PRESS RELEASE
MERIDIAN, Miss. (April 2, 2026) – The Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience
(The MAX) invites the public to cast their vote for the next class of the Mississippi Arts +
Entertainment Hall of Fame beginning Thursday, April 2 and running through Thursday,
April 30 at www.msarts.org/vote.
Collectively, the latest nominees come from every corner of the state and span every
artistic discipline, including literature, fashion, dance, music, architecture, and visual art.
The nominees have broken barriers and records—with more than 20 Grammy Awards,
two National Book Awards, and a MacArthur “genius” among them.
The nominees for the 2027 class of the Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Hall of Fame
are:
R.L. Burnside
Jerry Butler
Maude Schuyler Clay
Jerry Clower
William Dunlap
Ruby Elzy
Sam Gilliam
Theora Hamblett
Faith Hill
Mississippi John Hurt
Patrick Kelly
Thalia Mara
Mississippi Mass Choir
Sam Mockbee
Ethel Wright Mohamed
Charley Patton
Joe Willie “Pinetop” Perkins
David Ruffin
Bobby Rush
William Grant Still
Conway Twitty
Jesmyn Ward
Cassandra Wilson
Nominees were selected through a rigorous process involving a committee of experts
from across the state. Beginning earlier this year, the public was invited to recommend
people for consideration through a form on The MAX’s website.
Between April 2 and April 30, the public and the Hall of Fame Panel of Electors will
select their top five candidates from the pool of 23 nominees, with each person allowed
one vote. The Panel of Electors will use the following criteria: the degree to which a
nominee is a recognized icon in arts and entertainment; how their cultural impact serves
to inspire future creatives; ways their work reflects or innovates on Mississippi culture;
the enduring nature of their impact—and their connection to the state.
Results will be tabulated by a CPA firm and announced later this summer. An induction
ceremony is scheduled to be held on Thursday, January 28, 2027, at the MSU Riley
Center, a historic grand opera house in downtown Meridian, with a reception to follow at
The MAX.
The 2027 inductees will join an incredible group of Mississippians already enshrined in
the Hall of Fame, which serves as the centerpiece of The MAX. As sanctioned by the
state legislature, the Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Hall of Fame recognizes icons of
arts and entertainment with significant ties to the state. Past inductees include William
Faulkner, Morgan Freeman, B.B. King, Elvis Presley, Leontyne Price, and Oprah
Winfrey.
The MAX’s President and CEO, Penny Kemp said, “As we celebrate America 250, it’s
an ideal time to consider how Mississippi has contributed to American culture.
Mississippi artists fundamentally shaped the global cultural landscape, reminding us
that Mississippi is not just a place, but a primary source of the world’s imagination.”
Voting opens Thursday, April 2 at 8 am at www.msarts.org/vote and ends on Thursday,
April 30 at 5 pm.
