LIST OF NATIONAL ARTISTS AWARD

The National Artist Award is the highest national recognition given to Filipinos who have made
significant contributions to the development of Philippine arts and letters. It was created through
Presidential Proclamation No. 1001 on April 27, 1972.
Jointly administered by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Cultural
Center of the Philippines (CCP), the award is conferred by the Philippine President upon
recommendation by both institutions.

The rank and title of National Artist is conferred by means of a presidential proclamation. It
recognizes excellence in the fields of music, dance, theater, visual arts, literature, film and broadcast
arts and architecture, or allied arts.
To date, there are 66 national artists, 24 of whom received the recognition posthumously, including
renowned painter Fernando Amorsolo, who was the first to receive the award in 1972.

Criteria
The criteria for selecting a national artist include Filipino citizenship, the contribution of their works
to nation-building, impact of their distinctive and pioneering works or styles on succeeding
generations of artists, excellence in the practice of their art form which enriches artistic expression
or style, and prestigious national and international recognitions.
The National Artist Award secretariat (the NCCA and CCP) announces the opening of nominations
through media releases and letters to qualified organizations, such as government and
nongovernment cultural organizations, educational institutions, and private foundations and
councils.
The National Artist Award Panel of Experts and Jury of Experts, with the living national artists as
automatic members, screen and deliberate on the nominees, after which a final list of recommendees
is sent to the President for the issuance of proclamation.
Benefits
Aside from a gold-plated medallion minted by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, national artists are
given a lifetime emolument as well as material and physical benefits comparable in value to those
received by the highest officials of the land, such as: a minimum cash award of P200,000 net of
taxes for living awardees, and a minimum cash award of P150,000 net of taxes for posthumous
awardees, which are payable to their legal heir/s; a minimum lifetime monthly stipend of P30,000; a
life insurance coverage for awardees who are still insurable; state funeral benefits not exceeding
P500,000; and a place of honor in state functions, national commemoration ceremonies and cultural
presentations.–Inquirer Research
Sources: Official Gazette; ncca.gov.ph

CRITERIA TO BE A NATIONAL ARTIST

Nominations for National Artist of the Philippines are based on a broad criteria, as set forth by the Cultural Center of the
Philippines and the National Commission on Culture and the Arts:
Living artists who have been Filipino citizens for the last ten years prior to nomination as well as those who have died after the
establishment of the award in 1972 but were Filipino citizens at the time of their death;
Artists who have helped build a Filipino sense of nationhood through the content and form of their works;
Artists who have distinguished themselves by pioneering in a mode of creative expression or style, making an impact on
succeeding generations of artists;
Artists who have created a significant body of works and/or have consistently displayed excellence in the practice of their art
form, enriching artistic expression or style; and
Artists who enjoy broad acceptance through prestigious national and/or international recognition, awards in prestigious national
and/or international events, critical acclaim and/or reviews of their works, and/or respect and esteem from peers within an artistic
discipline.
Nominations are then submitted to the National Artist Secretariat that is created by the National Artist Award Committee; experts
from the different art fields then sit on a First Deliberation to prepare the short list of nominees. A Second Deliberation, which is
a joint meeting of the Commissioners of the NCCA and the Board of Trustees of the CCP, decides on the final recomendees. The
list is then forwarded to the President of the Philippines, who, by Presidential Proclamation, proclaims the final nominees as
members of the Order of National Artists.

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Awardee Date of Award Category

1. Fernando Amorsolo (++) 1972 Painting
2. Francisca R. Aquino (+) 1973 Dance
3. Carlos V. Francisco (++) 1973 Painting
4. Amado V. Hernandez (++) 1973 Literature
5. Antonio J. Molina (+) 1973 Music
6. Juan F. Nakpil (+) 1973 Architecture
7. Guillermo E. Tolentino (+) 1973 Sculpture
8. Jose Garcia Villa (+) 1973 Literature
9. Napoleon V. Abueva 1976 Sculpture
10. Lamberto V. Avellana (+) 1976 Theater and Film
11. Leonor O. Goquingco (+) 1976 Dance
12. Nick Joaquin (+) 1976 Literature
13. Jovita Fuentes (+) 1976 Music
14. Victorio C. Edades (+) 1976 Painting
15. Pablo S. Antonio (++) 1976 Architecture
16. Vicente S. Manansala (++) 1981 Painting
17. Carlos P. Romulo (+) 1982 Literature
18. Gerardo de Leon (++) 1982 Cinema
19. Honorata “Atang” dela Rama (++) 1987 Theater and Music
20. Antonino R. Buenaventura (+) 1988 Music
21. Lucrecia R. Urtula (+) 1988 Dance
22. Lucrecia R. Kasilag (+) 1989 Music
23. Francisco Arcellana (+) 1990 Literature
24. Cesar F. Legaspi (+) 1990 Visual Arts
25. Leandro V. Locsin (+) 1990 Architecture
26. Hernando R. Ocampo (++) 1991 Visual Arts
27. Lucio D. San Pedro (+) 1991 Music
28. Lino Brocka (++) 1997 Cinema
29. Felipe P. de Leon (++) 1997 Music
30. Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero (++) 1997 Theater
31. Rolando S. Tinio (++) 1997 Theater & Literature
32. Levi Celerio (+) 1997 Music & Literature
33. N.V.M. Gonzales (++) 1997 Literature
34. Arturo R. Luz 1997 Visual Arts
35. Jose M. Maceda (+) 1997 Music
36. Carlos Quirino (+) 1997 Historical Literature
37. J. Elizalde Navarro (++) 1999 Painting
38. Prof. Andrea Veneracion (+) 1999 Music
39. Edith L. Tiempo (+) 1999 Literature
40. Daisy H. Avellana (+) 1999 Theater
41. Ernani J. Cuenco (++) 1999 Music
42. F. Sionil Jose 2001 Literature
43. Ang Kiukok (+) 2001 Visual Arts
44. Ishmael Bernal (++) 2001 Cinema
45. Severino Montano (++) 2001 Theater
46. Jose T. Joya (++) 2003 Visual Arts (Painting)
47. Virgilio S. Almario 2003 Literature
48. Alejandro R. Roces (+) 2003 Literature
49. Eddie S. Romero (+) 2003 Cinema & Broadcast Arts
50. Salvador F. Bernal (+) 2003 Theater Design
51. Benedicto R. Cabrera 2006 Visual Arts
52. Abdulmari Asia Imao 2006 Visual Arts
53. Dr. Bienvenido Lumbera 2006 Literature
54. Ramon Obusan (+) 2006 Dance
55. Fernando Poe Jr. (++) 2006 Cinema
56. Archt. Ildefonso P. Santos, Jr. (+) 2006 Landscape Architecture
57. Ramon O. Valera (++) 2006 Fashion Design
58. Manuel Conde (++) 2009 Film
59. Lázaro Francísco (++) 2009 Literature
60. Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (+) 2009 Visual Arts
61. Alice Reyes 2014 Dance
62. Francisco V. Coching (++) 2014 Visual Arts
63. Cirilo F. Bautista 2014 Literature
64. Francisco F. Feliciano 2014 Music
65. Ramon P. Santos 2014 Music
66. Jose Maria V. Zaragoza (++) 2014 Architecture

Legend: (+) deceased; (++) posthumous conferment.