The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced its 2026 cohort of fellows on Tuesday, naming 20 scholars, artists, and practitioners who will each receive an $800,000 grant with no strings attached. The prestigious awards, widely known as "genius grants," are distributed over five years and come with no reporting requirements or restrictions on how recipients may spend the money.
The annual list, revealed by the Chicago-based philanthropic organization, once again spans an unusually broad spectrum of disciplines. This year's winners include a labor economist who studies racial wage disparities, a saxophonist whose live shows feature a chef preparing meals onstage, and a forensic anthropologist dedicated to repatriating the remains of migrants who died along the Texas-Mexico border.
According to the foundation, the fellows were selected by a network of anonymous scouts who identify candidates across a wide range of fields. The selection process does not rely on applications, and candidates are not informed they are under consideration. The result is a cohort that often surprises observers by pairing figures from vastly different worlds.
While this year's recipients come from disparate professional backgrounds, the foundation noted that their work frequently converges in unexpected ways. For instance, visual and sound artist Christine Sun Kim, philosopher and cognitive scientist Felipe De Brigard, and novelist Bryan Washington all examine themes of human connection and healing, though they approach those ideas from radically different creative vantage points.
Several of the 2026 fellows are focused on questions surrounding climate change and its social implications. Holly Jean Buck, a sociologist at the University at Buffalo, studies the ethical and political dimensions of climate policy. In her 2019 book "After Geoengineering," Buck contends that systems designed to remove carbon from the atmosphere must be built to serve local communities and the broader public interest rather than corporate profit.
Buck's selection reflects the foundation's longstanding interest in supporting thinkers who bridge technical questions and social values. Her research asks not only whether emerging climate technologies can work, but who stands to benefit from them and how they should be governed. That framing has made her a prominent voice in debates over the future of climate intervention.
The cohort also includes figures whose work sits at the intersection of science and justice. Forensic anthropologist Kate Spradley has devoted much of her career to identifying and repatriating the remains of migrants who perished along the Texas-Mexico border, offering answers to families who might otherwise never learn what happened to their loved ones. Her identification work has become increasingly significant as border crossings remain a subject of intense national debate.
Felipe De Brigard, a philosopher and cognitive scientist, was also named among this year's fellows. His research explores memory, imagination, and the workings of the mind, contributing to ongoing scientific and philosophical conversations about how humans construct their sense of self. Like other recipients this year, his work touches on questions of connection and healing, though from the vantage point of the laboratory and the seminar room.
The 2026 class continues the foundation's tradition of recognizing individuals rather than projects. MacArthur fellows are chosen for their demonstrated creativity and the promise of future work, not for specific proposals. The unrestricted nature of the grant is intended to give recipients the freedom to take risks, pursue new directions, or simply gain breathing room to focus on their craft.
Past recipients have used the money in widely varied ways, from funding research trips and buying equipment to covering rent and health care so they can concentrate on their work. The foundation has long argued that this flexibility is central to the award's value, allowing fellows to make choices they might not otherwise be able to afford.
The 2026 fellows join a roster that has grown to include hundreds of artists, scientists, activists, and scholars since the program began. The foundation's network of scouts nominates candidates anonymously each year, and a selection committee then reviews the pool before final decisions are made. Neither the nominees nor the general public know who is being considered until the announcement.
This year's list underscores the foundation's willingness to honor work that crosses conventional boundaries. A public artist like Chip Thomas, whose large-scale installations have appeared in communities across the country, shares the stage with an organic chemist like Song Lin, whose laboratory research operates in a completely different register. Where a saxophonist might invite a chef to cook onstage during a performance, a labor economist compiles data on wages — yet all are recognized for original contributions to their fields.
The awards also carry a symbolic weight beyond the dollar amount. Being named a MacArthur fellow often elevates a recipient's public profile, opening doors to new collaborations, speaking invitations, and media attention. For scholars and artists whose work might otherwise remain niche, the recognition can be transformative.
The $800,000 figure has remained constant for several years, and the foundation has not indicated any plans to change the structure of the award. Distributed quarterly over five years, the funds are designed to provide a stable base of support rather than a one-time windfall.
For the 2026 recipients, the announcement marks both an honor and a practical turning point. Whether they study racial wage gaps, climate governance, or the remains of the dead, they now have resources that most researchers and creators can only imagine. The foundation's bet is that this freedom will yield work that matters in ways no one can yet predict.
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