2024 Baker Artist Awards Finalists

The 2024 finalists were selected by an anonymous jury, and exemplify excellence in three areas: mastery of craft, depth of artistic exploration, and a unique vision. Baker Artist Award Finalists are divided equally amongst the website’s six artistic disciplines: visual, literary, interdisciplinary, film/ video, performance and music. All artists who have received a cumulative total of less than $20,000 in previous prizes remain eligible for a Baker Artist Award.

Since 2009, the Baker Artist Awards has distributed $90,000 in annual prize money, awarding over $1.3million to over 150 artists over the past 16 years. The 2024 Baker Artist Awardees will be announced in June, with one artist from each of the six artistic disciplines receiving a $10,000 Mary Sawyers Baker Prize. One of the six selected artists will also receive the additional $30,000 Mary Sawyers Imboden Prize, for a total prize of $40,000—the largest art prize in the region. created a Baker Artist Portfolio in 2024.The 2024 finalists were selected by an anonymous jury, and exemplify excellence in three areas: mastery of craft, depth of artistic exploration, and a unique vision. Baker Artist Award Finalists are divided equally amongst the website’s six artistic disciplines: visual, literary, interdisciplinary, film/ video, performance and music. All artists who have received a cumulative total of less than $20,000 in previous prizes remain eligible for a Baker Artist Award.

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Wordsmith

Wordsmith is a songwriter, poet, recording artist, actor, playwright, entrepreneur and philanthropist from Baltimore, MD.

He earned a full athletic scholarship to play football at Morgan State University studying radio, TV and Performing Arts. A transfer to Salisbury University 2 years later earned Wordsmith a Bachelor's Degree in Performing Arts, Music & Theater in 2002.

Wordsmith is a Grammy Voting Member, finalist for the 2023 Baker Artist Awards, selected as one of 25 Black Marylanders to Watch in 2024 by the Baltimore Sun, 5 time ASCAPLUS Award winner, and winner of Best Rap/Hip Album for Perspective Jukebox at the 16th Independent Music Awards. His music and jingles are featured on prominent networks and shows like WWE, ESPN Sportscenter, Kawasaki, Russian Doll (Netflix), Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix), Preacher (AMC) and many more!

Continuing to expand his reach, Wordsmith is an International Exchange Alumni with the US Department of State. He has performed major concerts, humanitarian missions and held music/performance/poetry workshops in Azerbaijan, Haiti, Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Angola, Ukraine, Namibia, Cote D’ Ivoire, Panama, Tunisia and Tanzania since 2016.

Wordsmith’s career took a new direction in 2018 when he was hired to write new narration for Carnival of the Animals with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. A second opportunity came when Wordsmith was asked to host the 2018 BSO Gala with special guest Cynthia Erivo. Officially becoming an Artistic Partner with the BSO in September 2020, Wordsmith & composer James Lee III debuted two commissioned pieces; “Destined Words” for the BSO Gala Celebration in honor of Marin Alsop and the Frederick Douglass inspired piece “Freedom’s Genuine Dawn.” Wordsmith followed up these performances with landmark reinterpretations of Stravinsky’s “The Soldier’s Tale”, “Beethoven Ninth,” his original classical fusion piece “Made in America” and the world premiere of “Network to Freedom, ” on MLK Day 2024!

Wordsmith officially opened his nonprofit “Rise with a Purpose, Inc.” in 2020, while delivering his first TED Talk via John Hopkins University. Always looking to expand his horizons, Wordsmith collaborated with composer/pianist Kory Caudill for an album called “Progressions” and a concert series called “Concert for the Human Family.”

Putting his Theater degree to work, Wordsmith wrote and directed an original play his theater students performed in called “The Purple Tape” to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop in 2023.

Wordsmith is currently working on a House music EP called “Free House” and teaming up for a jazz poetry album called “Nothing but Change Stays the Same” with Grammy winning pianist and composer Alex Brown.