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2023 Music Educator Award: 207 Quarterfinalists Announced
Music Educator Award

Photo Courtesy of the Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum

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2023 Music Educator Award: 207 Quarterfinalists Announced

A total of 207 music teachers from 180 cities have been announced as quarterfinalists for the 2023 Music Educator Award, presented by the Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum.

GRAMMYs/Jun 8, 2022 - 06:29 pm

A total of 207 music teachers from 180 cities have been announced as quarterfinalists for the 2023 Music Educator Award, a joint partnership and presentation of the Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum. In total, nearly 1,500 initial nominations were submitted. In addition to the quarterfinalists, 125 legacy applicants from 2022 will also be eligible to win the award this year. The semifinalists will be announced in September.

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. The recipient will be recognized during GRAMMY Week 2023, which takes place ahead of the 2023 GRAMMYs, officially known as the 65th GRAMMY Awards.

Each year, one recipient is selected from 10 finalists and recognized for their remarkable impact on students' lives. The 10th annual honoree will be flown to Los Angeles to attend the 65th GRAMMY Awards and a range of GRAMMY Week events. The nine additional finalists will receive a $1,000 honorarium, and the schools of all 10 finalists will receive matching grants.

The 2023 GRAMMY nominations are officially here. See the complete list of nominees across all 91 GRAMMY categories.

Fifteen semifinalists will receive a $500 honorarium with matching school grants. The matching grants provided to the schools are made possible by the generosity and support of the GRAMMY Museum’s Education Champion, Ford Motor Company Fund. In addition, the American Choral Directors Association, National Association for Music Education, NAMM Foundation, and National Education Association support this program through outreach to their constituencies.

The Music Educator Award is open to current U.S. music teachers, and anyone can nominate a teacher — students, parents, friends, colleagues, community members, school deans, and administrators. Teachers are also able to nominate themselves, and nominated teachers are notified and invited to fill out an application.

Learn more about the Music Educator Award.

See the full list of the 2023 Music Educator Award quarterfinalists below:

