Anderson Receives 2026 Governor's Award

July 30, 2026 | 9:39 AM MT

Delbert Anderson was one of eight recipients selected for the 2026 Governor's Awards for Excellence in the Arts. 

Delbert Anderson (Diné), Musician, Kirtland

Delbert Anderson, a Diné (Navajo) jazz trumpet artist, composer, and educator, stands at the forefront of a vibrant Native American jazz scene. His work, deeply rooted in his Diné heritage, seamlessly integrates Navajo "spinning songs" of love, healing, and courtship with jazz and funk, thus marking him as a community-minded Indigenous individualist. His compositions are inspired by Navajo Nation landscapes, historical events, and the desire to preserve and educate about Diné history.

In 2018 Anderson developed the San Juan Jazz Society (SJJS) with the mission to build music activity, educational programs and unity through music. In 2019 the first Jazz Jam was created in Farmington, NM along with Anderson's youth music program Build A Band. 2020 the SJJS rasied $22,000 to renovate a pocket park behind Studio 116 in Downtown Farmington. The venue was used for music workshops, seasonal concerts and jazz jams. In 2021 the SJJS created the Farmington Indigenous Jazz Festival featuring and headling Indigneous led jazz ensembles. The Spirit Coalescent Community Project was created in 2023 by Anderson fusing different mediums of arts to recognize Indigenous land, knowledge and wisdom. Currently, Anderson is developing a Tribal Bands Festival with organizations in Gallup, New Mexico dedicated to the Indigenous peoples of Boarding School Ensembles. 

Since 2018 to present day, Mr. Anderson has dedicated over $250,000 to San Juan County (Farmington), McKinley County (Gallup) and Montezuma County (Cortez) by writing individual grants for music related projects. 

Anderson continues to support his community through the arts and was able to secure the following grants for 2026:

First Peopls Fund Live Production Grant - for Anderson's first theater play, Walking In Harmoney

Creative Capital Award -  for Anderson's duration composition, The Long Walk: 1,674 Days

*** NEXT PERFORMANCE ***

Delbert Anderson Quartet

Brooks/Isham Performing Arts Center (Kirtland, NM)

 September 22, 2026 | 7:00 PM FREE EVENT