Paul Tazewell, Emma Grede, JJ Johnson Among TIME 2026 Closers List

Released on Jan. 27, just ahead of Black History Month, the third annual list highlights 18 Black leaders from diverse fields who leverage their talents to drive positive change.

British businesswoman Emma Grede, Oscar-winning costume designer Paul Tazewell, and James Beard Award-winning Chef JJ Johnson are among TIME Magazine’s 2026 “Closers,” 18 Black leaders advancing greater equality.

Released on Jan. 27, just ahead of Black History Month, the third annual list highlights 18 Black leaders from diverse fields who leverage their talents to drive positive change.

This year’s honorees span social justice, business, sports, entertainment, and the arts, including Erin Jackson, Olympic champion speed skater; Abre’ Conner, director of the NAACP Center for Environmental and Climate Justice; and Marc Philpart, CEO of the Black Freedom Fund.

“Our annual Closers list launches just ahead of Black History Month,” TIME editors said. “We are proud to tell the stories of these 18 leaders who, despite ever-evolving challenges, remain determined to make change and to better the world we share.”

Thelma Golden, director and chief curator of The Studio Museum in Harlem

Here’s the full 2026 Closers List:

Abre’ Conner, director of the NAACP Center for Environmental and Climate Justice
Angela Doyinsola Aina, co-founder and executive director of Black Mamas Matter Alliance
Calvin Butler, CEO of Exelon
Danielle Deadwyler, actor and producer
Dara Eskridge, CEO of Invest STL
Darren Walker, philanthropist
Emma Grede, founder, entrepreneur, author, and host of Aspire with Emma Grede podcast
Erin Jackson, Olympic champion speed skater
Imani Perry, author and scholar
JJ Johnson, chef and advocate
Jamal Joseph, filmmaker and professor
Jennifer Eberhardt, social psychologist and Stanford professor
Karen Pittman, actor, producer, and activist
Marc Philpart, CEO of the Black Freedom Fund
Nneka Ogwumike, president of the WNBA players association
Paul Tazewell, Oscar-winning costume designer
Sarah Lewis, art historian and Harvard professor

The list highlights Black leaders across the U.S. committed to building a more equitable world.

Pittman uses her experience with food insecurity to advocate for those relying on government assistance. Ogwumike is fighting for a collective bargaining agreement to reward players as the WNBA grows. Together, these leaders drive innovative, community-focused initiatives at a time when equity initiatives have been challenged.

“We have to meet the moment,” Perry said. “We can still read the banned books, teach each other what needs to be taught, and maintain an imagination for a just society.”

A ceremony celebrating the 2026 Closers List will be held Feb. 12 in Atlanta.