Handel Medallion
# Handel Medallion

The Handel Medallion is an American award presented by the City of New York. It is the city's highest award given to individuals for their contribution to the city's intellectual and cultural life.

## Establishment

The award was first issued in 1959 to Virginia Portia Royall Inness-Brown, upon the 200th anniversary of the death of George Handel (1685–1759), the German-British Baroque composer, noted for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. The award was established under New York City Mayor Robert F. Wagner Jr.

## Award winners

| Year | Recipient |
| - | - |
| 1959 | Virginia Portia Royall Inness-Brown (1901–1990) |
| 1964 | Sidney Poitier (1927–2022) |
| 1965 | Joseph B. Martinson (1914–1970) |
| 1966 | David Sarnoff, Justino Diaz, and Lionel Hampton |
| 1967 | Richard Rodgers (1902–1979), William Schuman |
| 1968 | Janet D. Schenck |
| 1969 | Claire Raphael Reis |
| 1970 | Martha Graham, George Balanchine, Aaron Copland, Alice Tully |
| 1971 | Joseph Papp |
| 1972 | Harold Arlen, Charlie Chaplin, Elia Kazan, Dizzy Gillespie |
| 1973 | Duke Ellington, Melissa Hayden, Lincoln Kirstein, Beverly Sills |
| 1974 | Oratorio Society of New York |
| 1975 | Joshua Logan |
| 1976 | George Abbott, Margot Fonteyn, Agnes de Mille, Jerome Robbins |
| 1977 | Marian Anderson, Leonard Bernstein |
| 1978 | Elliott Carter |
| 1980 | Marilyn Horne |
| 1981 | Lena Horne |
| 1982 | John Lennon |
| 1985 | Leontyne Price |
| 1986 | Alexandra Danilova, Antony Tudor |
| 1988 | Alvin Ailey |
| 1989 | Charles Wadsworth |
| 1993 | Robert Merrill, Arthur Mitchell |
| 1997 | Skitch Henderson (1918–2005) |
| 1999 | Merce Cunningham |
| 2002 | Licia Albanese, Roberta Peters |
| 2008 | Neil Simon |
| 2009 | Jessye Norman |
| 2010 | Judith Jamison |
| 2011 | Stephen Sondheim |
| 2013 | Harvey Lichtenstein |

Years unknown:

* Ivan Davis
* Justino Díaz
* Geraldine Fitzgerald
* Benny Goodman
* Gary Graffman
* Kitty Carlisle Hart
* Robert Joffrey
* Vincent La Selva
* Jaime Laredo
* Yehudi Menuhin
* Renata Tebaldi
* Peter Wilhousky
