Singer and artist Yoko Ono will be awarded the “Edward McDowell” medal for lifetime achievement, AP and BTA report.
This is an award that has been presented since 1960 for outstanding contributions to American culture and art. Past awardees include composer Stephen Sondheim, writer Toni Morrison, and others.
“There is no other like her, and her work is one of a kind,” Edward McDowell chairman Nell Painter said of Ono in a statement. “For nearly seven decades, she has delighted the eye, provoked thought, inspired feminists and protected migrants through imaginative works. Her current, unique and powerful work ‘speaks’ to our time, which so desperately needs her motto: Peace” .
Meanwhile, Ono and John Lennon’s son, Sean Ono Lennon, said in a statement that the medal was an “incredible honour”. “The people honored with this award are truly remarkable. I am very proud that her art is also recognized in this way,” he said.
Yoko, who is 91, has made few public appearances in recent years and will not attend the awards ceremony in July. Her music manager, David Newgarden, will accept the award on her behalf.
Ono became famous as part of the avant-garde movement “Fluxus” in the 1960s. After meeting Lennon in Britain and marrying him, she remained with him until his death in 1980.
Photo: Getty Images
They have collaborative songs such as “Give Peace a Chance, Imagine” and “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)”. The latter inspired the Oscar-winning film “The War is Over! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko” for Best Animated Short Film.
Over the past 40 years, Ono has had a rich career as a visual and recording artist, and her albums include Season of Glass, Starpeace and Take Me to the Land of Hell.
