The Benjamin Franklin Creativity Laureate Award recognizes and celebrates influential thinkers, innovators, and catalysts in the arts, sciences, and humanities in both traditional and emerging disciplines. Nina Totenberg, NPR's legal affairs correspondent, is the recipient of the 17th annual award, and discusses her career in a lively conversation with journalist Cokie Roberts during the presentation program.
Totenberg’s news coverage, focusing primarily on the activities and politics of the United States Supreme Court has won her legions of fans and numerous awards. A frequent contributor to major newspapers and periodicals, she has published articles in The New York Times Magazine, Harvard Law Review, Christian Science Monitor, Parade, New York magazine, and others.
Previous recipients of the Benjamin Franklin Creativity Laureate Award are Yo-Yo Ma, Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Eric Kandel, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, Jules Feiffer, Ted Turner, Lisa Randall, Meryl Streep, Greg Mortenson, Johnnetta Cole, Mark Morris, Bill Drayton, Shirley Tilghman, Azar Nafisi, Tim Robbins, and Henry Louis Gates Jr. The award is made possible by the Creativity Collaboration, a joint project of Smithsonian Associates and the Creativity Foundation.
