BMI Foundation Announces 2016 Scholarships

The BMI Foundation has opened applications for its 2016 scholarships for college students.

The Foundation is a nonprofit that has been encourages creative and academic developments for young artists. There are six scholarships for college songwriters, musicians and radio broadcasters, with an application deadline of Feb. 15, 2016.

“It is with great anticipation that the BMI Foundation opens its virtual doors to young composers, songwriters, and music scholars across the country,” said BMI Foundation President Deirdre Chadwick in a release. “In addition to our historic awards for the creators of pop, Latin, jazz, and classical music,  we are thrilled to broaden our reach in 2016 to aspiring country music songwriters and broadcasting students. Collectively, our programs provide vital support for the next generation of musical talent and professionals in America.”

Click here for more information, and see the full list of available scholarships below.

BMI Founders Award for Radio Broadcasting
The first annual BMI Founders Award competition is open to radio broadcasting students age 17 – 24 nationwide. A $5,000 scholarship will be awarded for the best original essay response entry. The program was established in 2015 to recognize future innovators of broadcast radio, and commemorates the group of radio industry leaders who founded Broadcast Music, Inc. in 1939. bmifoundation.org/broadcast

BMI Future Jazz Master Scholarship
The second annual BMI Future Jazz Master Scholarship will award $5,000 to a rising jazz star pursuing a graduate degree in Jazz Studies, Jazz Performance, or related majors. The award was established in 2015 in honor of the NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship, a lifetime achievement recognition program of the National Endowment for the Arts. bmifoundation.org/jazzmaster

BMI Student Composer Awards
The 64^th annual BMI Student Composer Awards will award $20,000 in prizes to young composers engaged in the study of classical music. Co-sponsored by BMI and the BMI Foundation, the competition is open to all composers studying classical music who are age 27 or younger and citizens of the Western Hemisphere. Classical music luminaries such as John Adams, Aaron Jay Kernis and Augusta Read Thomas received their earliest recognition through this program. bmifoundation.org/sca

John Lennon Scholarship
The 19th annual John Lennon Scholarships will award three prizes totaling $20,000 to U.S. college-student songwriters (age 17 to 24) for the best original songs submitted to the competition. Established in 1997 by Yoko Ono in conjunction with the BMI Foundation, this scholarship program honors the memory of one of the preeminent songwriters of the 20th century, John Lennon, and has become one of the nation’s most esteemed accolades for emerging artists. bmifoundation.org/lennon

Nashville Songwriting Scholarship
The Nashville Songwriting Scholarship is an annual competition established in 2015 to support aspiring country music artists nationwide. A $5,000 scholarship will be awarded for the best original song in any of the following genres: Americana, blues, bluegrass, contemporary Christian, country, folk, and roots. The contest is open to students between the ages of 17 and 24, who are enrolled in any college or university located in the United States. GRAMMY-winning recording artist and BMI songwriter Kacey Musgraves serves as honorary spokesperson for the inaugural competition. bmifoundation.org/nashville

peermusic Latin Scholarship
Established by music publisher Ralph Peer II and generously funded by peermusic, the 13^th annual peermusic Latin Scholarship competition will award a $5,000 scholarship for the best original song or instrumental composition in any Latin genre. The contest is open to students between the ages of 17 and 24, who are enrolled in any college or university located in the United States and Puerto Rico. Multi-platinum bachata artist and BMI songwriter Prince Royce serves as honorary spokesperson for the competition. bmifoundation.org/peer

Woody Guthrie Fellowship
The 11^th annual Woody Guthrie Fellowship will award up to $5,000 for scholarly research at the extensive Woody Guthrie Archives, a paper-based research repository located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Applicants must have a research project that leads to the creation of an original scholarly publication or product and requires a minimum of two weeks of research at the Archives. Established in 2005 in cooperation with the Woody Guthrie Center, the Woody Guthrie Fellowship seeks to encourage unique exploration into the life and legacy of one of the most influential folk musicians in American history, Woody Guthrie. bmifoundation.org/guthrie