Darren Criss will receive the Ted Arison Young Artist Award from Americans for the Arts at the annual National Arts Awards, set for Guastavino's in NYC October 17 at 6:30 PM.
Criss played Blaine Anderson, his breakout role, on TV's Glee, which has since led to a career across screen and stage. He starred in American Buffalo on Broadway earlier this year and co-hosted the 2022 Tony Awards: Act One with Julianne Hough. He previously starred as Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch after his Broadway debut in How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying as J. Pierrepont Finch.
Taking place for the first time since 2019, the National Arts Awards recognize "artists, activists, and collectives whose work demonstrates extraordinary aesthetic achievement while advancing cultural discourse in the United States." Other recipients this year include Joy Harjo, For Freedoms, Robert F. Smith, and The Gordon Parks Foundation. Awards will be presented by Dr. Elizabeth Alexander, Jesse Williams, Jon Batiste, LaToya Ruby Frazier, and Lea Salonga.
Musical performances, to be directed by Jake Goldbas, will feature alumni of Young Artists in an immersive visual environment from José Parlá.
Sarah Arison serves as chair, with co-chairs for the event including Herb Alpert Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Marina Kellen French, Agnes Gund, Jeff and Justine Koons, Kara Moore and The Rosenthal Family Foundation's Rick Rosenthal, Nancy Stephens, Jamie Rosenthal Wolf, Jane Stephens Rosenthal, and Mick Rosenthal.
Previous recipients of the Ted Arison Young Artist Award include Sofia Coppola, Lady Gaga, John Legend, Natalie Portman, Gabourey Sidibe, Esperanza Spalding, Uma Thurman, Kerry Washington, and Kehinde Wiley.
