Accolades

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 Throughout his life, Dave Brubeck was honored with several awards including the Kennedy Center Honor, Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and National Medal of Arts. Learn more below.

 

Arts Awards

  • Stamford Center for the Arts – Arts Legacy Award (2010)

  • Festival International de Jazz, Montreal, Miles Davis Award (2010)

  • Kennedy Center Honors (2009)

  • U.S. State Department Benjamin Franklin Award for Public Diplomacy (2008)

  • California Hall of Fame (2008)

  • Living Legacy Jazz Award, Kennedy Center (2007)

  • BBC Jazz Lifetime Achievement Award (2007)

  • Arison Award from the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts (2007)

  • National Arts Club Medal of Honor (2003)

  • Library of Congress, Living Legend Award (2003)

  • American Classical Music Hall of Fame (2003)

  • California Golden State Award, California Library Association (2000)

  • James Smithson Bicentennial Medal, Smithsonian Institute (2000)

  • F.A.M.E. Award, Music Educators National Conference (2000)

  • Jazz Master, National Endowment for the Arts (2000)

  • The Spirit of the City Award, Cathedral of St John Divine, New York City (1999)

  • Cyril Magnin Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts, City of San Francisco (1997)

  • Achievement In The Arts Award, Northwood University, West Palm Beach, FL (1996)

  • American Jazz Hall of Fame, Rutgers Univ. Inst. of Jazz Studies, Brunswick, NJ (1995)

  • National Medal of Arts, National Endowment for the Arts (1994)BMI Jazz All Star (1990)

  • DownBeat Hall of Fame (1994)

  • National Medal of Arts, National Endowment for the Arts (1994)

  • The Gerard Manley Hopkins Award (1990)

  • American Eagle Award presented by the National Music Council (1988)

  • Tiffany Award for Excellence, International Society of Performing Arts Administrators (1987)

  • Connecticut Arts Award (1987)

  • The Compestela (Humanitarian) Award, The Basilica Of St. James, Brooklyn, NY (1985)

  • Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording, 1716 Vine Street, Hollywood (1976)

 

Grammy Awards

  • Nomination, Best Instrumental Composition (with Chris Brubeck) “Ansel Adams: America” (2012)

  • Grammy - Win - Best Classical Crossover Album, “Yo Yo Ma & Friends: Songs of Joy & Peace” (2009)

  • Grammy - Lifetime Achievement Award (1996)

  • Nomination, Best Instrumental Composition, “Autumn” (1993)

  • Nomination, Best Instrumental Jazz Performance - Small Group Or Soloist With Small Group - “Compadres” (1968)

  • Nomination, Best Original Jazz Composition, “Theme for Mr. Broadway” (1964)

  • Nomination, Best Instrumental Performance - Jazz, “Dave Brubeck at Carnegie Hall” (1963)

  • Nomination, Best Original Composition, “Unsquare Dance” (1961)

  • Nomination, Record of the Year, “Take Five” (1961)

  • Nomination, Best Jazz Composition of More Than 5 Minutes, "Blue Rondo a la Turk" (1960)

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Jazz Awards

  • Detroit Jazz Festival – Jazz Guardian Award (2013)

  • Monterey Jazz Festival Legends Award (2007)

  • SF Jazz, Lifetime Achievement Award (2005)

  • Jazz Journalists Association, Lifetime Achievement Award (2004)

  • Broadcast Music Inc. Jazz All Stars (1990)

  • BMI Jazz Pioneer Award, Broadcast Music, Inc. (1967)

  • Billboard Award, Favorite College Radio Instrumental Group – Jazz (1965, 1966)

  • Billboard Award, American Disc Jockeys’ Favorite Instrumental Group (1962)

  • DownBeat Award, Best Jazz Group - Dave Brubeck Quartet (2010)

  • DownBeat Hall of Fame (1994)

  • DownBeat Award, Personality of the Year - Dave Brubeck (1954, 1955)

  • DownBeat Award, Second Place, Piano - Dave Brubeck (1953, 1954)

  • DownBeat Award, First Place, Instrumental Combo - Dave Brubeck Quartet (1953, 1954, 1955, 1959, 1962, 1963, 1964)

  • Playboy Award, Piano, Readers Winner - Dave Brubeck (1971)

  • Playboy Award, Playboy Hall of Fame - Dave Brubeck Quartet (1966)

  • Playboy Award, All Star Jazz & Pops Winner - Dave Brubeck Quartet (1966)

  • Playboy Award, Alto Saxophone - Paul Desmond (1965)

  • Playboy Award, All Stars & Readers Polls - Dave Brubeck Quartet (1965)

  • Playboy Award, Piano - Dave Brubeck (1957, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1970)

  • Playboy Award, Instrumental Combo - Dave Brubeck Quartet (1957, 1958, 1959, 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1966, 1968)

 

Foreign Government Decorations

  • London Symphony Orchestra, Lifetime Achievement Award (2007)

  • Honor Cross for Science & Art - Austria’s highest award for the Arts (2002)

  • Bocconi Medal from Italy (Only 4th artist to be honored) (2000)

  • Lugano Award for extraordinary contribution to Music and Culture, Lugano, Switzerland (1996)

  • Citation from the French government, Officier de L’Ordre des Arts et Lettres (1989)

Honorary Degrees

  • University of the Pacific - President's Medal Of Achievement (2011)

  • Westminster Choir College - Honorary Fellow (2011)

  • George Washington University - Honorary Degree (2010)

  • Berklee College of Music - Doctor of Music (2009)

  • Eastman School of Music - Honorary Degree (2008)

  • Manhattan School Of Music - Honorary degree (2007)

  • University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI - Distinguished Arts Award from the Ford Honors program (2006)

  • University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN - Laetare Medal (2006)

  • Yale School of Music - Sanford Medal (2005)

  • University of Fribourg, Switzerland; Doctor of Sacred Theology - Doctorate honoris causa (2004)

  • Yale University - Honorary Doctorate (2004)

  • York University - Honorary Doctor of Letters (2004)

  • Gettysburg College - Honorary Degree (2003)

  • Nottingham University - Doctor of Music (2000)

  • Duisburg University, Germany; Honorary Degree (1994)

  • Fairfield University - Gerard Manley Hopkins Award (1990)

  • University of the Pacific - Pantheon of the Arts (1989)

  • Yale University - Duke Ellington Fellow (1977)

  • University of the Pacific - Distinguished Alumni Award (1966)

  • University of the Pacific- Honorary degree (1961)

 

Films & Tapes

  • IMDB profile: Dave Brubeck

  • Berlin (1964)

  • The Tonight Show (1963)

  • Thorne home movie, Heartwood Drive (1963)

  • KTNT-TV Brubeck on Rock n’ Roll (1957)