Smith, Roberts, Hersch Among Winners of Doris Duke Artist Awards

News, Henry Threadgill, Fred Hersch, Wadada Leo Smith, Dave Douglas, Wayne Horvitz, Jen Shyu, Jason Moran, Matana Roberts

By Brian Zimmerman I May. 18, 2016

Matana Roberts is among the recipients of the 2016 Doris Duke Artist Awards for jazz.
(Photo: Paula Court)

Trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith, saxophonist Matana Roberts and pianist Fred Hersch are among the jazz artists recognized as recipients of the fifth annual Doris Duke Artist Awards, presented by The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (DDCF).

Appointed in recognition of an artist’s ongoing contribution to the fields of dance, jazz and theater, awardees will each receive $275,000 in flexible, multi-year funding as well as financial and legal counseling, professional development activities and peer-to-peer learning opportunities.

This year, a total of eight jazz artists were honored with the prestigious award. Other winners in the jazz category include trumpeter Dave Douglas, pianist-composer Wayne Horvitz, pianist Jason Moran, multi-instrumentalist Jen Shyu and reedist Henry Threadgill, who in April won a Pulitzer Prize for music for his album In For A Penny, In For A Pound (Pi).

With the 2016 class, DDCF will have awarded approximately $27.7 million to 101 noteworthy artists.

According to its website, the mission of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation is to support the performing arts, environmental conservation, medical research and child well-being through preservation of the cultural and environmental legacy of philanthropist Doris Duke’s properties.