Photos by Debora Spencer

It’s official! The Stranger’s 2026 Genius Awards party on Saturday, September 12 was a smashing success. Between the hosts (drag stars Miss Texas 1988 and Lady GuGu), the DJs (Erik Blood and La Mala Noche), the best Shabazz Palaces show we’ve ever seen, I think it’s safe to say the city needed this now more than ever. And to my heart’s delight, everyone dressed up! Seattle, you looked incredible. (See more photos from the night here.)

The Genius Awards are so much more than just a spectacular fête, though. Saturday was made possible first and foremost by our writers, who met for months making exhaustive lists and diving deep into the best that Seattle has to offer in our six categories. We also had to define what the categories covered exactly, and what criteria we were even looking for. It was a labor of love and we are thrilled with our choices. 

By now I hope you have picked up our gorgeous September Genius Issue to meet the 2026 geniuses—who each received a trophy and a giant $10,000 check, no strings attached. Check out the Short List in each category, too, since no single winner could possibly contain the amount of excellent work happening in Seattle right now!

The Genius Awards, to me, are the best articulation of a city paper’s relationship to the city it covers. I hear from artists across every discipline that it can feel hard to know if anyone is paying attention. Or even able to pay attention these days. This is why local arts journalism is more crucial than ever. Our real human writers offer expertise, taste, and well-researched opinions. All of which can only come from paying attention. 

Thanks for reading! Let’s thrive!