AboutAccolades

A list of Leonard Bernstein's accolades, including Honorary Degrees, Foreign Government Decorations, Grammy Awards, Platinum/Gold Records, Emmy Awards, Artist Awards, Civic Awards, and more.

Honorary Degrees

  • Northwestern University, Doctor of Fine Arts, 1957
  • Hebrew Union College, Doctor of Humane Letters, 1958
  • Brandeis University, Doctor of Humane Letters, 1958
  • Temple University, Doctor of Laws, 1959
  • Dartmouth University, Doctor of Humane Letters, 1960
  • Ohio State University, Doctor of Humane Letters, 1964
  • University of Michigan, Doctor of Music, 1964
  • Brown University, Doctor of Music, 1966
  • Rockford College, Doctor of Humane Letters, 1966
  • Westminster Choir College, Doctor of Humanities, 1966
  • Yale University, Doctor of Music, 1966
  • Harvard University, Doctor of Music, 1967
  • Wesleyan University, Doctor of Fine Arts, 1968
  • Tel Aviv University, Doctor of Philosophy, 1973
  • University of Warwick, England, Doctor of Humane Letters, 1980
  • Butler University, Doctor of Humane Letters, 1976
  • Johns Hopkins University, Doctor of Humane Letters, 1980
  • Hebrew University, Israel, Doctor of Philosophy, 1981
  • Cleveland State University, Doctor of Humane Letters, 1982
  • Boston University, Doctor of Humane Letters, 1983
  • Pine Manor College, Doctor of Arts, 1987
  • Fairfield University, Doctor of Humane Letters, 1989

Foreign Government Decorations

  • Austria, Commander's Cross First Class, 1970
  • Grand Honor Cross for Science and Art, 1976
  • Chile, Order of Merit Bernardo O'Higgins, 1964
  • Finland, Order of the Lion, Commander, 1965
  • France, Legion of Honor, Chevalier, 1968
  • France, Legion of Honor, Officier, 1978
  • France, Legion of Honor, Commandeur, 1985
  • West Germany, Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit, 1987
  • Italy, Order of Merit, Cavaliere, 1969
  • Italy, Grand Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, 1988
  • Israel, Medals of the Defense Forces, 1957
  • Israel, Plaque from the Defense Forces, 1957
  • Mexico, Order of the Aztec Eagle, 1982

Grammy Awards

  • Beethoven: Symphony No. 9, Best Classical Orchestral Recording, 1980
  • Beethoven: Missa Solemnis, Best Classical Choral Performance, 1961
  • Bernstein: Arias and Barcarolles, Best Contemporary Composition, 1990
  • Bernstein Candide, Best Classical Album, 1991
  • Bernstein Conducts for Young People, Best Recording for Children, 1963
  • Bernstein: Kaddish, Symphony No. 3, Album of the Year, Classical, 1964
  • Bernstein West Side Story, Original Broadway Cast Album, 1957,
  • Elected to National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame
  • Bizet: Carmen, Best Opera Recording, 1973
  • Concert of the Century: Album of the Year, Classical, 1977
  • Humor in Music: Best Documentary, Spoken Word, 1961
  • Ives: Symphony No. 2, Central Park in the Dark & The Unanswered Question: Best Classical Album, 1990
  • Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award, 1985
  • Mahler: Symphony No. 3, Best Classical Orchestral Performance, 1989
  • Mahler: Symphony No. 8, Classical Album of the Year, 1967
  • Best Classical Choral Performance, 1967
  • Mahler: Symphony No. 9, Best Classical Album and Best Orchestral Performance, 1992
  • Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf/ Saint-Saens: Carnival of the Animals, Best Recording for Children, 1961
  • Saint-Saens: Carnival of the Animals/Britten: Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, Best Recording for Children, 1962
  • Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5, Best Classical Orchestral Performance, 1980
  • Shostakovich: Symphony Nos. 1 & 7, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Best Orchestral Performance, 1990

Grammy Hall of Fame

  • Mahler: The Complete Symphonies; Leonard Bernstein cond. New York Philharmonic, London Symphony;
    (1967) Columbia; (Album) Inducted 2002
  • Barber: Violin Concerto; Leonard Bernstein cond. New York Philharmonic with Isaac Stern; (1964) Columbia; (Album) Inducted 2007
  • Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5; Leonard Bernstein cond. New York Philharmonic; (1959) Columbia; (Album) Inducted 2007
  • Ives: Symphony No. 2; Leonard Bernstein cond. New York Philharmonic; (1958) Columbia; (Album)
    Inducted 2008
  • Copland: Appalachian Spring; Leonard Bernstein cond. New York Philharmonic; (1961) Columbia; (Single) Inducted 2009
  • Bernstein: Mass - A Theatre Piece for Singers, Players and Dancers; Leonard Bernstein cond.; (1971) Columbia Masterworks; (Album) Inducted 2019
  • Ravel: Piano Concerto in G Major; Leonard Bernstein cond. & piano; Philharmonia Orchestra; (1948) RCA Victor; (Album) Inducted 2020

