In this Sept. 20, 2014, file photo, musician Wynton Marsalis performs during a memorial service for actress Ruby Dee at The Riverside Church in New York. Marsalis was honored with The Marian Anderson Award in Philadelphia on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2015. Marsalis, who has won nine Grammys and is the first jazz musician to win a Pulitzer Prize for music, was selected for his work on and off the stage. His humanitarian work includes The Children’s Defense Fund and helping victims of Hurricane Katrina. He’s also the director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow, File)
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jazz great Wynton Marsalis has been honored with an award named for a pioneering opera singer.
The Marian Anderson Award is given in Philadelphia to “critically acclaimed artists who have impacted society in a positive way.” Anderson was the first black singer to perform at the Metropolitan Opera.
Marsalis has won nine Grammys and is the first jazz musician to win a Pulitzer Prize for music. His humanitarian work includes The Children’s Defense Fund and helping victims of Hurricane Katrina. He’s also the director of jazz at Lincoln Center.
During Tuesday night’s awards ceremony, the trumpeter and composer took the stage with his original septet — something that hasn’t happened in 20 years.
Past recipients include Richard Gere, Mia Farrow, James Earl Jones and Jon Bon Jovi.