Presented by American Prairie in celebration of the indomitable American spirit
NEW YORK, NY— May 13, 2026 — Grammy Award® winner and Country Music Hall of Famer Vince Gill accepted the 2026 Ken Burns American Heritage Prize at an event held on May 6 at the American Museum of Natural History.
Named in honor of America’s most revered visual historian and documentary filmmaker, the Ken Burns American Heritage Prize recognizes an individual whose body of work has advanced our collective understanding of the indomitable American spirit.
Award-winning filmmaker Sarah Botstein, who has worked alongside Ken Burns for nearly 30 years, introduced her mentor and dear friend by saying, “It’s so fitting that we’re here tonight, celebrating the incredible work of American Prairie over this last quarter century. It’s an organization that Ken loves deeply and that connects us all so intimately to the American landscape, that land has been such an important part of his filmmaking.” She added, “Our history is often a reflection of great triumphs and hard truths. These are the stories that make us who we are. We’re so fortunate this evening to have Ken together with the great musician and songwriter Vince Gill. They share the belief that the power of storytelling, whether in film or music, has the potential to bring us together as a people.”
Burns took the stage and welcomed Vince Gill by saying, “I couldn’t be more pleased to help honor one of the truly great musicians and human beings, Vince Gill, someone who is affectionately known as the ‘nicest guy in Nashville.’ I got to know Vince when he graciously helped us in making our 2019 documentary series Country Music, and it wouldn’t have been what it was without him.”
Burns went on to say, “Tonight, we are celebrating two vital American traditions—the arts and conservation, both of which act as a kind of conscience to our nation. This is why I’m particularly delighted to present this prize to Vince Gill tonight. I can spot the kinship of a storyteller a prairie mile away.”
“In Country Music, we explored the idea that this quintessentially American art form is simply ‘three chords and the truth.’ But every once in a while, an artist comes along who elevates that truth into something transcendent. He is a master of his craft, a keeper of the flame, and quite simply, one of the finest souls I’ve had the privilege to work with, document, and learn from. It is my distinct honor to present this year’s American Heritage Prize to a man whose heart is as big as the Montana sky.”
After receiving the bison bronze, Gill thanked Ken Burns and American Prairie saying, “With a grateful heart, thank you for this amazing honor. I think the world of Ken Burns and I think the world of what you’re doing – and you’re trying to make this place better, trying to make it matter, trying to make us have some reverence for what’s been around for a long, long time.”
L to R: Bill Hilf, Chair, American Prairie Board of Directors, Vince Gill, Ken Burns
(photo by Light of Blue Photography).
Gill then took to the stage to perform two of his hit singles “One More Last Chance” and “Whenever You Come Around.” He ended the performance with a new song titled, “The Whole World,” calling it the one song that encapsulates his heart.
Gill received the honor from Ken Burns and American Prairie’s National Board of Directors Chair, Bill Hilf. The evening was also a celebration of the 10-year partnership between Ken Burns and American Prairie, the Montana-based non-profit working to conserve the shortgrass prairie, the least protected biome on the planet.