognition of a sustained career.
Two categories: jazz performers and jazz advocates
The Performer category evaluates the exceptional artistic contributions a musician has made to the creation, interpretation and performance of jazz. The Jazz Advocate category recognises people whose leadership, education, scholarship, production, mentoring or community work has advanced understanding and appreciation of jazz. These routes cover instrumentalists and singers as well as important individuals behind the scenes; a nomination should explain the nominee's distinctive contribution to the musical field, not simply list the number of performances in a career.
Who may be nominated?
Nominees must be living US citizens or lawful permanent residents of the United States. Posthumous awards cannot be considered. Individuals who have already received a Jazz Masters Fellowship or another NEA lifetime honour such as a National Heritage Fellowship are not eligible, although recipients of the National Medal of Arts may still be considered. The award is available only once in a person's life. The nomination guidelines do not set a strict age range, because the award concerns a substantial contribution across a career rather than emerging-artist status.
Self-nominations and petition campaigns are not allowed
An applicant must not nominate themselves. The NEA also discourages mass petition drives: a single, well-prepared nomination is sufficient for the same person. Nominators can submit more than one different candidate in a year and should focus on accurate, verifiable evidence of artistic achievement and influence. The agency retains nominations for five years unless the nominee is selected or dies, so sending multiple duplicate submissions is unnecessary.
Only two supporting PDFs are required
The application needs a one-page nomination letter explaining why the individual should receive the honour and briefly showing their contribution to jazz. The nominator's name, email address and preferred telephone number must appear in that letter. A résumé or biography of the nominee, not exceeding two pages, is the second mandatory document. Each is uploaded as a separate PDF no larger than 1 MB. The official form also requires the nominator's contact details. Do not include lengthy biographies or media packages in place of the two specified PDFs, and do not omit the nominator's contact details.
Submit online and in English
All nominations are submitted through the NEA's official online form, in English. The agency explicitly does not accept nominations sent by email, fax or postal mail. Applicants choosing Performer or Advocate must make the category clear in the form and ensure the PDF files can be opened. The online nomination is considered complete only when the letter, biography and contact details have been successfully submitted by the Eastern-time deadline.
How the panel considers a nomination
A panel of jazz experts and at least one knowledgeable non-specialist reviews the nominations. Recommendations then move through the National Council on the Arts to the NEA Chair, who makes the ultimate decision. Artistic excellence, contribution to the development and performance of jazz, and the nominee's influence on knowledge and appreciation of jazz are central. A concise, carefully evidenced nomination will be more useful than an overly promotional statement or unsupported claims about influence.
What is the $25,000 award?
The $25,000 is a fellowship honour granted to each selected individual, not a pool of production grants for jazz bands. It is not money available on application to every nominee, and the nomination process does not guarantee funding or a paid tour. Awardees for the 2028 class are expected to be announced in 2027. Since this is a lifetime honour, the support should be described as recognition of an established career rather than as a startup opportunity for an emerging ensemble.
Official nomination guidance and form
Information verified 18 October 2026. The NEA can update deadlines in the event of major emergencies; any such change will be announced on the agency's official website. Questions may be directed to neajazzmasters@arts.gov.