QUARTERFINALISTS

Name School City State
Phil Aguglia Kenmore East High School Tonawanda New York
John Aguilar Robert Eagle Staff Middle School Seattle Washington
Heather Akers Central Middle School Dover Delaware
Calandria Allen West Feliciana Middle School Saint Francisville Louisiana
Eric Allen Western Middle School for the Arts Louisville Kentucky
Abigail Alwin Clague Middle School Ann Arbor Michigan
David Amos Heritage Middle School Painesville Ohio
Bonnie Anderson Miller’s Point Elementary School Converse Texas
Justin Antos Dwight D. Eisenhower High School Blue Island Illinois
Rich Armstrong Waxahachie High School Waxahachie Texas
Luke Aumann Appleton North High School Appleton Wisconsin
Elizabeth Baker Ilima Intermediate School Ewa Beach Hawaii
William Bares UNC Asheville Asheville North Carolina
Andre Barnes Science Park High School Newark New Jersey
Conesha Washington-Barron Lanier High School Jackson Mississippi
Lyndra Bastian Woodstock High School Woodstock Illinois
William Bennett Cane Bay High School Summerville South Carolina
Randell Bertsche Conner Middle School Hebron Kentucky
Heather Bice Ridgeview High School Orange Park Florida
Mario Boccali Cabrillo Middle School Ventura California
Cherie Bowe Pascagoula High School Pascagoula Mississippi
Charlie Bradberry Iowa Park High School Iowa Park Texas
Justin Britt Kingston Public Schools Kingston Oklahoma
William Brown FJ Turner High School Beloit Wisconsin
Ryan Bulgarelli Loyalsock Township High School Williamsport Pennsylvania
Shantavia Burchette East Side High School Newark New Jersey
John Burn Homestead High School Cupertino California
Alexander Busby Oviedo High School Oviedo Florida
Aaron Bush Foxborough High School Foxborough Massachusetts
Meg Byrne Pleasant Valley High School Bettendorf Iowa
Leonard Al Campbell Jr. Westbury High School Houston Texas
Brett Carroll Burbank High School Burbank California
Elizabeth Carter Snowden School Memphis Tennessee
Philip Carter O'Fallon Township High School O'Fallon Illinois
Francis Cathlina University of Memphis Memphis Tennessee
Amberleigh Cellak Starbuck World IB Middle School Racine Wisconsin
Tiffany Chiang Mark Twain I.S. 239 Brooklyn New York
Ernesta Chicklowski Roosevelt Elementary Tampa Florida
Michael Coelho Ipswich High School Ipswich Massachusetts
Leah VanDoran Cohen Ewa Makai Middle School Ewa Beach Hawaii
Cory Joy Craig Benton Intermediate School Benton Louisiana
Christina Crivelli South Fayette Intermediate School McDonald Pennsylvania
Christine Cumberledge Central Junior High School Euless Texas
Austin Cunningham KIPP Austin Brave High School Austin Texas
Pamela Dawson DeSoto High School DeSoto Texas
Kelly DeHaan Mountain Ridge High School Herriman Utah
Maria Del Valle Brin The Equity Project Charter School New York New York
Heather Dipasquale Todd County Middle School Elkton Kentucky
Antoine Dolberry P.S. 103 Hector Fontanez School Bronx New York
Jack A. Eaddy, Jr. Western Carolina University Cullowhee North Carolina
Dominique Eade New England Conservatory of Music Boston Massachusetts
Benjamin Easley Nolensville High School Nolensville Tennessee
Brandon Elliott Moorpark College Moorpark California
Jasmine Faulkner Polaris Expeditionary Learning School Fort Collins Colorado
Daniel James Felton DeLaSalle High School Minneapolis Minnesota
Nicholas Fernandez Bentonville High School Bentonville Arkansas
Kelly Ford Siena Heights University Adrian Michigan
Cathryn Fowler Health Careers High School San Antonio Texas
Marisa Frank Nashville Classical Charter School Nashville Tennessee
Jasmine Fripp KIPP Nashville Collegiate High School Nashville Tennessee
Jorge L. Garcia Elias Herrera Middle School Laredo Texas
Jacob Garcia Tennyson Middle School Waco Texas
Tina Gibson Jefferson County Traditional Middle School Louisville Kentucky
Alex Gittelman Haverford Middle School Havertown Pennsylvania
Guillermo Gonzalez James A. Garfield High School Los Angeles California
John Gordon Odessa High School Townsend Delaware
Mansa Gory Denzel Washington School of the Arts Mount Vernon New York
Deanna Grandstaff Cecil Intermediate School McDonald Pennsylvania
Jessica Gronberg Hawkes Bluff Elementary Davie Florida
