SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS: COMPOSITION
The Chein García Alonso Scholarship was created by the family of Latin songwriter Chein García Alonso (1953-2014) to honor his memory and talent. The scholarship benefits a songwriter, musician and/or vocalist of Latino heritage from a Newark, New Jersey high school who plans to study music at the college level.
Created in celebration of W.C. Handy's 125th birthday, this scholarship, funded by the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, is awarded to a student at Mt. Vernon High School, based on abilities in music performance and composition, who has been accepted to an accredited college or university. Music faculty at the school select the recipient.
Underwritten by an endowment from the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, this scholarship is presented annually to a jazz composition student. The recipient must be a matriculated student at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College/City University of New York. ASCAP member Louis Armstrong, who lived in Queens for decades, had strong ties to Queens College.
This scholarship, named in honor of the great Louis Armstrong, is funded by The Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation. It provides a talented jazz composer who has limited financial resources the opportunity to study music in a formal academic environment. The student is selected by the music faculty at the University of New Orleans.
Awarded to the top ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer age 18 or under, this scholarship is made possible by The Frank & Lydia Bergen Foundation and is named in memory their daughter, Charlotte, a lover of classical music. The scholarship is to be used for music study at an accredited college or music conservatory.
The Freddy Bienstock Scholarship & Internship provides a tuition-based cash award to an NYU Music Business student interested in music publishing who completes a full-time summer internship at Carlin America. NYU faculty recommend recipients.
The BMG Scholarship in honor of Quincy Jones is supported by BMG, Quincy Jones' publisher. This scholarship is presented annually to an African-American college or university student majoring in music who demonstrates musical talent and proficiency in the areas where Quincy has made his mark: composing, arranging, producing, conducting and performing.
This scholarship is presented each year to a graduating senior at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music and Art in New York City. The recipient is selected by the music faculty for promise in music composition. The award is funded by an endowment established jointly by ASCAP and Boosey & Hawkes, Aaron Copland's publisher.
The Irving Burgie Scholarship was established to support an aspiring African-American songwriter from New York City. This annual scholarship is awarded alternately between the Berklee College of Music and the University of Southern California. It is funded by a gift from ASCAP member, performer, folklorist and community activist, Irving Burgie in celebration of the 50th anniversary of his song "Day-O."
These scholarships, named in memory of Jay and Joan Morgenstern's daughter, Fran, are presented annually to two full-time undergraduate music students at the Manhattan School of Music in jazz composition and musical theatre. Each recipient must demonstrate the potential to produce creative and original work and also demonstrate financial need.
This scholarship, created to identify young talent and to encourage the study of musical theater, is presented each year to a composition student at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Funded by an endowment from the Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation, it honors the music publisher Max Dreyfus who served on ASCAP's Board for 50 years and was a mentor to many musical theater legends. It is funded by a generous gift from the Max & Victoria Dreyfus Foundation. The recipient is selected by the musical theater faculty at the Tisch School for the Arts.
This scholarship was created to honor the classic lyricist, Ira Gershwin. Mr. Gershwin was educated in the New York City public school system and this annual award serves to honor an outstanding junior year student at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music and Art, a public school in New York City. The student is selected by the music faculty at the school.
Established to honor the memory of long-time ASCAP member Bart Howard, this tuition scholarship recognizes the talent, professionalism, musical ability and career potential of a Berklee student majoring in songwriting.
Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller, writers of such hits as "Hound Dog," "Kansas City," "Jailhouse Rock," "Stand By Me," "On Broadway," and "Is That All There Is?," developed and funded this program which celebrated their 40th anniversary as collaborators. This scholarship provides assistance to young aspiring songwriters, musicians and vocalists. Two awards are given each year: one to an incoming freshman at Berklee College of Music in Boston, for which the school auditions the recipient; the second recipient is auditioned by the Young Musicians Foundation in Los Angeles.
The late ASCAP member Frederick Loewe is best known for composing the music for the outstanding musicals My Fair Lady, Camelot, Brigadoon and Gigi. Established by an endowment from the Frederick Loewe Foundation, this scholarship is presented annually to a student of musical theater composition at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University in New York City.
Named for Henry Mancini, whose credits include acclaimed soundtracks such as Days of Wine and Roses and Breakfast at Tiffany's, this fellowship is generously funded by Ginny Mancini to honor the memory of her husband. This fellowship provides support for a talented young film composer participating in the ASCAP/Columbia University Film Scoring Workshop or the ASCAP/NYU Film Scoring Workshop.
This scholarship honors the veteran film & TV composer-lyricist who created the beloved TV theme songs for The Addams Family and Green Acres, among many other musical achievements. Vic Mizzy was a proud and lifelong member of ASCAP, joining the organization in 1938. The scholarship assists a deserving graduate student in the Scoring for Film & Multimedia program at New York University's Steinhardt School. NYU film scoring faculty recommend the recipient.
