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Washington, D.C. -- Award-winning artist Lin-Manuel Miranda will receive the 2021 Service to America Leadership Award from the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Leadership Foundation for his advocacy and support for the Latino community and the arts. Miranda will receive the honor during the 2021 Celebration of Service to America Awards, premiering on July 10, 2021.
The Service to America Leadership Award recognizes individuals and organizations responsible for improving the lives of others through extraordinary public service. It is the Leadership Foundation’s highest individual honor.
Lin-Manuel Miranda, the critically acclaimed songwriter, actor and director, is the creator and original star of Broadway’s Tony-winning “Hamilton” and “In the Heights.” His work has garnered a Pulitzer Prize, three Tony Awards, three Grammy Awards, two Olivier Awards, and an Emmy Award, among others. Miranda is the recipient of the 2015 MacArthur Foundation Award, the 2018 Kennedy Center Honors and the 2019 Portrait of a Nation Prize.
The film version of “In the Heights," with Miranda serving as producer, songwriter and featured actor, will be released on June 10, 2021. He will make his film directorial debut with, “Tick, Tick… Boom!” which will be released by Netflix later in 2021.
“As the creative force behind some of the most successful stage and screen productions in recent memory, Lin-Manuel Miranda has left an indelible mark on our culture,” said NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith. “He has matched his outstanding success with an outspoken advocacy for Puerto Rico and the arts, and a steadfast commitment to helping communities grow, learn and thrive. We are delighted to commemorate his storied accomplishments and dedication to public service with the Service to America Leadership Award.”
Miranda has maintained an active partnership with the Hispanic Federation to support relief and recovery efforts in Puerto Rico since Hurricane Maria struck the island in 2017. His work with the Hispanic Federation continued through 2020 by launching Raise Up, a digital fundraising campaign to support the Hispanic Federation Emergency Assistance Fund which supports Latino communities throughout the nation. The Hispanic Federation Emergency Assistance Fund has donated more than $14 million to 250 community-based organizations focusing on reaching the most impacted and vulnerable communities. It is the most far-reaching Latino Covid-19 emergency relief effort in the country.
Miranda and the Flamboyan Foundation launched the Flamboyan Arts Fund in 2018, which has raised more than $15 million to support the arts and artisans in Puerto Rico. In 2020, the Flamboyan Arts Fund launched the Arts Innovation and Management (AIM) Puerto Rico program to fund bilingual management training, business consulting and natural disaster response resilience training for arts organizations.
Miranda, in partnership with Jeffrey Seller and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, created the Hamilton Education Program to empower educators to integrate the arts and creativity in the study of the revolutionary and founding era. The program relies on original historic documents to inspire artistic pieces. Since its inception five years ago, the program has served nearly 250,000 high school students. It was expanded for use by middle school students as an innovative free online program in 2020.
Miranda is the New York Times bestselling author of “Hamilton: The Revolution” and “Gmorning, Gnight!: Little Pep Talks for Me & You.” His next book, “In the Heights: Finding Home,” will be released in June 2021. He lives with his family in New York.
The Service to America award finalists are listed here.