This year, filmmaker Sterlin Harjo, poet Jericho Brown and disability rights activist Alice Wong are among the recipients of the so-called "genius grants." Each fellow receives $800,000.

The 22 fellows will each receive a grant of $800,000 over five years to spend however they want. They were selected from nominations in a yearslong process that solicits input from their communities and peers. Fellows do not apply and are never officially informed that they’ve been nominated unless they are selected for the award.

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has announced the 22 winners of its 2024 "genius grants." Each award, carries a no-strings-attached $800,000 stipend