Nate Smith Announced as New Artistic Director of the Newport Jazz Festival

NEWPORT, RI (February 12, 2026) — Fresh off of his two GRAMMY wins earlier this month, polymath musician, virtuosic drummer, producer, and bandleader Nate Smith has been appointed as the new Artistic Director of the Newport Jazz Festival. He will work hand in hand with the Newport creative team to aid with booking, artistic direction, community building and the foundation’s year-round work in jazz education. He will serve in the role for three years beginning with this year’s festival taking place July 31st – August 2nd in Newport, Rhode Island at Fort Adams State Park. Smith takes over the role from Christian McBride, who served in the position for a decade, and festival founder George Wein before him. Smith ushers in this new era following three years of consecutive festival sell outs.

The Newport Festivals Foundation’s chairman of the board, Bruce Gordon, says, “We were so fortunate to have such a wide and varied jazz community talent pool from which to draw. The uniquely gifted candidates we considered made our decision incredibly difficult. It is further proof that jazz is alive and well and thriving. We were looking for someone willing and able to honor the rich traditions of jazz, staying rooted in what the genre is at its core. At the same time, we needed someone we could count on to push the envelope, keeping the music fresh and forward-looking. That person is the remarkable Nate Smith.” He went on to say, “Nate is family, and has been playing this festival for many years. We were so fortunate to have Christian McBride bring his excellence to the team, and we know Nate will do the same.”

In its 72nd year, the Newport Jazz Festival remains one of the longest running and most storied festivals in America. It will continue to host once in a lifetime performances that only Newport’s unique alchemy of intimacy and artistic community can bring. Fans and artists alike return each year to this hallowed ground to experience the joy of this Festival’s long running tradition of diversity, discovery and artistic virtuosity. “With humility and gratitude, I am thrilled to accept the appointment as Artistic Director of the legendary Newport Jazz Festival. I extend my deepest thanks to Bruce Gordon and the Board of the Newport Festivals Foundation for this honor, and I’m very excited to work with Jay Sweet and the entire programming team. I’d like to also acknowledge my predecessor, the one and only Christian McBride, who leaves behind some awfully big shoes to fill. I hope to help foster a more personal connection between fans and artists, in an effort to ensure that our beloved music continues to thrive. I eagerly approach this endeavor with my heart and imagination wide open.”

The Late Newport Jazz Festival Founder George Wein on Nate Smith:
“A highlight was at the Blue Note where I saw Nate Smith + Kinfolk. What a simple name – Nate Smith – so simple that it might be difficult to remember. It could be Nate the Great, Nate’s Plate…but he has kept the simplicity of his own family name – Smith. The Kinfolk was some of the best music I have heard in ages. Nate leads the band from the drums – he is a magnificent percussionist – and each member of his group has to pay total attention to what Nate is doing because the intricacies of his approaches to time are so involved. I spent more than several minutes trying to analyze the time signatures and finally just decided to sit back and enjoy the music, which was astounding. I loved it. Nate Smith is a leader who will make his mark felt on the future of jazz.” – George Wein, 2019

About Nate Smith:
Nate Smith is a musical connector, thriving everywhere from the bleeding edge underground jazz scene to the highest echelons of popular music. He’s an in-demand collaborator who’s toured and recorded with stars like Brittany Howard, Childish Gambino, Jon Batiste, Norah Jones, Pat Metheny, Ravi Coltrane, and Michael Jackson. His unique combination of unreal chops — “his drumming is a marvel unto itself” says The New York Times — and intuitive communication has translated on social media, where his videos teach complex rhythmic principles and resonate both as showcase and seminar.

Earlier this month, Smith won two GRAMMY Awards for his 2025 album LIVE-ACTION: LIVE-ACTION: Best Alternative Jazz Album and Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals for “BIG FISH.” LIVE-ACTION was also just nominated by the NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Jazz Album.

About Newport Festivals Foundation:
Newport Festivals Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to create moments of hope through the power of music and community. Best known for producing the Newport Jazz and Newport Folk Festivals, the Foundation spends the rest of the year working to create the next generation of musicians through music education and artist relief programs.

Thanks to the support of our community, NFF offers music programs in our own backyard of Newport, Rhode Island, including free private music lessons, instrument donations to public schools, assembly programs, and summer camps.

Nationally, NFF partners with festival artists to support music education programs they’re passionate about. Since 2018, the Artist Gives initiative has provided over 197 grants to music education programs in over 35 states, including instruments for public schools, funding for music instruction workshops for Veterans, Girls Rock Summer camps, after-school music lessons for children with learning disabilities, and more.

For more information on the education initiatives of Newport Festivals Foundation, please visit www.newportfestivals.org.