Queen Latifah and Missy Elliott have been awarded the National Medals of Arts, the highest honor given to artists by the United States government.
President Biden presented the 2022 and 2023 recipients of the National Medal of Arts at a private ceremony at the White House, with the female rap pioneers being honoured alongside the likes of Spike Lee, Steven Spielberg and Eva Longoria. The National Medal of Arts is “the highest award given to artists and arts patrons by the federal government,” according to the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Missy celebrated the achievement on Twitter by posting numerous photos and videos from the event, including clips of her and Latifah hanging out together at the White House.