èAVNext 50
èAVNext 50
Announcing 50 leaders who are lighting the way forward through art and action.
A soccer player. A poet. A chef. A comedian. A ballerina. Leadership crosses the boundaries of genre, medium, and discipline.
As part of our 50th anniversary and with input from artists, cultural leaders, arts organizations, and community members, the Kennedy Center sought to discover leaders who are moving us toward a more inspired, inclusive, and compassionate world. Now, we’re thrilled to introduce èAVNext 50—50 leaders and organizations that, through sustained excellence of artistic, educational, athletic, or multi-disciplinary work, are lighting the way forward.
These 50 cultural leaders will take part in Kennedy Center programs, forums, residencies, and events—such as Arts Summit, the Center’s annual convening investigating the power and potential of the arts—and work with the Kennedy Center to create opportunities for discourse with civic leaders to ensure that the voices of artistic and cultural leaders are lifted and heard.
èAVNext 50 is brought to you by
Meet the Next 50 Leaders
Learn more about some of our Next 50 participants through features that highlight their unique contributions to the field. We are pleased to begin our features with the following.
èAVNext 50
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Artistic Director of A.I.M by Kyle Abraham (New York, NY / Los Angeles, CA)
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Violinist, educator, and disability advocate (Boston, MA)
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Director of the Andrus Family Fund and Legacy Women Caribbean Roots Drum Troupe (Goshen, NY)
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Tap dancers, choreographers, and producers (Los Angeles, CA)
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Vice President and Executive Editor of One World and co-founder of Critical Minded (Montclair, NJ)
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Working with Black people to transform communities (Oakland, CA)
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Performing artist, culture-bearer, educator, and advocate for equity and inclusion (Juneau, AK)
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Advocate / actor / director / educator, and founder of Anti-Racist Theatre (Washington, D.C.)
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American mezzo-soprano (New York, NY)
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Writer, author, and podcast host (Durham, NC)
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Dancer, choreographer, and Founder & Artistic Director of Camille A. Brown & Dancers (New York, NY)
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Writer / organizer / educator and Executive Director of JustMedia (Brooklyn, NY)
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Chef, restaurateur, and founder of Foreign National (Washington, D.C.)
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Professional basketball player (New York, NY)
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Stand-Up Comedian, Writer, and Actor. Emmy-nominated for one of his four Netflix stand-up specials (India)
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Writer, actor, and interdisciplinary artist (New York, NY)
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DJ, graphic design teacher, and community-maker (Washington, D.C.)
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Youth leader, queer and trans artist, and Founder & Creative Director of TEAM @ TheTeamMag (New York, NY)
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Composer, producer, 6-time World Champion Hoop Dancer, Native American Music Artist of the Year (Gilbert, AZ)
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Phil Chan / Georgina Pazcoguin (Co-founders), Committed to eliminating stereotypes of Asians on our stages (New York, NY)
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Emcee (Washington, D.C.)
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Theater and television director / producer, Executive Producer at Apollo Theater (New York, NY)
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Musician / producer / educator and co-creator of Beat Making Lab (Durham, NC)
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Rebecca Cunningham, Founder of Cordelia Studios, Executive Producer / Host (Brooklyn, NY)
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Pat Duffy (St Petersburg, FL) / Alex Wilson (Washington, DC), Co-Founders
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Playwright and Professor Emeritus at California State University, Los Angeles (Durham, NC)
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2021 Inaugural Poet & Activist (Los Angeles, CA)
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Poet / educator / playwright / screenwriter (Los Angeles, CA / Oakland, CA)
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Curator / filmmaker / writer and founder, CEO, and Artistic Director of BlackStar (Philadelphia, PA)
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Director of Occupational Therapy and Professor of Health, Human Function and Rehabilitation Services at The George Washington University (Philadelphia, PA / Washington, DC)
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Alice Sheppard, choreographer, dancer, and co-founder of Kinetic Light (Los Altos, CA / New York, NY)
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Professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and the Chief of the Division of Otology, Neurotology and Skull Base Surgery at UC San Francisco (San Francisco, CA)
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Award-winning author and Professor at the University of Georgia (Atlanta, GA)
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Latin@ artist and Executive Director of the Center for Art and Community Partnerships, Massachusetts College of Art and Design (Boston, MA)
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VSA International Young Soloist Award-Winning, Jazz Pianist, and Disability Advocate (Washington, DC)
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President and Creative Producer, Beth Morrison Projects (New York, NY / Los Angeles, CA)
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Actor/dancer, Director of Inclusion at Queens Theater, and founder and Artistic Director of The Apothetae (New York, NY)
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James Beard Award-winning chef, author, and executive producer at Food & Wine (Los Angeles, CA)
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Kanaka Maoli wahine artist, activist, scholar, and storyteller (Wahiawa, HI)
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Founding President of First Peoples Fund (Očéti ŠakówIŋ Territory, S.D.))
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Two-time World Cup Champion and co-captain of the US Women’s National Team (Seattle, WA)
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#1 New York Times bestselling author and current National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature (Washington, DC)
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Advocate, educator, producer, and professional stage manager (New York, NY)
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Golden Globe-winning and Emmy-nominated actor (Los Angeles, CA)
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Sarah Stetson Grime, Arts to Advocacy Program Manager at School Talk (Washington, DC)
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Award-winning actress and producer (Los Angeles, CA)
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Kennedy Center Composer-in-Residence (Washington, DC)
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Journalist and critic (New York, NY)
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Multi-Grammy-winning musician (Portland, OR)
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President and CEO of Association of Performing Arts Professionals (Washington, DC)