The Betty Rose Scholarship is presented annually to an outstanding, promising composer participating in The ASCAP Foundation Composer-in-Residence Program at the University of Southern California. Through this program, approximately 20 students from USC’s Scoring for Motion Pictures and Television (SMPTV) graduate program are mentored annually by a prominent member of the scoring community for three intensive workshop sessions.
Honoring renowned ASCAP members George and Ira Gershwin and named for Louis Dreyfus, co-founder of the U.S. Division of Chappell Music (now part of Warner/Chappell Music), the Gershwins' publisher, this scholarship is presented each year to a composition student for a score written for dance, film/video or theater. The student must be enrolled in either the B.A. or B.F.A. program at the City College/City University of New York, Ira Gershwin's alma mater.
The American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers offers scholarships to undergraduate and graduate college students who are studying music composition and arranging in an American college, conservatory, or university. You must be a currently paid student member of ASMAC. Two to five scholarship are granted annually at the discretion of the ASMAC Board of Directors.
This fellowship is an annual, competitive residency for aspiring film, television, and video game composers. The program awards a $2,000 stipend for four to five weeks of intensive, in-studio mentorship with established composers in Los Angeles, and also offers the opportunity to consult with other distinguished leaders in the entertainment industry.
The award was established by Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) in 2015 in honor of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Jazz Masters Fellowship, a lifetime achievement distinction widely considered to be jazz music’s premier accolade, and pays tribute to the artistic excellence of jazz pioneers while providing crucial support for emerging performers. A panel of NEA Jazz Master judges selects the winner based on evidence of talent and potential as a jazz performer and composer, and the $5,000 scholarship is presented at BMI’s annual celebration of NEA Jazz Masters Fellows. Past judges include jazz legends Ahmad Jamal, Jack DeJohnette, Jimmy Heath, and Ron Carter.
BMI Foundation John Lennon Scholarship
The BMI Foundation manages the John Lennon Scholarship for Yoko Ono. Each year, three awards totaling $20,000 are awarded to applicants for the best original songs. The Scholarship competition is open only to U.S. college students between the ages of 17 and 24. Three scholarships with prizes totaling $20,000 will be awarded to the best original songs submitted to the competition. Visit web site for application deadline.
BMI Nashville Songwriting Scholarship
This scholarship is an annual, nationwide competition open to student songwriters of country music and related genres, including Americana, blues, bluegrass, contemporary Christian, folk, and roots. The award was established in 2015 by BMI to celebrate the company’s 75th Anniversary year, and pays homage to musical epicenter and “Songwriting Capital of the World,” Nashville, Tennessee.
BMI Foundation Charlie Parker Jazz Composition Prize
This prize is awarded annually to the best new work created in the BMI Jazz Composers Workshop and is named for the jazz legand, Charlie Parker. The winner is chosen by a distinguished panel of judges at the annual workshop showcase concert, held each year in New York City. Included in the prize is a $3,000 commission to write a new work to be premiered at the following year’s showcase concert.
BMI Foundation PeerMusic Latin Scholarship
The PeerMusic Latin Scholarship is awarded annually to a composer or songwriter with the best song or composition in any Latin genre. The program is open to students of an accredited university in the US or Puerto Rico, and between ages 16 and 24. Award: $5,000. Visit web site for application deadline.
BMI Student Composer Awards
The BMI Student Composer Awards is a competition for young composers of classical music. the awards are made on an annual basis for compositions submitted by students actively engaged in the study of music and all works are judged under pseudonyms. Applicants must be citizens of countries in the Western Hemisphere and must be either enrolled in accredited public, private or parochial secondary schools, in accredited colleges or conservatories of music, or engaged in private study of music with recognized and established teachers. Applicants must be under the age of 28 as of the competition postmark deadline. Prizes totaling $20,000 and ranging from $500 to $5,000 will be awarded at the discretion of the judges. The postmark deadline is usually in early February and applications are available as of the preceding November.
Sponsored by the National Music Council (NMC) and the Music Publishers Association (MPA). For students currently enrolled in school between ages 13 – 25. Applicants fill out online form, create and upload their video focusing on the importance of copyright. Awards up to $5,000.
The National Federation of Music Clubs (NFMC) offers more than $750,000 in competition and award prizes on the local, state and national level. The Biennial Young Artist and Ellis Duo-Pianists competitions award a total of $92,000 in awards and two years of performance bookings. Additional competitions are sponsored by the Federation in a wide range of categories, including voice, instrumental music, composition, dance, conducting, handicapped and visually impaired, and music therapy. NFMC also sponsors more than 38 annual and biennial awards for students desiring to attend the 20 sponsored Summer Music Centers.
Sigma Alpha Iota Inter-American Music Awards
A triennial composition competition to composers residing in North, Central and South America, with no age limit. Each triennium, Sigma Alpha Iota Philanthropies, Inc. specifies the particular combination of instruments and/or voices for which entries must be written, and the length of the work.
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