Dobro player Mike Auldridge is among the nine recipients of the 2012 NEA National Heritage Fellowships, the nation’s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts.

Called by the Washington Post “one of maybe a handful of truly innovative Dobro players in the history of country and bluegrass music,” Mike Auldridge’s modern approach to the Dobro, an acoustic resonator guitar played with a slide, played an integral role in the development of contemporary bluegrass and country music.

Profiles of the artists are available in the Lifetime Honors section of the NEA’s website, along with photos, audio, and video samples of their work.