Rita Moreno to Receive George Eastman Award

The George Eastman Museum will honor actor, dancer, and singer Rita Moreno with the prestigious George Eastman Award— established in 1955—for her distinguished contribution to the art of cinema on Wednesday, October 29. For her breakthrough performance, Moreno received an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, portraying Anita in West Side Story (Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, 1961). Her acting credits span more than eight decades. Born in Puerto Rico, Moreno debuted on Broadway at age thirteen. 

She has starred on Broadway, London’s West End, and in numerous regional theaters, and appeared in more than fifty feature films. She made countless television show appearances, garnering six Primetime Emmy nominations, including two awards. Her solo autobiographical show, Life Without Makeup, was organized by the Berkeley Repertory Theatre. She continues to tour the country for speaking engagements. In 1977, Moreno became the third artist to have received competitive Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards (EGOT). She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States, from President George W. Bush; the National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama; the Screen Actors Lifetime Achievement Award; the Kennedy Center Honor for her lifetime contributions to American culture; and the Peabody Career Achievement Award.

 Her greatest contribution to our nation may have been as a cultural pioneer—in West Side Story and over the ensuing decades. One of her most lasting influences was as a key cast member of The Electric Company (1971– 1977). This PBS program focused on reading and word skills, where she entertained and educated millions of children nationwide. 

Moreno is the third Hispanic recipient of the George Eastman Award. At the Festival of Film Artists in 1957, the award was presented to Ramon Navarro, a Mexican-born star of silent and sound films who had great success as a leading romantic actor in the 1920s and early 1930s. Dolores Del Rio, a Mexican actor who was prominent in silent and sound films from 1925 to the late 1930s, received the award in 1982, along with six other actresses from the Golden Age of Hollywood. 

Moreno will accept the George Eastman Award on Wednesday, October 29 at 8 p.m. in the Dryden Theatre at the George Eastman Museum. The ceremony will feature an appreciation of her career by Peter Bagrov, senior curator, Moving Image Department; a compilation of highlights of her work; and an on-stage conversation with Moreno—to be followed by a celebratory gala in the museum. 

While recognizing and celebrating artists’ contributions to cinema, the Eastman Award also serves as the only major fundraising event for our institution, which for decades has been an internationally recognized leader in film preservation. 

The award ceremony and gala are open to the public. Members of the George Eastman Museum will have access to advance ticket sales, beginning on Wednesday, September 10 at 10 a.m. Any remaining tickets will go on sale to the general public on Wednesday, September 17 at 10 a.m.

The George Eastman Museum is deeply grateful to 7Crest Financial Partners (an Ameriprise private wealth advisory practice), which is a major sponsor of the George Eastman Award events for Rita Moreno.