UNCF Announces Honorees for the 2026 New Orleans Mayor’s Masked Ball

UNCF is proud to announce the honorees for the 2026 UNCF Mayor’s Masked Ball, being held on March 7, 2026, presented by Hyatt Regency New Orleans. The UNCF Masked Ball is the city’s most anticipated annual event, raising awareness for the need and benefits of college access and education, the students UNCF serves, and the contributions of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

This year’s honorees are Jon Batiste, seven-time GRAMMY^®, Emmy, and Academy Award–winning singer, songwriter and composer, and Blaine Kern Jr., president and CEO of Mardi Gras Productions and a leading figure in preserving New Orleans’ Mardi Gras heritage. Their dedication to the arts, education and community uplift is nothing short of inspiring! These distinguished gentlemen have made transformative contributions to the city of New Orleans, and the students UNCF serve. Join us as we celebrate their achievements with elegance and heartfelt gratitude in an unforgettable evening that honors excellence while igniting the pathway to shape the future.

Jon Batiste, a native of New Orleans, has become one of the most dynamic voices in modern music. His ninth studio album, Big Money, released August 22 through Verve/Interscope, features collaborations with No I.D., Randy Newman, and Andra Day. The album’s national tour, The Big Money Tour: Jon Batiste Plays America, included more than 30 stops across the country. Big Money capped an extraordinary year that included Batiste’s Super Bowl performance and the chart-topping success of Beethoven Blues, which held the number one spot on Billboard’s Classical Albums chart for nine weeks.

His 2023 album, World Music Radio, earned five Grammy nominations, including Album of the Year, while his song “It Never Went Away” from the Netflix documentary American Symphony received both a Grammy win and an Oscar nomination. Batiste’s achievements also include an Academy Award for Pixar’s Soul and a seven-year tenure as bandleader and musical director for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.

Blaine Kern, Jr., continues an iconic family legacy that helped shape New Orleans’ cultural identity. He leads one of the South’s premier event-production companies, overseeing an operation with extensive décor resources, including more than 10,000 props.

Under Kern’s leadership, Mardi Gras Productions produces an average of 350 events annually. His work includes some of New Orleans’ most significant moments, the visit of Pope John Paul II, numerous Super Bowl events and a global portfolio of events for presidents, royalty, prime ministers and sheikhs.

A central figure in Mardi Gras, Kern provides décor for leading krewes including Hermes, Zulu, Endymion, Bacchus, Orpheus and Rex. With more than 12,000 events produced over his four-decade career, Kern’s influence extends far beyond New Orleans. He donates his services to dozens of charitable organizations annually including a partnership with UNCF for the last 13 years for the annual UNCF Mayor’s Masked Ball.

The 2026 UNCF Mayor’s Masked Ball will be held at Hyatt Regency New Orleans (601 Loyola Ave, New Orleans, LA 70113) on Saturday, March 7, 2026. The annual gala brings together civic leaders, philanthropists, entertainers and advocates to raise essential funds for UNCF scholarships and its member institutions.

For more information, visit uncf.org/neworleans.

 

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About UNCF

UNCF is one of the nation’s largest and most effective supporters of higher education and serves as a leading advocate for college-bound students. Since its founding in 1944, UNCF has raised more than $6 billion to support students’ access to higher education, provide scholarships and strengthen historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Each year, UNCF awards more than 11,000 scholarships totaling more than $62 million. The scholarships support students attending more than 600 US-based colleges and universities including 37 UNCF-member HBCUs. Through its efforts, UNCF has helped generations of students to get to and through college. We believe a college education plays a vital role in fortifying the pipeline of leaders and professionals who contribute to the advancement of our society. Our logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and our widely recognized trademark is, ‟A mind is a terrible thing to waste.”^® Learn more at UNCF.org or for continuous updates and news, follow UNCF on Instagram.