Platinum/Gold & International Record Awards

  • Crystal Globe Award (CBS Records), 1986 Bernstein Candide, Academie du Disque Paris, 1992
  • Bernstein Candide (video), Grand Prix European, 1991
  • Dvorák: Cello Concerto, Record Academy of Tokyo, 1989
  • Gershwin: An American in Paris, Grand Prix du Disque, 1967/1968/1981
  • Grand Prix National du Disque, 1988
  • The Joy of Christmas, (Gold), 1979
  • Liszt: Faust Symphony, Liszt Society, Budapest, 1978
  • Mahler: Symphony No. 3, Record Academy of Tokyo, 1989
  • Mahler: Symphony No. 9 (NYP), 1970
  • Mahler: Symphony No. 9 (Concertgebouw), Thomas Edison Award, 1987
  • Montreux Prix Mondial du Disque, 1976
  • Nippon Columbia Co., 1964
  • Ritmo Prize (Spanish), 1988
  • West Side Story, Original Cast Album, (Gold), 1962
  • West Side Story, Movie Album, (Platinum), 1986
  • West Side Story, DG recording , (Gold, England), 1987
  • West Side Story, DG recording, (Platinum, Netherlands), 1987

Emmy Awards

  • Best Music Contribution for Television: Leonard Bernstein for Omnibus, 16 March 1957
  • Best Contribution for Television: The Music of Johann Sebastian Bach (Omnibus), 15 April 1958
  • Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Music: Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic, 20 June 1960
  • Music: Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic in Japan, 22 May 1962
  • Outstanding Program Achievement in the field of Children's Programming: Young People's Concerts/New York Philharmonic With Leonard Bernstein, 22 May 1962
  • Outstanding Program Achievement in the field of Music: Young People's Concerts/New York Philharmonic With Leonard Bernstein, 25 May 1964
  • Outstanding Program Achievement in Entertainment: Young People's Concert: "What Is Sonata Form?", New York Philharmonic With Leonard Bernstein, , 12 September 1965
  • Outstanding Single Program—Classical Music: Beethoven's Birthday/A Celebration in Vienna with Leonard Bernstein, 6 May 1972
  • Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic, Outstanding Classical Music Program (all Tchaikovsky), 1976
  • Outstanding Individual Achievement: Carnegie Hall: The Grand Reopening, 1987

Other Television Awards

  • Thomas Alva Edison Mass Media Award, 1958/1959/1961
  • Golden Camera Award, Berlin, 1981
  • International Television Festival Program, 1965
  • Music Teachers Association of New York, 1967
  • National Association for Better Radio & Television Citation
  • Page One Award, Newspaper Guild of New York, 1960
  • Peabody Award, University of Georgia, 1959
  • Sigma Alpha Iota Television Award, 1959
  • Sigma Alpha Iota Television Award, 1960
  • Sigma Alpha Iota Television Award, 1975
  • Sylvania Television Award, 1959
  • Television Producers' Guild, 1962
  • Television Academy Hall of Fame: Induction, 1991

