The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize

Dorothy and Lillian Gish

The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize or Gish Prize is given annually to "a man or woman who has made an outstanding contribution to the beauty of the world and to mankind's enjoyment and understanding of life." ^[1] It is among the most prestigious and one of the richest prizes in the American arts. The 2024 award was for over $450,000. ^[2] The founders Dorothy Gish (1898–1968) and Lillian Gish (1893–1993) were sisters, famous as actresses from the silent era of film and mid-century theater. The prize was established in Lillian Gish's will, in which she wrote, "It is my desire, by establishing this prize, to give recipients of the prize the recognition they deserve, to bring attention to their contributions to society and encourage others to follow in their path." It was funded in 1994 by the Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize Trust and is administered by JPMorgan Chase Bank. ^[1]

Recipients

Source: ^[3]

• 1994: Frank Gehry, architect ^[4]
• 1995: Ingmar Bergman, film director ^[5]
• 1996: Robert Wilson, artist and director
• 1997: Bob Dylan, singer, songwriter
• 1998: Isabel Allende, author
• 1999: Arthur Miller, author and playwright ^[6]
• 2000: Merce Cunningham, dancer and choreographer
• 2001: Jennifer Tipton, lighting designer
• 2002: Lloyd Richards, theater director
• 2003: Bill T. Jones, dancer and choreographer
• 2004: Ornette Coleman, jazz innovator
• 2005: Peter Sellars, theater, opera and festival director ^[7]
• 2006: Shirin Neshat, filmmaker ^{[8] [9]}
• 2007: Laurie Anderson, artist
• 2008: Robert Redford, actor ^[10]
• 2009: Pete Seeger, musician ^[11]
• 2010: Chinua Achebe, writer
• 2011: Trisha Brown, dancer, choreographer and artistic director ^[12]
• 2012: Anna Deavere Smith, author, actor, educator ^{[13] [14]}
• 2013: Spike Lee, director, producer, writer, teacher ^[15]
• 2014: Maya Lin, artist, architect ^[16]
• 2015: Suzan-Lori Parks, playwright, screenwriter ^[17]
• 2016: Elizabeth LeCompte, theater director ^[18]
• 2017: Meredith Monk, composer, singer, director, choreographer ^{[19] [20]}
• 2018: Gustavo Dudamel, violinist, conductor, music director ^{[21] [22]}
• 2019: Walter Hood, artist, designer, urbanist ^{[23] [24]}
• 2020: Ava DuVernay, filmmaker ^[25]
• 2021: Sonia Sanchez, poet ^[26]
• 2022: Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, dancer and choreographer ^[27]
• 2023: Thelma Golden, Museum Director and Chief Curator of the Studio Museum in Harlem ^[28]
• 2024: Vicky Holt Takamine, kumu hula (master teacher) ^[2]

Notes

1. "The Prize". The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
2. Taylor, Derrick Bryson (November 13, 2024). "A Master of Hawaiian Dance Wins the Gish Prize" . The New York Times . Retrieved 2024-04-01.
3. "Gish Prize Recipients". The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
4. Rule, Sheila (September 17, 1994). "Frank Gehry Is Awarded First $250,000 Gish Prize" . The New York Times. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
5. "2nd Gish Prize Goes to Filmmaker Bergman". Deseret News . Salt Lake City. New York Times News Service. September 25, 1995. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
6. McGrath, Sean (July 20, 1999). "Arthur Miller to Receive 1999 Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize". Playbill . Retrieved September 30, 2012.
7. Mattison, Ben (August 13, 2005). "Peter Sellars to Receive $250,000 Gish Prize". Playbill. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
8. Benson, Heidi (September 22, 2006). "Iranian-born artist Neshat wins Gish Prize". San Francisco Chronicle . Retrieved September 30, 2012.
9. Heffley, Lynn (September 16, 2006). "Gish Prize goes to Shirin Neshat". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved September 30, 2012.
10. "Robert Redford to receive Gish Prize". United Press International . September 24, 2008.
11. O'Shaughnessy, Patrice (September 8, 2009). "Folk icon Pete Seeger inspires boatload of fun". New York Daily News . Archived from the original on January 30, 2013. Retrieved September 30, 2012.
12. Wakin, Daniel (September 7, 2011). "Trisha Brown Wins Gish Prize". The New York Times. Retrieved September 30, 2012.
13. Boehm, Mike (January 18, 2013). "Anna Deavere Smith wins $300,000 Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
14. Cohen, Patricia (January 17, 2013). "Anna Deavere Smith Wins Gish Prize". The New York Times. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
15. Lee, Chris (September 18, 2013). "Spike Lee awarded $300,000 Gish Prize". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 19, 2013.
16. Bowly, Graham (October 7, 2014). "Maya Lin Wins $300,000 Gish Prize". The New York Times. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
17. Piepenburg, Erik (October 14, 2015). "Suzan-Lori Parks Is Awarded the Gish Prize". The New York Times. Retrieved October 14, 2015.
18. Schuessler, Jennifer (September 28, 2016). "Elizabeth LeCompte of the Wooster Group Wins the Gish Prize". The New York Times. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
19. ""Magician of the Voice" Meredith Monk to Receive the 24th Annual Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize". The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize. Retrieved September 19, 2017.
20. Ugwu, Reggie (September 18, 2017). "Meredith Monk Wins the Gish Prize". The New York Times. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
21. ""Superstar Conductor" Gustavo Dudamel to Receive The 25th Annual Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize". The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize. Retrieved October 18, 2018.
22. Gelt, Jessica. "Gustavo Dudamel to receive Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize for his work in the arts" . Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
23. "Walter Hood Visionary Artist, Designer and Urbanist Walter Hood to Receive the 26th Annual Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize" (Press release). The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize. October 7, 2019. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
24. Mavros, Kara (October 8, 2019). "Walter Hood Wins 2019 Dorothy & Lillian Gish Prize". Architectural Record . Retrieved September 16, 2025.
25. Messman, Lauren (August 6, 2020). "Ava DuVernay Wins the Gish Prize". The New York Times. Retrieved November 26, 2020.
26. Barr, Sarah (October 7, 2021). "Sonia Sanchez Wins the Gish Prize". The New York Times. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
27. Ulaby, Neda (July 18, 2022). "Dancer Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, of Urban Bush Women, wins prestigious Gish Award". NPR News. Retrieved July 18, 2022.
28. "Thelma Golden, 2023 Recipient" (Press release). The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize. October 23, 2023. Retrieved September 16, 2025.

External links

• The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize, official website.