Quincy Jones

Quincy Jones has been honored by the National Endowment for the Arts as a recipient of the 2008 NEA Jazz Masters Award, according to a press release. The award is the nation's highest honor in the jazz genre. Jones was honored as a renaissance man of music who is an impresario, conductor, record producer, musical arranger, film composer and trumpeter, according to a statement. The recipients will receive a $25,000 fellowship, will appear in an award ceremony and concert Jan. 18, and have the opportunity to participate in other NEA-sponsored promotional and performance activities. The recipients will receive their award plaques at the NEA Jazz Masters Awards concert in January at the annual International Association for Jazz Education conference in Toronto. Each year since 1982, the Arts Endowment has conferred the NEA Jazz Masters Award on a handful of living legends who have made major contribution to the genre. Previous musicians bestowed the honor include Count Basie, Dave Brubeck, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie and Herbie Hancock.