Linda Rie Cohen Rising Star Award
This Award Has Been Made Possible by Frederic Cohen – 1934-2026
Applications are now closed. If you applied and were not selected this year, we encourage you to apply again when applications reopen next year. Applicants may continue applying annually as long as they meet the eligibility requirements.
The memory of Linda Rie Cohen, a North Fork resident and champion of the arts and sciences, is honored through an endowment established by her husband that annually recognizes the merits of a local young Rising Star with a $10,000 unrestricted award.
The Linda Rie Cohen Rising Star Award provides an unrestricted $10,000 award to a single local 16 to 20 year old. “I want this award to make a difference in their future direction,” states Linda’s widower and the endowment’s founder. Selection is by committee and is subjective. It is not based on financial need but instead on the potential positive impact of the young talent.
Candidates for the Linda Rie Cohen Rising Star Award must be 16 to 20 years old, have a strong connection to the East End of Long Island, and demonstrate exceptional talent combined with strength and drive focused on the arts, music, and or science.
2026 Winner
Congratulations to Henry Brody of Hampton Bays, recipient of the 2026 Linda Rie Cohen Rising Star Award.
Henry is a 17-year-old multi-instrumentalist whose talent earned him the distinction of being selected from more than 40 applicants for this year’s $10,000 unrestricted merit award.
Chosen by committee, Henry represents the creativity, dedication, and promise the Linda Rie Cohen Rising Star Award was created to recognize in young people across the East End.
Henry will be honored at East End Arts’ 2026 Summer Soirée, where East End Arts Head of Music Chris Jones is also preparing a special performance in celebration of this year’s recipient.
Congratulations, Henry. We look forward to seeing where your talent takes you next.