Accolades
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)
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)
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
Berlin (1964)
The Tonight Show (1963)
Thorne home movie, Heartwood Drive (1963)
KTNT-TV Brubeck on Rock n’ Roll (1957)