Announcing: The Trust's History, Heroes & Hope Award 2024 Honorees
DAVE GROHL, MELLON FOUNDATION AND FILMMAKER GEORGE C. WOLFE TO BE HONORED DURING TRUST FOR THE NATIONAL MALL’S BALL for THE MALL ON MAY 8
2024 History, Heroes & Hope Awards to Honor Storytelling During Gala on the National Mall
Contacts
Trust for the National Mall:
Julie Moore, jmoore@nationalmall.org
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WASHINGTON, DC (FEBRUARY 1, 2024) - The Trust for the National Mall announced today that its spring marquee gala BALL for THE MALL will feature the theme “Celebrating Storytelling on the National Mall” and its 2024 History, Heroes & Hope Awards will honor:
Dave Grohl – Nineteen-time Grammy Award-winning musician and songwriter, founder and lead singer of Foo Fighters, best-selling author of “The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music,” and D.C.-area native and favorite son.
The Mellon Foundation – Leading arts and humanities foundation, award accepted by its President Elizabeth Alexander, for their vision and support for the Beyond Granite initiative and exhibition led by the Trust in 2023 on the National Mall.
George C. Wolfe – Renowned filmmaker and five-time Tony Award-winner who brought RUSTIN to life, along with Netflix and Higher Ground Productions, sharing the story behind the March on Washington, which defined the National Mall as America’s Civic Stage.
"We are honored to join our National Park Service partners to celebrate our shared mission and to recognize three outstanding individuals with our History, Heroes & Hope Awards during BALL for THE MALL,” said Trust for the National Mall President and CEO, Catherine Townsend. “Our three honorees share a dedication to deepening our collective understanding of untold stories and connecting people, perspectives and history across generations—work that is at the heart of the Trust’s mission and the history and purpose of the National Mall.”
“My History with the people and places of Washington DC runs deep. My Heroes were the musicians who played the punk, go-go and rock & roll that shaped my musical vocabulary. And Hope is what all of these friends, family and experiences instilled in me, and continue to inspire in me to this day. I understand that this is an award for Storytelling, which makes sense too—DC is the beginning of my story, a story that’s come full circle as I accept this incredible honor on the National Mall. ” — Dave Grohl, 2024 History, Heroes & Hope Award honoree
The Trust for the National Mall’s BALL for THE MALL marquee gala will take place in a grand tent on the National Mall—in the shadow of our nation’s iconic monuments and beneath the stars—before an audience of 600+ Washingtonians, including corporate and government leaders, philanthropists and champions of the National Mall. BALL for THE MALL celebrates and supports the Trust’s work with the National Park Service to restore, preserve and elevate the National Mall. The Trust for the National Mall’s History, Heroes & Hope Award honors individuals and institutions that embody the ideals of America’s Front Yard. Now in its tenth year, past honorees have included Sheila Johnson, Jon Batiste and Suleika Jaouad, Lonnie G. Bunch III, José Andrés, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and David M. Rubenstein, who will also join this year’s BALL for the MALL as a featured presenter.
For more information about BALL for THE MALL and sponsorship opportunities go here. For downloadable bios and photos of our History, Heroes & Hope Award honorees, and for questions, please contact: jmoore@nationalmall.org
Individual ticket sales begin March 1.
ABOUT THE TRUST FOR THE NATIONAL MALL: As the leading nonprofit, nonpartisan philanthropic partner of the National Park Service, the Trust for the National Mall is dedicated to restoring, enriching and preserving the National Mall. The Trust brings private funding, project expertise and in-kind support to help elevate the National Mall and its historic purpose, especially critical as we approach America’s 250th in 2026. The Trust raises funding, leads capital restoration and sustainability projects, mobilizes volunteer operations and provides innovative educational experiences to ensure the National Mall, with 36 million visits each year, endures as a vibrant civic stage for all. The Trust is also the philanthropic partner of The White House grounds and President’s Park, adjacent to the National Mall. Learn more and support our mission: www.nationalmall.org | information@nationalmall.org | @thenationalmall
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About our 2024 History, Heroes & Hope Award Honorees:
Dave Grohl is a 19-time Grammy-winning musician, songwriter, best-selling author and D.C. native. Grohl has been one of the most beloved and respected figures on the international music scene since his debut with Nirvana on 1991’s generation-defining record “Nevermind,” which would go on to sell more than 30 million copies. Grohl has been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice—first as a member of Nirvana in 2014 and then as a member of Foo Fighters in 2021. In addition to his extensive catalogue with Nirvana and Foo Fighters, Grohl has a well-earned reputation as a prolific collaborator who has worked with Paul McCartney, David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Neil Young, and Elton John—to name a few. In 2013, Grohl made his feature debut as a director/producer with the critically acclaimed documentary “Sound City,” which told the story of the California studio where Nirvana recorded “Nevermind.” Grohl’s subsequent directorial efforts included the HBO docuseries “Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways,” which received two Emmy awards, and feature-length documentary and tribute to musicians everywhere “What Drives Us.” In 2021, Dave Grohl debuted as an author with “The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music,” which shot to #1 on the New York Times Bestseller List. “The Storyteller” has captivated individual readers and live audiences alike, adding to Grohl’s ever-growing list of accolades.
Mellon Foundation is a multi-billion-dollar philanthropy and the nation’s largest funder of the arts and humanities. Through grants, the Mellon Foundation seeks to build just communities enriched by meaning and empowered by critical thinking, where ideas and imagination can thrive. Foundation President Elizabeth Alexander is a celebrated poet, scholar, cultural advocate and a nationally recognized thought leader. Dr. Alexander was previously the director of Creativity and Free Expression at the Ford Foundation where she guided the organization in examining how the arts and visual storytelling can empower communities. Dr. Alexander has taught and inspired generations of students as a scholar and educator at the University of Chicago where she was honored with the Quantrell Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, Smith College, Yale University—where she helped rebuild and chaired the African American Studies Department—and Columbia University. An author or co-author of fifteen books, Dr. Alexander was twice a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize: for poetry with American Sublime and for biography with her 2015 memoir, the New York Times best-seller The Light of the World. In 2009, she composed and delivered the poem “Praise Song for the Day” for President Barack Obama's inauguration. TIME Magazine named Dr. Alexander one of the 100 Most Influential People of 2022 and in 2019, she was awarded Harvard University’s W.E.B. Du Bois Medal.
George C. Wolfe is a filmmaker (Rustin and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom); 5-time Tony Award Winner, renowned playwright and producer. Wolfe has firmly established himself as one of Ameria’s most important and influential cultural voices. Wolfe most recently directed “Rustin,” the story of Bayard Rustin who was the architect of 1963’s March on Washington, and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” starring Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman. “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” would go on to win two Academy Awards. Wolfe first gained international acclaim for his play “The Colored Museum,” which opened at New York City’s Public Theatre. He has directed 17 Broadway productions. Wolfe made his directorial film debut with “Lackawanna Blues,” which won four NAACP Image Awards. Subsequently, Wolfe directed “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” starring Oprah Winfrey and Rose Byrne. Wolfe has served on distinguished boards, including the President’s Committee for the Arts and Humanities. He was also the Chief Creative Officer for the Center of Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta and was a producer of the Public Theatre/New York Shakespeare Festival. George C. Wolfe was named “Living Landmark” by the New York Landmarks Conservancy.
Contacts
Trust for the National Mall:
Julie Moore, jmoore@nationalmall.org