The MacArthur Foundation named 20 new fellows on Tuesday, awarding each an $800,000 grant with no restrictions on how the money can be spent. The 2025 class includes scholars, artists, scientists, and advocates working across fields from disability law to environmental health.

The fellowship, widely known as the "genius grant," pays out the $800,000 over five years. Recipients are nominated anonymously and cannot apply. The foundation selects them based on demonstrated creativity and the potential for future work.

This year's fellows include Alice Wong, a writer and disability justice advocate who founded the Disability Visibility Project; Andrea Dutton, a geologist studying sea-level rise; and Larissa FastHorse, a playwright and member of the Sicangu Lakota Nation.

The list also includes Benjamín Naka-Hasebe Kingsley, a poet and professor; Emeka Ogboh, a sound artist whose installations explore migration and memory; and Shamel Pitts, a choreographer and dancer based in Brooklyn.

MacArthur president Marlies Carruth said the fellows represent "people who have shown extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits." She added that the grants are intended to give recipients the freedom to take risks without financial pressure.

The awards carry no reporting requirements. Fellows can use the money for anything, from paying rent to funding research trips to launching new projects. The foundation does not ask for progress reports or receipts.

Several fellows said the timing mattered. Wong, who has long advocated for disabled people's access to health care and technology, said the grant would let her expand her work without seeking corporate or institutional backing.

FastHorse, whose plays have been produced across the country, said the fellowship would allow her to develop new work at a pace she controls. She has written about Native American representation in theater and film.

Dutton, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, studies ancient coral reefs to understand how fast ice sheets can melt. Her research informs projections of future sea-level rise.

The MacArthur Foundation has awarded more than 1,100 fellowships since 1981. Past recipients include writers, scientists, musicians, and activists. The program is funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, a private philanthropic organization based in Chicago.

This year's fellows range in age from their 30s to their 70s. They work in cities including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Honolulu.

The full list of 2025 fellows will be published on the MacArthur Foundation's website. The foundation said it does not disclose how nominees are identified or who serves on the selection committees.