Past Recipients

Artist and designer Es Devlin sits within an exhibition of drawings produced during MIT Face to Face project. Credit: HErickson/MIT.

Es Devlin

Artist and designer

2025

Pamela Z performing during "Pamela Z with People" at MIT. Credit Caroline Alden.

Pamela Z

Composer, performer, and interdisciplinary artist

2022

Thomas Heatherwick. Credit: Elena Heatherwick.

Thomas Heatherwick

Designer

2020

The Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts at MIT 2018 Recipient Audra McDonald in conversation with Oskar Eustis. Credit L Barry Hetherington.

Audra McDonald

Tony, Grammy, and Emmy Award-winning singer and actress

2018

David Adjaye receives the 2016 McDermott Award from Rick Stone during the McDermott Gala. Photo: L. Barry Hetherington.

David Adjaye

Visionary architect

2016

Four people pose for a photograph: three are standing and one is in a wheel chair.

Margaret McDermott with 2014 McDermott Award Recipient Olafur Eliasson, MIT President L. Rafael Reif and MIT First Lady Chris Reif. 2014.

Olafur Eliasson

Strikingly original contributions to public art, architecture, and social entrepreneurship

2014

Robert Lepage at MIT: Student Workshop

Robert Lepage

Director, playwright, actor, and filmmaker

2012

Gustavo Dudamel conducts. Credit: Chris Christodoulou.

Gustavo Dudamel

Acclaimed worldwide as one of the most exciting and compelling conductors of our time

2010

Underwater photograph of a person diving into the water

Bill Viola, Five Angels for the New Millennium, 2001. Credit: Kira Perov.

Bill Viola

Instrumental in establishing video as a vital medium of contemporary art

2009

Playwright and screenwriter Suzan-Lori Parks.

Suzan-Lori Parks

American playwright, screenwriter, musician, and novelist

2006

Santiago Calatrava. Credit Suzanne DeChillo/The New York Times.

Santiago Calatrava

World renowned architect, engineer, and artist

2005

Composer Libby Larsen. Courtesy of the Artist.

Libby Larsen

Composer and articulate advocate for the music and musicians of our time

2004

Full list of recipients from 1974 to 2016.

McDermott Past Recipients

More than 35 artists have received the Eugene McDermott Award in the Arts at MIT since it was established in 1974 by the Council for the Arts at MIT.