Internationally acclaimed trumpeter, composer, film scorer and New Orleans native Terence Blanchard has a another trophy to add to his case. The Chicago-based philanthropic organization United States Artists (USA) has announced Blanchard as a member of its 2018 fellowship class.

USA is awarding unrestricted grants of $50,000 to 45 artists across disciplines this year. 2018’s grant recipients include visual artists, writers, dancers, designers, architects, filmmakers, actors, and of course, musicians. Blanchard, who has released over 30 albums, scored over 50 films, and won four Grammys, was a natural choice for the award. According to USA, “The unique feature of the Fellowships is its unrestricted nature — artists may use the funds for whatever they need, be it medical expenses, housing, their artistic practice, or anything else. This flexibility allows Fellows the financial freedom to take risks and push their careers forward in ways that might not otherwise have been possible.”

Whatever Blanchard chooses to do with the grant money, he will surely continue to dedicate himself to jazz, not only in his own art, but also as an educator at the Berklee College of Music and Boston and the artistic director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s jazz series. His model career continues to make New Orleans proud.