MacArthur Fellows 2026: Princeton economist and saxophonist among new class

Princeton University economist Ellora Derenoncourt and saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins are among the newest cohort of MacArthur Fellows, the annual awards that recognise individuals for exceptional creativity across fields ranging from the sciences to the arts.

Derenoncourt, an associate professor in Princeton's department of economics, was photographed in her campus office on Friday, September 25, 2026, in Princeton, New Jersey. Her selection places an academic economist in a fellowship class that typically spans disciplines and career stages.

Wilkins, a saxophonist, was photographed in New York on Monday, September 28, 2026. His inclusion reflects the fellowship's longstanding practice of recognising artists alongside researchers and public figures.

The MacArthur Fellows programme, widely known for its unrestricted, no-strings-attached grants, is awarded each year to a group of individuals chosen for their originality and the promise of their future work. Fellows are free to use the stipend as they see fit, a feature that has made the award one of the most closely watched in American cultural and intellectual life.

This year's class brings together figures from the arts and academia, continuing the foundation's tradition of honouring work that crosses conventional boundaries. Further details of the 2026 cohort are expected to emerge as the foundation releases additional information about the fellows and their work.