Melanie Gunn Whitman Middle School Seattle Washington
Amanda Hanzlik Edwin O. Smith High School Storrs Connecticut
Marvin Haywood John Ehret High School Marrero Louisiana
Colette Hebert Yonkers Public Schools Yonkers New York
Kristin Howell Syosset High School Syosset New York
Emmanuel Hudson Booker T. Washington High School Shreveport Louisiana
Karla Hulne Blair-Taylor Middle & High School Blair Wisconsin
(Andrea) Dalene Husky Chandler Traditional Academy-Liberty Campus Chandler Arizona
Mia Ibrahim Health Opportunities High School Bronx New York
Luis Ingels BASIS Independent Brooklyn Brooklyn New York
Justin Janer Pinewood School Middle Campus Los Altos California
Daryl Jessen Dakota Valley School North Sioux City South Dakota
Mary Johnson Jardine Elementary Topeka Kansas
De’Evin Johnson Duncanville High School Duncanville Texas
Amir Jones Thomas W. Harvey High School Painesville Ohio
Jean-Marie Kent Roosevelt High School Seattle Washington
Brandon Kiesgen Perry High School Gilbert Arizona
Allison Kline Northwestern Lehigh High School New Tripoli Pennsylvania
Rod Kosterman Rockwall-Heath High School Rockwall Texas
Joshua Krohn Brent Elementary School Washington District of Columbia
Sarah Labovitz Arkansas State University Jonesboro Arkansas
Eli Lambie Washington Lands Elementary School Moundsville West Virginia
J. Alan Landers Lakenheath High School Lakenheath New Jersey
David Leach Pioneer High School Ann Arbor Michigan
Jeffrey Leager Central Middle School Dover Delaware
Heather Leppard Girls Academic Leadership Academy Los Angeles California
Hope Lewis Charles O. Dickerson High School Trumansburg New York
Angie Liss Howe High School Howe Texas
Christopher Little Jim Hill High School Jackson Mississippi
Meredith Lord Burncoat High School Worcester Massachusetts
Christian Lozano Canyon Springs High School Moreno Valley California
Brendon Lucas Nyack Middle School Nyack New York
Christian Lucas Mariners Christian School Costa Mesa California
Andrew Macaione Benavides STEAM Academy Aurora Illinois
Kurtina Cyntel Maholmes Sykes Elementary School Jackson Mississippi
Thomas Mann W. Charles Akins Early College High School Austin Texas
Jessica Martin Crosby Park Elementary School Lawton Oklahoma
Jesus Martinez Sam Houston High School Arlington Texas
Alison McCarrey Romig Middle School Anchorage Alaska
Angie McDaniel Forest Creek Elementary Round Rock Texas
Kevin McDonald Wellesley High School Wellesley Massachusetts
Matt McKagan Lindero Canyon Middle School Agoura Hills California
Brian McMath Northwest Guilford High School Greensboro North Carolina
Phillip McMullen Silver Creek Central Schools Silver Creek New York
Tracy Meldrum Verrado High School Buckeye Arizona
Xochilt Melendez Munguia Gainesville Middle School Gainesville Virginia
A.J. Merlino Albright College Reading Pennsylvania
Kris Milby Greenup County High School Greenup Kentucky
Jasper Miranda Coleman ISD Coleman Texas
Ashleigh Moffit Gateway Science Academy Middle School Saint Louis Missouri
Dana Monteiro Frederick Douglass Academy New York New York
Shelby Montgomery George Jenkins High School Lakeland Florida
David Moore Inspire Charter Academy Baton Rouge Louisiana
Marcus Morris Dorman High School Roebuck South Carolina
Ryan Moseley Appoquinimink High School Middletown Delaware
David Moss West Hopkins School Nebo Kentucky
Deborah Muhlenbruck-Fleischer Barry and June Gunderson Middle School Las Vegas Nevada
Jenny Neff The University of the Arts Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Ailisa Newhall Inglemoor High School Kenmore Washington
Trevor Nicholas Senn Arts at Nicholas Senn High School Chicago Illinois
Vicki Nichols Grandview Elementary Grandview Texas
Heather Niederer Navarrete Elementary Chandler Arizona
Adam Nobile Big Spring High School Newville Pennsylvania
Benjamin Noyes Hillsboro High School Hillsboro Oregon
Tanner Oglesby Bryant High School Bryant Arkansas
Jeremy Overbeck Century High School Bismarck North Dakota
John Pachence Penn State University, Abington College Abington Pennsylvania
Donald Edward Padgett Hartford Conservatory School of Music Hartford Connecticut
Jennifer Page Niles North High School Skokie Illinois
Robert Pate Jr. L.W. Higgins High School Marrero Louisiana
