The Doris Duke Foundation (DDF) has announced the six recipients of its artist awards for 2025 and launched a campaign and national network celebrating artists as creative laborers.
DDF Artist Awards are the largest prize in the United States dedicated to individual performing artists.
Each artist is awarded $525,000 in unrestricted funds allocated over seven years and an incentive of up to $25,000 to save for retirement.
This year’s winners are Trajal Harrell, Raja Feather Kelly, Aya Ogawa, Kassa Overall, Kaneza Schaal, and Brandee Younger.
Trajal is an American dancer and choreographer best known for a series entitled Twenty Looks or Paris is Burning at The Judson Church.
Raja is a Brooklyn-based choreographer who worked on shows like Fairview and A Strange Loop, and serves as artistic director for The Feath3r Theory and the New Brooklyn Theatre.
Aya is an award-winning Brooklyn-based playwright, director, performer and translator. Their work explores cultural identity and the immigrant experience, challenging traditional notions of American aesthetics.
Kassa is a Grammy-nominated musician, emcee, singer, producer and drummer who has released projects such as: I THINK I’M GOOD, Go Get Ice Cream and Listen to Jazz, Shades of Flu and Shades of Flu 2.
Kaneza Schaal is a New York City based artist working in theater, opera, and film with notable work such as Flight into Egypt: Black Artists and Ancient Egypt.
Brandee is an American harpist who became the first Black woman nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition and won the 2024 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Jazz Album for Brand New Life.
Meanwhile, the DDF's Creative Labor, Creative Conditions campaign includes $3M in grants towards building the financial and social conditions to help sustain professional artists.
For more details go to dorisduke.org/creativeconditions.
DDF Artist Awards are the largest prize in the United States dedicated to individual performing artists.
Each artist is awarded $525,000 in unrestricted funds allocated over seven years and an incentive of up to $25,000 to save for retirement.
This year’s winners are Trajal Harrell, Raja Feather Kelly, Aya Ogawa, Kassa Overall, Kaneza Schaal, and Brandee Younger.
Trajal is an American dancer and choreographer best known for a series entitled Twenty Looks or Paris is Burning at The Judson Church.
Raja is a Brooklyn-based choreographer who worked on shows like Fairview and A Strange Loop, and serves as artistic director for The Feath3r Theory and the New Brooklyn Theatre.
Aya is an award-winning Brooklyn-based playwright, director, performer and translator. Their work explores cultural identity and the immigrant experience, challenging traditional notions of American aesthetics.
Kassa is a Grammy-nominated musician, emcee, singer, producer and drummer who has released projects such as: I THINK I’M GOOD, Go Get Ice Cream and Listen to Jazz, Shades of Flu and Shades of Flu 2.
Kaneza Schaal is a New York City based artist working in theater, opera, and film with notable work such as Flight into Egypt: Black Artists and Ancient Egypt.
Brandee is an American harpist who became the first Black woman nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition and won the 2024 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Jazz Album for Brand New Life.
Meanwhile, the DDF's Creative Labor, Creative Conditions campaign includes $3M in grants towards building the financial and social conditions to help sustain professional artists.
For more details go to dorisduke.org/creativeconditions.