Two American Academy of Arts and Letters Gold Medals are awarded each year by the academy for distinguished achievement. The two awards are taken in rotation from these categories: The Academy voted in 1915 to establish an additional Gold Medal for "special distinction" to be given for the entire work of the recipient who is not a member of the academy. The first of these occasional lifetime achievement gold medals was awarded in the next year to former Harvard President, Charles Eliot. Awards in individual categories are listed below (in alphabetical order) followed by a list of all prizes in reverse chronological order:Source:

Architecture

Source: American Academy of Arts and Letters

Belles lettres, criticism, essays

Source: American Academy of Arts and Letters

Biography

Source: American Academy of Arts and Letters

Drama

Source: American Academy of Arts and Letters

Fiction, novel, short story

Source: American Academy of Arts and Letters

Graphic art

Source: American Academy of Arts and Letters

History

Source: American Academy of Arts and Letters

Music

Painting

Poetry

Sculpture

All winners

Source: American Academy of Arts and Letters List of Awards