Serena Williams, Fauci among 'Portrait of a Nation' honorees

Portraits of White House chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci, chef and World Central Kitchen founder José Andrés and tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams will soon be hanging in the Smithsonian.

The Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery announced this year's Portrait of a Nation honorees on Wednesday.

The award "recognizes extraordinary individuals who have made transformative contributions to the United States and its people across numerous fields of endeavor, ranging from the arts and sciences to sports and humanitarianism."

Longtime record executive Clive Davis, director Ava DuVernay and Children's Defense Fund President Marian Wright Edelman will also be among the honorees at a November gala at the Washington arts institution.

Portraits of all the award winners will go on display in an exhibit running Nov. 10 through October 2023.

The annual award ceremony was put on hold last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"The Portrait of a Nation Award is an expression of gratitude for the leaders in our country who have made a difference and continue to advocate for a better future," Kim Sajet, director of the National Portrait Gallery, said in a statement. "These honorees are innovators in their respective disciplines and advocates for social causes who use their voices to care for and lift up others."

Past recipients of the Portrait of a Nation award include Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jeff Bezos, Aretha Franklin, Madeleine Albright, Spike Lee, Hank Aaron and Anna Wintour.