Honoring Wellness and Liberation Through Music: Angelica Hairston Wins 2024 NBAF Horizon Award

I’m incredibly honored to have been named the 2024 Horizon Award winner by the National Black Arts Festival (NBAF). At $10,000, the NBAF Horizon Award for Emerging Artists is one of the largest grants to new artists available in the Metro Atlanta area, making it such an exciting and prestigious honor.

When I began my journey with the harp, stepping into spaces that historically overlooked Black women, I could not have imagined the path ahead of me. Yet, thanks to organizations like NBAF, my spark was recognized early on, and I was encouraged to step boldly into my power as a high school student performing as part of the 2011 NBAF with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra in Ennanga - a harp concerto by William Grant Still.

This Horizon award feels like a powerful affirmation—not just for me, but for the countless Black artists who have been told that their voices didn’t belong. To be seen and celebrated as a Black harpist in spaces that haven’t always acknowledged us is monumental.

At the intersection of wellness and liberation, my work is deeply tied to healing and creative expression. The harp is not only an instrument of beauty but a vessel of rest and reflection. In every performance and sound bath, I aim to create space for our community to pause, breathe, and reconnect with the parts of ourselves we often silence. Whether I’m playing at Carnegie Hall or offering music for a healing justice event, I’m always holding space for the healing of the African Diaspora.

This award is not just a recognition of my artistic journey but a testament to the power of our collective stories. Every note I play, every sound meditation I lead, is an invitation to rest and reclaim our right to dream and create without apology. The $10,000 Horizon Award will allow me to further amplify this mission, using music to foster healing and liberation within my community.