US President Biden honors Bruce Springsteen and other artists

“The work of our honorees is as diverse as the nation celebrating with them today,” Biden said at a ceremony Tuesday (local time) at the White House. The 73-year-old musician Springsteen was awarded the National Medal of Arts. “Springsteen’s music celebrates our triumphs, heals our wounds and gives us hope. She captures the unyielding spirit of what it means to be an American.”

Designer Vera Wang, actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus (“Veep”, “Seinfeld”), soul singer Gladys Knight and comedian Mindy Kaling (“The Mindy Project”) also received awards. Established by the United States Congress in the 1980s, the National Medal of Arts is awarded annually to artists who have made significant contributions to American culture.

Biden also presented the National Humanities Medal. It was first awarded in 1989 and is mainly focused on the humanities. Prize winners included writer Tara Westover and author Walter Isaacson.

Westover is best known for her autobiography, Liberated: How Education Opened My World. In it she describes her childhood in a Mormon family and finally her extraordinary education. Isaacson wrote a biography about Apple founder Steve Jobs, who died in 2011.

For Biden, it was the first award ceremony in office – the event had previously been canceled due to the corona pandemic. However, Biden surprised British pop star Sir Elton John with a “National Humanities Medal” during a White House appearance in September. (sda/dpa)