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Individual Music Grants

Music is an important element in cultural identity and many organizations note this by awarding grant money to individuals whom they feel will make positive contributions to society. Individual music grants are available through a variety of different organizations, be they geared specifically toward music or not, for projects ranging from the performance of music to its preservation.

  1. The ASCAP Foundation Cy Coleman Award

    • Along with BMI and SESAC, The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) is one of three major performing rights organizations in the world, licensing and collecting royalties on copyrighted music. In 2009, ASCAP began offering its Cy Coleman Award. A fitting grant for an organization whose business model revolves around songs, the Cy Coleman Award is given to a songwriter "whose career would benefit from taking a music business course," according to The ASCAP Foundation's website. Cy Coleman was an ASCAP board member and famed Broadway musical composer. The $6,000 grant is rotated amongst New York University, the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California and the Berklee College of Music in Boston. It is funded, fittingly, by the ASCAP Foundation Cy Coleman Fund.

      The ASCAP Foundation
      One Lincoln Plaza
      New York, NY 10023-7142
      212-621-6588
      ascapfoundation.org

    Grammy Foundation

    • The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States has been awarding its annual Grammy Awards for music since 1958. In 1989, it established the Grammy Foundation "to cultivate the understanding, appreciation and advancement of the contribution of recorded music to American culture," according to its website. The foundation offers two types of grants for either organizations or individuals. Scientific Research Project grants are awarded for research into music's impact on the human condition. Archiving and Preservation grants are awarded to support those making efforts to preserve America's musical heritage. The Grammy Foundation's grants range from $5,000 to 20,000.

      The GRAMMY Foundation
      3030 Olympic Blvd.
      Santa Monica, CA 90404
      310-392-3777
      grammy.com
      [email protected]

    Foundation for Contemporary Arts

    • The Foundation for Contemporary Arts was established by artists John Cage and Jasper Johns in 1963 "to encourage, sponsor, and promote innovative work in the arts created and presented by individuals, groups, and organizations." It gets its funding from the sale of artists' works and financial contributions. A pool of artists and arts professionals comes together and nominates individuals for music grants. Grant recipients received an unrestricted $25,000 to research ideas, start and finish projects underway. These grants are funded by several organizations, including The Aaron Copland Fund for Music.

      Foundation for Contemporary Arts
      820 Greenwich Street
      New York, NY 10014
      212-807-7077
      foundationforcontemporaryarts.org
      [email protected]

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