In 1988, Rush launched his phenomenally successful radio broadcast, The Rush Limbaugh Show, into national syndication with 56 radio stations. Now, 31 years later, the show is heard on more than 600 stations by up to 27 million people each week and is the highest-rated national radio talk show in America. On February 5, 2020, at the State of the Union Address, President Donald Trump awarded Rush the Presidential Medal of Freedom, our nation’s highest civilian honor. Rush has also received the Marconi Radio Award five times, and has been inducted into the Hall of Famous Missourians, the Radio Hall of Fame and the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
- Awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Donald Trump (2020)
- Five-time winner of the National Association of Broadcasters Marconi Award for “Excellence in Syndicated and Network Broadcasting”
- Children’s Choice Author of the Year, Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims (2014)
- Author of #1 New York Times bestselling Adventures of Rush Revere Series, including Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims, The First Patriots, The American Revolution, The Star-Spangled Banner, and The Presidency
- Author of The Limbaugh Letter, the most widely read political newsletter in the country and two #1 New York Times best-selling books, The Way Things Ought to Be and See, I Told You So, which have sold nearly 10 million copies. Additionally, See, I Told You So set an American publishing record
- Inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in Chicago in 1993
- Inducted into the National Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 1998
- Inducted into the Hall of Famous Missourians on May 14, 2012 at the State Capitol building in Jefferson City
- Hosted Rush Limbaugh – The Television Show in New York from 1992 through 1996
- Received a personal letter from President Ronald Reagan thanking him and naming him the “Number One voice for conservatism in our Country”
- Invited to stay in the Lincoln Bedroom in the White House by President George H. W. Bush
- Honorary Member of the Republican Freshman Class of 1995 House of Representatives
- Barbara Walters’ 10 Most Fascinating People (2008)
- Time Magazine(R)’s 100 Most Influential People in the World (2009)
- Forbes Magazine’s 50 Most Powerful Celebrities in the United States, numerous years (#19 in 2010)
- Awarded the “William F. Buckley, Jr. Award for Media Excellence” by the Media Research Center (2007)
- Received CPAC’s “Defender of the Constitution Award” (2009)
- Named the Human Events Man of the Year (2007)
- The Giving Back Fund’s 10 Most Generous Celebrities for contributions to charities and individuals, such as the Marine Corps – Law Enforcement Foundation
- Hosted an annual radio Cure-a-thon to benefit research done by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS)– raising over $47 million to date
- Miss America(R) Pageant Judge 2010
- Guest Television appearances include Nightline with Ted Koppel, Cross Fire(TM), Good Morning America(R), CBS This Morning(TM), The Today(R) Show, The Phil Donahue Show(TM), The Late Show(R) with David Letterman, The Tonight Show(R), This Week(TM) with David Brinkley, Meet the Press(R) with Tim Russert, and The Drew Carey Show(R). Starred as himself in the popular network sitcoms Family Guy(R) and Hearts Afire(R)
- Profiled on CBS’s 60 Minutes(R), ABC’s 20/20(R) and in numerous publications including U.S. News and World Report(R), Newsweek(R), National Review(TM), Time Magazine(R), The New York Times(R) Magazine and USA Weekend(R)
Rush couldn’t resist the urge to return to broadcasting. In 1983, he re-entered radio as a political commentator for KMBZ in Kansas City. A year later Rush hosted a daytime talk show in Sacramento, California, tripling the program’s ratings in four years. From there, in 1988, he went on to New York where the record-breaking national show was born.