24-05-2025
SCAD announces award-winning musician Jon Batiste as 2025 commencement speaker
Academy Award and Grammy Award-winning musician Jon Batiste will take a break from interpolating classical music with blues riffs to inspire graduates from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) next weekend.
Batiste will serve as the university's 2025 commencement speaker both in Savannah and Atlanta on May 30 and 31.
His commencement address will be to SCAD's largest class in university history. The 3,800+ graduates plus their families and guests will be treated to a live performance by the seven-time Grammy Award winner. SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace will also add an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree to Batiste's resume as she is scheduled to confer the degree to him.
SCAD's press release noted Batiste's impact on music and culture, especially calling out his 2021 album We Are. The album received 11 nominations across seven genres and won five awards, including Album of the Year. He also nabbed an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a BAFTA for his work on Pixar's Soul.
According to the press release, Batiste said, "It's a gift to connect with and inspire the next generation of creative artists from this globally renowned university."
Wallace will confer degrees to SCAD Savannah and SCADnow graduates on Friday, May 30, at the Savannah Convention Center, 1 International Drive. SCAD Atlanta graduates will receive their degrees on Saturday, May 31, at the Gateway Center Arena, 2330 Convention Center Concourse, College Park, Georgia.
The SCAD graduating class represents more than 40 degree programs, including animation, fashion, film and television, interior design, and user experience design. Students from various programs are also scheduled to speak and receive recognition for their accomplishments.
Joseph Schwartzburt is the education and workforce development reporter for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at JSchwartzburt@ and JoeInTheKnow_SMN on Instagram.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: SCAD shares big commencement speaker news for Savannah and Atlanta
