An experimental composer from California and a Maryland college president are among the winners of the 18th Heinz Awards recognizing innovation in five fields, the Associated Press reports.

The awards, this year worth $250,000 each, were created in 1993 by Teresa Heinz in honor of her late husband, Sen. John Heinz of Pennsylvania , and are administered by his Pittsburgh-based family foundation.

Mason Bates, a San Francisco composer whose orchestral pieces incorporate electronic dance music and new instruments built with old car parts, received the Heinz Award in the arts and humanities. The prize in the “human condition” category went to Freeman Hrabowski III, president of the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, for programs that help steer minority students to success in science, math, and technology.

Awards were also bestowed for work in the areas of public policy; the environment; and technology, the economy, and employment. For more information on all the recipients, see the Heinz Awards Web site.