Breaking News: HAMILTON's Lin-Manuel Miranda, Puppeteer Basil Twist Among 2015 MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant Recipients

HAMILTON author/star Lin-Manuel Miranda and avant-garde puppeteer Basil Twist are among the 24 recipients of the 2015 MacArthur Foundation Fellowship. Commonly called "The Genius Grant" they will each receive a $625,000 no-strings-attached grant over the next five years.

Fellows do not apply for, nor are informed of their being considered for the grant until they receive a phone call informing them of their being selected, shortly before a public announcement.

Also named as 2015 fellows are set designer Mimi Lien and tap dancer/choreographer Michelle Dorrance. Click here for BroadwayWorld's coverage of their awards.

Click here for the complete list of 2015 fellows.

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is one of the largest private philanthropies based in the United States. The Foundation supports creative people and effective institutions committed to building a more just, verdant, and peaceful world. In addition to selecting the MacArthur Fellows, the Foundation works to defend human rights, advance global conservation and security, make cities better places, and understand how technology is affecting children and society.

Videos and bios from the MacArthur Foundation website:

Lin-Manuel Miranda is a composer, lyricist, and performer reimagining American musical theater in works that fuse traditional storytelling with contemporary musical styles and voices. Well-versed in the structure and history of musical theater, Miranda expands its idiom with the aesthetic of popular culture and stories from individuals and communities new to Broadway stages.