Congratulations are in order for saxophonist, composer and arranger Immanuel Wilkins who is the winner of the 2026 MacArthur Genius Fellowship.
The Brooklyn-based saxophonist was announced as one of the 26 recipients earlier this week in an official media release. The MacArthur Genius Fellowship, administered by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, is an $800,000 award given to individuals known for their “exceptional creativity” with a “track record of excellence in a field of scholarship or area of practice, who demonstrate the ability to impact society in significant and beneficial ways through their pioneering work or the rigor of their contributions,” according to the Foundation’s website.
Since 1981, the MacArthur Genius Fellowship has administered anywhere between $700-$800 million to 1,195 recipients, ranging from writers to scientists to artists, teachers, entrepreneurs and more. Wilkins joins an illustrious company of musicians who has been awarded the fellowship over the years, including Ornette Coleman, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Vijay Iyer, Regina Carter, Steve Coleman and more.
Immanuel Wilkins | 2026 MacArthur Fellow
Born and raised in the city of Philadelphia, Immanuel Wilkins is a lauded saxophonist, composer and educator whose work intersects with sound, performance and visual composition. A graduate of Julliard in New York City, Wilkins has worked with some of the best in contemporary jazz including Kenny Barron, Orrin Evans, James Francies, Joel Ross and more. In 2017, Wilkins formed his own quartet with Micah Thomas (piano), Daryl Johns (bass), and Kweku Sumbry (drums). In 2020, Wilkins released his debut album on Blue Note Records, Omega, which explored “how music can function as an immaterial archive for ancestry.” The album was named Best Jazz Album of the Year by The New York Times.
He has released two more albums, 2022’s The 7th Hand and 2024’s Blue Bloods which was nominated for a GRAMMY for Best Alternative Jazz Album. “Music is the language that lies beyond all language,” says Wilkins in his video feature for the Fellowship. In addition to music, Wilkins is also a multi-disciplinary artist who often integrates his visual practice with his musical practice, working with “bronze sculptures, large-scale megaphones, public sculptural playgrounds, and works on paper that examine the graphic score,” according to his website. Wilkins’ latest release is the three-volume Live at the Village Vanguard, available now on Blue Note Records.