Carrie Pawelski Jefferson Middle School Jamestown New York
Jordan Peters Dr. E Alma Flagg School Newark New Jersey
Sedric Pinkney O. Henry Middle School Austin Texas
Brendan Pitts Berrien High School Nashville Georgia
Matthew Pitts Robert JC Rice Elementary School Gilbert Arizona
Coutney Powers South Philadelphia High School Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Natalie Pratt Brentwood High School Brentwood Tennessee
Harvey G. Price Jr. Muskogee High School Muskogee Oklahoma
William Rank Oak Prairie Junior High School Lockport Illinois
Brett Rankin Wilde Lake High School Columbia Maryland
Annie Ray Annandale High School Annandale Virginia
Tracy Resseguie Staley High School Kansas City Missouri
Bethany Robinson Noblesville High School Noblesville Indiana
Marcos Rodriguez Avant Garde Academy of Broward Hollywood Florida
John Ross Appalachian State University Boone North Carolina
Nikia Russell Success Preparatory @ Thurgood Marshall New Orleans Louisiana
Giovanni Santos La Sierra University Riverside California
Mathew Schick Crescenta Valley High School La Crescenta California
Kyle Schoeller Northside Elementary Rogers Arkansas
Ruth Schwartz Chugiak High School Chugiak Alaska
Laura Shapovalov Walden III Middle School Racine Wisconsin
Jim Sheffer Medford Memorial Middle School Medford New Jersey
Matthew Shephard Meridian Early College High School Sanford Michigan
Shahniz Shirazi Arizona Conservatory for Arts and Academics Phoenix Arizona
Katie Silcott Olentangy Shanahan Middle School Lewis Center Ohio
Dylan Sims York Middle School York South Carolina
Thomas Slater Chestnut Oaks Middle School Sumter South Carolina
Michele Slone Urbana Elementary and Jr. High School Urbana Ohio
Tony Small Pallotti Arts Academy Laurel Maryland
Benjamin Smith Escalante Middle School Durango Colorado
Andrew Smith Charlotte Central School Charlotte Vermont
Ashleigh Spatz Burgess Peterson Elementary Atlanta Georgia
James Spence Berta Cabaza Middle School San Benito Texas
Wayne Splettstoeszer Torrington High School Torrington Connecticut
David Starnes Kennesaw Mountain High School Kennesaw Georgia
Elizabeth Steege Case High School Racine Wisconsin
Jonathan Steltzer Wayne County High School Jesup Georgia
Lawrence Stoffel California State University, Northridge Los Angeles California
Tyler Swick Robert and Sandy Ellis Elementary Henderson Nevada
Cami Tedoldi Foxborough High School Foxborough Massachusetts
Kylie Teston Leonardtown High School Leonardtown Maryland
Timothy Thomas Basic Academy of International Studies Henderson Nevada
Kaitlynn Tobias Lake Asbury Elementary School Green Cove Springs Florida
Jonathan Todd Crestdale Middle School Matthews North Carolina
Michael Tosh Chapel Hill ISD High School Mount Pleasant Texas
Matthew Trevino Roan Forest Elementary San Antonio Texas
Susan Trost Gateway Elementary Conneaut Ohio
Alexis True Thomas Downey High School Modesto California
Alice Tsui New Bridges Elementary Brooklyn New York
Gregory Urban Dunedin Highland Middle School Dunedin Florida
Jon Usher Hidden Springs Elementary School Moreno Valley California
Michael Vasquez Charles L. Kuentz Jr. Elementary Helotes Texas
Aaron Vogel Mountain Ridge High School Glendale Arizona
Derrick Walker Cedar Hill High School Cedar Hill Texas
Timothy Wallner Juan Navarro Early College High School Austin Texas
Antwuan Walters Heights High School Houston Texas
Bryen Warfield Homestead High School Fort Wayne Indiana
Sarah Wehmeier Aparicio Waukesha South High School Waukesha Wisconsin
Tammy White Kiser Middle School Greensboro North Carolina
Christopher White Hickory Ridge High School Harrisburg North Carolina
Alexander Wilga Davenport Central High School Davenport Iowa
Tyron Williams New Visions Charter High School for the Humanities IV Far Rockaway New York
Krista Williams Chastang-Fournier Mobile Alabama
Kelly Winovich Northgate Middle & Senior High School Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
Hayley Winslow Snow Canyon Middle School St. George Utah
John Woodrome Permian High School Odessa Texas
Tammy Yi Chapman University Orange California
Ronnie Ziccardi Avonworth Elementary School Pittsburgh Pennsylvania