Arts Awards

  • Academy of Arts, Prague, Diplome d'Honneur, 1964
  • Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Einstein Commemorative Award, 1960
  • American Academy of Arts and Letters, Gold Medal, 1985 (Elected to the Academy in 1982)
  • Arnold Gingrich Memorial Award, Arts & Business Council, Inc., 1976
  • ASCAP, Award for Service to Contemporary Music, 1976
  • Billboard Magazine, Top Classical Artist/Album, 1965/1966/1967/1972
  • Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Karl Amadeus Hartmann Medal, 1986
  • Beethoven Society, Beethoven Medal, 1979
  • Boston University, Creative Artist Award, 1966
  • Boston Latin School, Man of the Year, 1984
  • Brahms Prize to LB and Vienna Philhrmonic by Chancellor Kohl, 1988
  • Brandeis University, Creative Arts Award, 1973; Memorial Resolution, 1990
  • Cathedral of St. John the Divine, The Cathedral Piece Award, 1990
  • City College of New York, John H. Finley Award, 1973
  • Columbia University, Alice M. Ditson Award, 1958
  • Conductors Guild, The Theodore Thomas Award, 1989
  • Deutsche Grammaphon Golden Grammophon Award, 1988
  • Edison Classical for Mahler No. 9 , Concertgebouworkest, 1987
  • Gustav Mahler Society: "Best Mahler Recording for 1988" First conductor to win award on three different occassions, the other two in 1974 (No. 2) & 1986 (No. 7)
  • Harvard University, Man of the Year, 1966
  • Kennedy Center, Career Achievement, 1980
  • Laurence Olivier Award for Candide(Scottish Opera Version), voted Best Musical of 1988
  • Leonie Sonning (Denmark), Leonie Sonning Music Prize, 1965
  • Hebrew University (Friends of) S.Y. Agnon Gold Medal, 1981
  • High School of Performing Arts, Distinguished Artists Award, 1959
  • MacDowell Colony, Edward MacDowell Gold Medal, 1987
  • Mahler Gesellschaft, Gold Medal, 1967
  • Men of Achievement, Certificate, Cambridge England, 1973
  • Musical America, Musician of the Year, 1989
  • National Arts Club, Medal of Honor, 1968
  • National Association of Record Manufacturers, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1972
  • National Association of Recording Muscians (NARM), Presidential Award for Sustained Creative Achiement, 1991
  • National Federation of Music Clubs, 1961
  • National Fellowship Award, Philadelphia, 1985
  • National Jewish Music Council , Shofar, 1985
  • National Jewish Welfare Board, Frank L. Weill Award, 1966
  • National Opera Institute, 1981
  • New York City, Handel Medallion, 1977
  • Praemium Imperiale, Japan Art Associaton, 1990
  • Premio di Via Condotti, Rome, 1988
  • Royal Academy of Music, London, 1988
  • Royal Philharmonic Society, London, Gold Medal, 1987
  • Schwann Record Catalogue, Most Popular Classical Artist, 1967
  • Albert Schweitzer Music Award, 1987
  • Germany, Ernst von Siemens Music Prize
  • State of Israel Bonds, Eleanor Roosevelt Humanities Award, 1966
  • Theatre Hall of Fame, Scroll of Honor, 1979
  • Third Street Music School Settlement, Distinguished Achievement, 1980
  • Tony, Antoinette Perry Award for Distinguished Achievement, 1980
  • Venice (Omaggio a Venezia) Award, 1988
  • World Organization of Diplomatic Correspondents, Dag Hammarskjold International Prize, 1966
  • UNESCO, Sterling Silver Wand, 1979
  • Vienna Philharmonic, Nicolai Medal, 1967
  • Vienna Philharmonic, Ring of Honor, 1978

Civic Awards: Keys to the City/State Proclamations

  • Atlantic City, New Jersey, 1959
  • Beersheva, Israel (key)
  • Boston, Massachusetts (citation), 1980
  • Chicago, Illinois (medallion/key) 1976/1985
  • State of Connecticut, 1975
  • Grinzing, Austria, 1978
  • Houston, Texas, 1983
  • State of Indiana, 1976
  • Kansas City, Missouri, 1979
  • Lawrence, Massachusetts, 1983
  • Maui County, Hawaii, 1960
  • Miami Beach, Florida (key)
  • Milan, Italy, Gold Medal, 1982
  • Neuton, Massachusetts, 1991
  • New York, New York, 1959/1984
  • State of New York, 1980
  • State of New York, resolution celebrating the musical genius of LB, 1991
  • Oslo, Norway, first recipient, 1987
  • State of Rhode Island, 1976
  • San Diego, California, 1959
  • Sarasota, Florida, 1976
  • Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, made honorary citizen, 1987
  • Venice, Italy, 1988
  • Vienna, Austria, 1982
  • Vienna, Austria, made honorary citizen, 1988

Honorary Memberships in Various Societies

  • Albert Schweitzer Society, 1985
  • American Academy of Arts and Letters, 1981
  • American Women in Radio and Television, 1961
  • Guildhall School of Music, London, 1986
  • Lamoureux (France) Concert Association, 1958
  • Songwriters Hall of Fame, 1973
  • National Symphony Orchestra, Washington, 1978
  • New York Philharmonic, 1984
  • Royal Academy of Music, London, 1985
  • Santa Cecilia Academy, Rome, 1970
  • Swedish Royal Academy of Music, 1977
  • Vienna Concert House Society, 1972
  • Vienna Philharmonic, 1983
  • Weitzmann Institute of Science, Israel, 1969

Honorary Offices

  • Santa Cecilia Academy, Rome, President, 1983
  • Cathedral of St. John the Divine, Cathedral Colleague, 1984
  • New York Philharmonic, Laureate Conductor, 1969
  • London Symphony Orchestra, President, 1987
  • Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Laureate Conductor, 1988
 
 
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