Doris Duke Artist Awards 10th Anniversary Celebration

The Doris Duke Foundation was looking to create a show-stopping spectacular that would mark the 10th anniversary of their Doris Duke Artist Awards program. As this would be the first-ever celebration of their accomplishments, they wanted to ensure that it was filled with powerful programming and heartfelt performances.

An unforgettable activation at Jazz at Lincoln Center was set into motion where artistry and elegance came together. What better way to celebrate the impact that this incredible awards program than to bring back past recipients for powerful performances in between news and anecdotes from the foundation. It was an emotional evening that electrified the audience through its masterful run of show that allowed the stars to shine. The evening encapsulated powerful stories, Common who emceed the event spoke of his personal journey through poetry, film, and television, activism. The night culminated in a surprise announcement that the foundation would be doubling the size of the prize to $550K per grantee – effective immediately. Following the show, guests enjoyed colorful cocktails and passed hors d’oeuvres in the atrium where 129 powerful portraits hung in a row. QR codes allowed attendees to interact and learn more about each grant recipient's work. To be more sustainable, we swapped out swag bags for photo booths, where guests could score dynamic gifs fit for social sharing.

This spectacular event drew over 423 attendees to Jazz at Lincoln Center, including 70 former grant recipients, for one incredible celebration. This charitable event not only attracted the artistic community, it made headlines in a plethora of publications including Billboard, Broadway World, Playbill, and American Theater. In fact, NPR interviewed Doris Duke Artist Kristina Wong, for a profile that is set to air imminently. CBS Saturday Morning will run a similar feature highlighting the program’s impact which is scheduled to air in April. The event made a splash on social reaching an audience of 69K+ on TikTok and generating 11.5K likes. It honored the Doris Duke Foundation’s decade-long commitment to enriching lives by fostering artistic expression and celebrated a brand-new class, enriching our future.