New Music USA and Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice Announce 2026 Next Jazz Legacy Cohort

New Music USA and the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice are excited to announce the seven artists that make up the 2026 Next Jazz Legacy cohort. Funded by the Mellon Foundation, the program offers intergenerational apprenticeship, mentorship, and professional development opportunities to emerging jazz artists who contribute to a more vibrant and inclusive jazz future.

The 2026 Next Jazz Legacy Cohort

Alden Hellmuth (she/her): saxophonist, bandleader, educator

• Bandleader: Sylvie Courvoisier
• Creative mentor: Ingrid Laubrock

Allison Philips (she/her): trumpeter, bandleader, composer

• Bandleader: Allison Miller
• Creative mentor: Andrew Cyrille

Destiny “Lé Queen” Diggs (she/her): bassist, bandleader, composer

• Bandleader: Jeff Watts
• Creative mentor: Cecile McLorin Salvant

Devon Gates (she/her): bassist, vocalist, composer

• Bandleader: Jason Moran
• Creative mentor: Dianne Reeves

Lily Finnegan (she/her): drummer, composer, improviser, organizer

• Bandleader: Camae Ayewa
• Creative mentor: Marilyn Crispell

Sequoia “REDWOOD” Snyder (she/her): pianist, composer, producer

• Bandleader: Braxton Cook
• Creative mentor: Aneesa Strings

Siya Charles (she/her): trombonist, composer, arranger

• Bandleader: Ingrid Jensen
• Creative mentor: Steve Davis

For full bios on each cohort member, read New Music USA's announcement.

This group of Next Jazz Legacy awardees was chosen through an open application call followed by a meticulous review process by a distinguished panel of jazz luminaries, chaired by Terri Lyne Carrington, NEA Jazz Master, Next Jazz Legacy’s artistic director, and Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice founder and artistic director. Once the awardees were selected, Carrington and the Next Jazz Legacy team worked closely with each of the musicians to match them with a master bandleader for a year-long performance apprenticeship, as well as a creative mentor for holistic career support, both of whom align with the awardees’ unique interests.

The selection committee for the 2026 Next Jazz Legacy cohort also included Consuelo Candelaria-Barry, Patricia Perez, Caroline Davis, Neal Smith, Matthew Stevens, Gregory Groover Jr., Aja Burrell Wood, and Vanessa Rose.

Cofounded by New Music USA and the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice, Next Jazz Legacy has made a remarkable impact in its first four years by providing invaluable experiences to its awardee cohorts and aiding in their artistic development.

Program data through July 2025 shows strong outcomes for participants:

• 100 percent state they have grown as an artist both as a side-person and as a performer.

• 100 percent state they have achieved their goals and have increased confidence.

• 86 percent are continuing their relationship with their bandleader beyond the program.

• 71 percent will continue their relationship with their mentor.

• 100 percent feel more connected to and have a stronger sense of belonging in the jazz community after participating in the program.

Awardees have performed at some of the most prestigious jazz events across the country and with some of the most acclaimed names in jazz. By the end of 2026, Next Jazz Legacy’s impact will have grown to encompass:

• the direct support of 36 emerging artists;

• the engagement of 108 bandleaders and creative/business mentors;

• 432 creative and business mentorship sessions;

• 28 cohort learning sessions; and

• 17 showcase performances.

“I am delighted to welcome the fifth cohort of Next Jazz Legacy. Over the years, we have had the privilege of collaborating with an exceptional range of creative improvisers and esteemed jazz veterans, all working together to advance a more inclusive and vibrant future for the art form,” said Carrington. “Onstage apprenticeship was instrumental in my own artistic development, and it is deeply meaningful to now help provide these outstanding emerging musicians with the mentorship and hands-on experience that will support them in their continued growth.”

“I am proud to celebrate Next Jazz Legacy’s fifth cohort as this pioneering initiative continues to foster a true representation of jazz artists through our newest generation,” said New Music USA President and CEO Vanessa Rose. “Thanks to the Mellon Foundation’s generous support, we are able to invest in the proven impact of mentorship and the cohort experience as well as performance and development opportunities for our awardees. We are grateful to be partners in this endeavor with Terri Lyne Carrington, Aja Burrell Wood, and the many esteemed artists engaging in this program. Congratulations to NJL 2026!”

“I am excited to be part of Next Jazz Legacy to learn firsthand from world-class musicians within the cohort and beyond it, both on and off the bandstand,” shared 2026 Next Jazz Legacy awardee Devon Gates. “As artists and as people, I believe we are deeply shaped by the community that we are able to build around us, and I hope that this program will strengthen and establish new connections that I can call upon and collaborate with for the rest of my career.”