Arts and Letters

On Wednesday, May 18, 2022, the Academy held its annual Ceremonial in its auditorium in Washington Heights, New York City. Over $1.3 million in awards and prizes in Architecture, Visual Arts, Literature, and Music were presented to 65 recipients, and 21 new members were inducted. David Remnick delivered the keynote address; Edwin Frank of the New York Review Books received the Award for Distinguished Service to the Arts; Phillip Lopate received the Christopher Lightfoot Walker Award of $100,000; playwright Adrienne Kennedy and artist Kara Walker received Gold Medals; and Anna Deavere Smith received the Academy’s Medal for Spoken Language.