‘Reservation Dogs’ Co-Creator Sterlin Harjo Among 2024 MacArthur Genius Grant Recipients

The MacArthur Foundation has announced the recipients of its prestigious “Genius Grant,” a no-strings-attached award given to individuals who have demonstrated extraordinary creativity and potential in their fields.

This year’s fellowship recognizes 22 people for their contributions to the arts, sciences and social causes. One of the honorees is rising star filmmaker Sterlin Harjo, co-creator, showrunner and executive producer of FX’s Emmy-nominated comedy series “Reservation Dogs.”

The MacArthur Fellows Program outlines three criteria for selection: “Exceptional creativity; promise for important future advances based on a track record of significant accomplishments; and the potential for the fellowship to facilitate subsequent creative work.” Per the foundation, “Each fellowship comes with an award of $800,000 to the recipient, paid out in equal quarterly installments over five years.”

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The MacArthur Foundation‘s unusual tradition of awarding grants to promising artists, writers, researchers, academics and performing artists has taken on the nickname “Genius Grants.” There’s no application or submission process. As described by the foundation, “Nominees are brought to the program’s attention through a constantly changing pool of invited external nominators,” per the foundation. “Nominations are evaluated by an independent Selection Committee composed of a rotating roster of leaders in the arts, sciences, and humanities professions and in the for-profit and nonprofit communities.”

Below are the 2024 MacArthur Fellows:

Loka Ashwood, sociologist
“Shedding light on rural identity and culture and on the ecological, economic, and social challenges facing many rural communities.”

Ruha Benjamin, transdisciplinary scholar and writer
“Illuminating how technology reflects and reproduces inequality and championing the role of imagination in social transformation.”

Justin Vivian Bond, artist and performer
“Working in the cabaret tradition and weaving cultural critique and an ethic of care into performances that center queer joy.”

Jericho Brown, poet
“Reflecting on contemporary culture and identity in works that combine formal experimentation and intense self-examination.”

Tony Cokes, media artist
“Creating video works that re-contextualize historical and cultural moments.”

Nicola Dell, computer information scientist
“Developing technology interventions to address the needs of overlooked populations, such as survivors of intimate partner violence.”

Johnny Gandelsman, violinist and producer
“Reimagining classical works and nurturing the creation of new music across styles and genres.”

Sterlin Harjo, filmmaker
“Telling stories about the daily lives of contemporary Native Americans with humor and deep affection.”

Juan Felipe Herrera, poet, educator, and writer
“Uplifting Chicanx culture and amplifying shared experiences of solidarity and empowerment.”

Ling Ma, fiction writer
“Exploring the intersection of speculative and contemporary fiction in stories about alienation, immigration, and materialism.”

Jennifer L. Morgan, historian
“Deepening understanding of how the exploitation of enslaved women enabled the institutionalization of race-based slavery in early America and the Black Atlantic.”

Martha Muñoz, evolutionary biologist
“Investigating the motors and brakes of evolution.”

Shailaja Paik, historian
“Exploring the intersection of caste, gender, and sexuality in modern India through the lives of Dalit women.”

Joseph Parker, evolutionary biologist
“Uncovering the origins of symbiosis in rove beetles and the evolution of complex organismal traits.”

Ebony G. Patterson, multimedia artist
“Creating visually dazzling works that explore themes of visibility, beauty, race, class, violence, mourning, and regeneration.”

Shamel Pitts, dancer and choreographer
“Pioneering experimental performance works inspired by Afrofuturism while reimagining collective ways of world-building.”

Wendy Red Star, visual artist
“Engaging with archival materials in works that challenge colonial historical narratives.”

Jason Reynolds, children’s and young adult writer
“Depicting the rich inner lives of kids of color and ensuring that they see themselves and their communities in literature.”

Dorothy Roberts, legal scholar and public policy researcher
“Exposing racial inequities embedded in social service systems and uplifting the experiences of people caught up in them.”

Keivan G. Stassun, science educator and astronomer
“Expanding opportunities in STEM education and careers for underrepresented populations.”

Benjamin Van Mooy, oceanographer
“Investigating how microbial organisms shape cycling of elements fundamental to life in marine environments.”

Alice Wong, writer, editor, and disability justice activist
“Increasing the political and cultural visibility of people with disabilities and catalyzing broader understandings of disability.”