MacArthur Genius Grant: Winners Announced

Twenty-four people were awarded as the 2015 MacArthur fellows through the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. These "genius grants" also include $625,000 given through the course of five years without any requirements afterwards.

Fellow are chosen based on their "exceptional creativity in their work and the prospect for still more in the future." Some of the awardees were Lin-Manuel Miranda, Basil Twist and Ta-Nehisi Coates. Miranda is the writer and lead actor for "Hamilton", a known Broadway musical. Twist is a well-known puppeteer. Coates is the author of the book "Between the World and Me," according to The Wall Street Journal.

"I had just broken up with a cable provider the day before, which is the best thing in the world," Miranda recalled when he received the news, The Washington Post reported. "I was like, 'Oh boy, they want me back.' And then they called twice more and I kept sending it to voice mail, and by the third [call], I was keyed up, ready to be like, 'Your cable box doesn't work! And you've given me terrible service,' " he added "And then it was, of course, the MacArthur Foundation."

"These 24 delightfully diverse MacArthur Fellows are shedding light and making progress on critical issues, pushing the boundaries of their fields, and improving our world in imaginative, unexpected ways," MacArthur President Julia Stasch said, according to the MacArthur Foundation. "Their work, their commitment, and their creativity inspire us all."

The awardees are free to use the money they are awarded however they want.

"We take 'no strings' quite seriously," managing director of the foundation, Cecilia A. Conrad said, according to The New York Times. "They don't have to report to us. They can use the funds in any way they see fit."

"We are interested in finding people on their way up and enabling them to take the next step," Conrad added. "That said, the speed at which people rise can be faster than anticipated."

See the list of winners here.