2024 Horizon Award Winner: Angelica Hairston

The 2024 Horizon Award Winner in Music, Angelica Hairston, is an Atlanta-based harpist, educator, sound practitioner, and change-maker.
Renowned for her mastery of the harp and dedication to amplifying the voices of the African Diaspora, her performances intersect wellness and liberation, drawing global acclaim and garnering notable engagements like her 2023 Artist Residency at Palm Heights Resort in Grand Cayman, and 2024 appearances at esteemed venues like Carnegie Hall, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Woodruff Arts Center.
As the recipient of the prestigious 2023 Sphinx Organization’s MPower Artist Grant, Angelica was invited to perform and conduct groundbreaking research at the University of Ghana in Accra. Her dedication to equity in the arts has earned her widespread recognition, including being one of the youngest recipients of the Georgia Governor’s Awards for the Arts & Humanities and the 2020 Atlanta Magazine Women Making a Mark Award, both of which honor her significant contributions to Georgia’s cultural and civic landscape. Angelica has also performed concertos with renowned orchestras such as the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Nashville Symphony Orchestra, Montgomery Symphony, and Daytona Solisti Chamber Orchestra, and has appeared at the International Harp Academy of the Pacific in Vancouver, Canada, and the Judith Liber Academy in Lake Como, Italy.
Angelica holds certifications in Music Therapy and Sound Healing from the University of the District of Columbia, a Master of Music Industry Leadership as a 2015 MLK Fellow from Northeastern University, and a Bachelor of Music from The Glenn Gould School of The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, where she studied under world-renowned harpist Judy Loman. In addition to her performance career, she serves as the visionary founder and Executive Director of Challenge the Stats, an Atlanta-based nonprofit empowering artists of color to use music as a tool for social justice.
For bookings and to remain updated on Angelica's impactful work, please visit her website at www.angelicahairston.com or follow her on Instagram @angelharpist.
For more information on the NBAF Horizon Award, visit nbaf.org/horiz....