New Orleans composer, musician and educator Terence Blanchard was named 2020 Humanist of the Year by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities (LEH).

Each year, LEH bestows Humanities Awards to “those who have made significant contributions to the humanities in Louisiana.” LEH’s decision to single out Blanchard for the prestigious award is unsurprising. In 2019 alone, Blanchard was nominated for an Academy Award (for his soundtrack to Spike Lee’s BlacKKKlansman); took home a Grammy (for Best Instrumental Composition, for BlacKKKlansman‘s “Blut Und Boden [Blood And Soil]”); was honored by the New Orleans Film Festival with a Career Achievement Award; and announced he’ll stage his opera “Fire Shut Up in My Bones” in New York City, making him the first Black composer in history to have an opera staged by the Metropolitan Opera.

According to LEH, the organization is “recognizing Blanchard not only for his commitment to his craft—through performing, arranging, and composing—but also for his commitment to nurturing the next generation of musicians, and for using his talent to tell stories.”

LEH will also recognize other Louisianans for their contributions to the humanities. These include:

Chair’s Award for Institutional Support: Walton Family Foundation
Champion of Culture Award: LSU Press
Humanities Book of the Year: Solitary: My Story of Transformation and Hope by Albert Woodfox
Humanities Documentary Film of the Year: Mossville: When Great Trees Fall directed by Alexander Glustrom
Museum Exhibition of the Year: per(Sister): Incarcerated Women of Louisiana by Newcomb Art Museum at Tulane
Michael P. Smith Award for Documentary Photography: Charles M. Lovell
Light Up for Literacy Award: Dr. Lynn Clark
Lifetime Contribution to the Humanities Award: Linda and Bertney Langley and Warren Perrin

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