This article was curated by It’s That Part, where we highlight the truth in every fact—curated for deeper insight and critical reflection.
Now in its sixth year, the Native Son 101 year-end list celebrates leaders, innovators, and mavericks who expanded representation, broke barriers, and shifted culture throughout 2025. The class reflects a wide spectrum of influence from award-winning performers and designers to policy leaders, scholars, and community builders whose work helped define the year.
The 2025 honorees include two-time Academy Award nominee Colman Domingo, Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Grammy Award-winning DJ and producer Kaytranada, Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning director Anthony M. Hemingway, R&B star Khalid, visual artist Derrick Adams, Emmy Award-winning actor Tramell Tillman, and Brazilian tennis player Joao Lucas Reis da Silva, the first active men’s professional tennis player to publicly come out as gay.
Other figures recognized this year include journalist and show host Don Lemon, Oscar and Tony Award-winning costume designer Paul Tazewell, Grammy-nominated R&B artist Destin Conrad, author and scholar Ahmad Greene-Hayes, and political leaders such as New York City Council member Chi Ossé and national LGBTQ+ policy advocate Preston Mitchum.
Conceived and curated by Native Son founder Emil Wilbekin, the 2025 list arrives amid continued rollbacks of DEI initiatives and attacks on LGBTQ+ protections and racial equity. In a statement, Wilbekin said the year tested the community in unprecedented ways, yet honorees continued to create, organize, and lead—using their platforms to protect culture, history, and humanity while refusing to be erased.
Launched in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and racial justice uprising, the Native Son 101 List serves as an ongoing cultural archive honoring Black queer men across generations. The 2025 list, illustrated by Adrian Armstrong and published on Native Son’s website, remains a cornerstone of the organization’s mission to amplify visibility and preserve legacy.
