The National Endowment for the Arts announced its 2026 Jazz Masters with a beautiful show on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at the Music Center’s Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, California. 

The two-and-a-half hour event, with Herbie Hancock and other luminaries in attendance, featured performances by 2026 Jazz Master Carmen Lundy, with Ben Williams on electric and acoustic bass; Diana Moreira in honor of 2026 Jazz Master Airto, with Andre De Santanna on electric bass; Terri Lyne Carrington in honor of 2026 Jazz Master Patrice Rushen, with Brandon Rose on electric and acoustic bass; and Michael Carvin, with Dezron Douglas on upright bass, in honor of 2026 Jazz Master Rhonda Hamilton. Other standouts, including Lalah Hathaway, Hubert Laws, Sheila E., and Paul Jackson, Jr., also performed. The evening was hosted by Mary Anne Carter, the chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts.