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Music Educator
Award
About the
Award
Awarded by the Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Museum, the Music Educator Award was established to recognize current educators (kindergarten through college, public and private schools) who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education and who demonstrate a commitment to the broader cause of maintaining music education in the schools.
For every performer who makes it to the GRAMMY stage, there was a teacher who played a critical role in getting them there. And really, that's true for all of us who are making music today. Maybe they introduced you to your first instrument. Or they showed you how to get over your stage fright. Or maybe they just inspired you to have the confidence to go for it when you were ready to give up.
It's time to say thank you to ALL of those teachers who put in ALL of those hours to make sure that ALL of us love and play music today. And who better to do that than the people who bring you the GRAMMY Awards?
We will select 10 finalists including one winner each year to be recognized for their remarkable impact. The winner will be flown to Los Angeles to attend the GRAMMY Awards, receive the Music Educator Award at a ceremony during GRAMMY Week, plus pick up a $10,000 personal honorarium. All finalists will receive a $1,000 honorarium, while semifinalists receive a $500 honorarium. All honorariums are accompanied by a matching school grant.
You do not need to be nominated to qualify or apply for the Music Educator Award.
Learn more about the 2026 winner of the Music Educator Award here.
Who is
Eligible?
Current, full-time educators in the U.S., who teach music in public or private schools, Kindergarten through College. Teachers in after-school, private studios, or other educational settings are not eligible. Teachers who are planning to retire at the end of the current school year are not eligible.
The Facts About the Importance of
Music Education Don't Lie
Here are a few we think are important. (Source Credit: National Association for Music Education)
Students in high-quality school music programs score higher on standardized tests compared to students in schools with deficient music education programs, regardless of the socioeconomic level of the school or school district.
Schools that have music programs have significantly higher attendance rates than those without programs (93.3 percent as compared to 84.9 percent).
Students in high-quality school music programs score higher on standardized tests compared to students in schools with deficient music education programs, regardless of the socioeconomic level of the school or school district.
Schools that have music programs have significantly higher attendance rates than do those without programs (93.3 percent as compared to 84.9 percent).
FAQs
Anyone can nominate a teacher for the Music Educator Award.
- Teachers
- School Administrators
- Recording Academy Members
- Students, Parents, and Everyone Else
Please select the appropriate button on this page.
Here is your chance to give something back to the passionate and committed teachers who help shape students into the people they are today. What a great way to say, thank you! You know who those fantastic teachers are in your community who are too shy or too humble to raise their hand for this terrific honor. And that means some really deserving teachers won’t even be considered. You can make sure that doesn’t happen by completing the nomination process.
So, get them into the game. All you need to get started is the nominee’s name, school, city, and email address. Your nominee will then be provided with what they need to complete the full application.
Music teachers who do not receive any nominations are still eligible and encouraged to apply for the award.
Current elected leaders and staff of the Recording Academy and its affiliates are not eligible to apply.
To bring attention to the excellent and impactful work being done by thousands of music teachers across the U.S.
The deadline for nominations is March 15, 2026. The deadline for teachers to apply is March 31, 2026.
- Initial applications are electronically scored and ranked.
- Quarter-finalists will be identified and asked to submit supplemental materials (video and/or written essays, testimonials, etc.).
- Semi-finalists will be chosen after supplemental material submissions go through a series of Screening Committee reviews.
- A Blue Ribbon Committee will select up to ten finalists and recommend one of these to be recognized during GRAMMY Week activities.
- The Board of Trustees of The Recording Academy will approve the Blue Ribbon Committee selections.
Music Educator applicants will be evaluated based on the demonstrated evidence that they:
- Have made a measurable difference in the lives of students.
- Have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education.
- Are exemplars of the best in the field.
- Have shown a commitment to the broader cause of maintaining music education in our schools.
- Have made a significant impact on their school and community.
Quarter-finalists will be notified by email no later than May 1.
No. It is free to apply and/or nominate a teacher for the Music Educator award.
Yes, however there will be restrictions on past recipients.
The winner receives a custom award and a $10,000 honorarium. Finalists receive a $1,000 honorarium, while semifinalists receive a $500 honorarium. All honorariums are accompanied by a matching school grant.
No. Only one submission per teacher will be reviewed. Multiple submissions and nominations will not be considered in our review process.
Nominations due March 15, 2026 Applications due March 31, 2026
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