LEGACY APPLICANTS

Name School City State
Keely (O’Hara) Abeln Parkway South Middle School Ballwin Missouri
Adrian Adams Richland Northeast High School Columbia South Carolina
Shirene Agahi-Patterson Denver South High School Denver Colorado
John Aguilar Robert Eagle Staff Middle School Seattle Washington
David Allinder Shades Valley High School Birmingham Alabama
Kathryn Ananda-Owens St. Olaf College Northfield Minnesota
Jeanne Andrews Pauline Petway Elementary School Vineland New Jersey
Tristianne Asbury Noble High School Noble Oklahoma
Michelle Bade West View Elementary Muncie Indiana
Andrew Bennett Fredonia High School Fredonia New York
Gregory Bennett Middletown High School Middletown New York
Brandon Benson J. U. Blacksher School Uriah Alabama
Gary Bernice Springfield High School of Science and Technology Springfield Massachusetts
Robert Bertke St. Francis School Louisville Kentucky
Monica Bertran St. Charles East High School St. Charles Illinois
Justin Binek Kansas City Kansas Community College Kansas City Kansas
Michael Blostein Averill Park High School Averill Park New York
Darrell Boston Loretto High School Loretto Tennessee
Andrew Bowerly Tenino High School & Middle School Tenino Washington
Jonathan Boysen Eastside Catholic School Sammamish Washington
Sedalia Brown Christel House Watanabe Manual High School Indianapolis Indiana
Matthew Brusseau Davie County High School Mocksville North Carolina
Ben Burge Jones College Ellisville Mississippi
Teresa Cameron Eastside Elementary School Lake City Florida
Jessica Campbell Legacy Traditional School - NW Tucson Tucson Arizona
Jennifer Canales Weeksville Elementary Elizabeth City North Carolina
Helen Capehart Bridgeport Middle School Bridgeport Texas
Marcos Carreras Springfield Conservatory of The Arts Springfield Massachusetts
Josh Chapel Deerfield Windsor School Albany Georgia
Christopher Clark Case Western Reserve University Cleveland Ohio
Kessler Cuffman Howard Connect Academy Chattanooga Tennessee
Nicole Davidson Susan E. Wiley Elementary School Copiague New York
Beth Davies Franklin Middle School Cedar Rapids Iowa
Robert DeSantis Millville High School Millville New Jersey
Shelby Dickey Gorzycki Middle School Austin Texas
Thomas DiNuoscio Northeastern High School Springfield Ohio
Heather Dipasquale Todd County Middle School Elkton Kentucky
Doris Doyon Mt. San Antonio College Walnut California
Dale Duncan Henderson Middle School Atlanta Georgia
Cuauhtemoc ("Moc") Escobedo Eckstein Middle School Seattle Washington
Wayne Fanning Niu Valley Middle School Honolulu Hawaii
Jordan Ford Norwood Elementary School Birmingham Alabama
Nicholas Gaudette Edina High School Edina Minnesota
Julie Gentry Westover Hills Elementary School Richmond Virginia
Andrew Gibb-Clark Kirkwood High School Kirkwood Missouri
Ryan Gonzales James Monroe High School Los Angeles California
Vivian Gonzalez Miami Arts Studio 6-12 @ Zelda Glazer Miami Florida
Robert Green Lakeland High School White Lake Michigan
Keith Griffis Walter L. Sickles High School Tampa Florida
Shanti Gruber Glenwood Springs High School & Middle School Glenwood Springs Colorado
Melissa Gustafson-Hinds O'Fallon Township High School O’ Fallon Illinois
Matthew Hammong Lawrence County High School Louisa Kentucky
Montgomery Hill Marion High School Marion Arkansas
Michael Huebner Kennesaw Mountain High School Kennesaw Georgia
Gene Hundley Swainsboro Middle School Swainsboro Georgia
William R. Jenks South Charleston Middle School South Charleston West Virginia
Natalie Kerr Bloomfield High School Bloomfield New Jersey
Robin King Fountain International Magnet School Pueblo Colorado
Scott Krijnen Castillero Middle School San Jose California
Marissa Kyser Spokane R-VII Spokane Missouri
John Alan Landers Lakenheath High School APO U.S. Armed Forces –
Jacqueline Langley Haverford Middle School Havertown Pennsylvania
Brandon Larsen Herriman High School Herriman Utah
Derek Larson St. Regis School St. Regis Montana
Matthew Leder Gadsden State Community College Gadsden Alabama
Monica Leimer DeLand High School DeLand Florida
Michael Linert Westminster High School Westminster Colorado
Kevin Longwill Abington School District Abington Pennsylvania
Wes Lowe The King's Academy West Palm Beach Florida
Pamela Lowell Cranston High School East Cranston Rhode Island
Matt Martindale Shelby County High School Columbiana Alabama
Jesus Martinez Sam Houston High School Arlington Texas
Atsuko Haarz Richwoods High School Peoria Illinois
Emily Maurer Slidell Junior High School Slidell Louisiana
Margaret Maurice Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Charlotte North Carolina
Eric McAllister Las Vegas Academy of the Arts Las Vegas Nevada
Richard McCready River Hill High School Columbia Maryland
Angela McKenna Classen SAS @ NE High School Oklahoma City Oklahoma
Bob Mecozzi Amos Alonzo Stagg High School Palos Hills Illinois
A.J. Merlino Albright College Reading Pennsylvania
Amberle Mitchell Washington High School Fremont California
Wanda Mitchell Hampton High School Hampton Virginia
Charles Moorer McArthur High School Hollywood Florida
Lauren Morabito Hendrick Hudson High School Montrose New York
Alicia Mulloy Liberty Middle School Madison Alabama
Christopher Nicholas West Adams Preparatory High School Los Angeles California
Jason Noble Scarsdale High School Scarsdale New York
Laura O’Konski Liberty High School Bealeton Virginia
Meredith Olson Elmwood Elementary Elmwood Park Illinois
Todd Oxford Texas State University School of Music San Marcos Texas
Brian Parrish Parkway West High School Chesterfield Missouri
Robert Pettigrew Westside High School Anderson South Carolina
Daniel Philpott-Jones Mohonasen High School Schenectady New York
Ær Queen Braddock Elementary School Annandale Virginia
Michael Rais Frost Middle School Livonia Michigan
Marc Ratner Mineola UFSD Garden City Park New York
Christopher Redd Dover High School Dover Ohio
Kathleen Riser Scott Central Attendance Center Forest Mississippi
Raymond Roberts Milwaukee High School of the Arts Milwaukee Wisconsin
Sarah Ruff Arthur and Polly Mays Conservatory of the Arts Miami Florida
Caitlin Schmidt JL Long Middle School Dallas Texas
Dustin Shrum Central Visual and Performing Arts High School St. Louis Missouri
Andrew Smigielski Forrest County Agricultural High School Brooklyn Mississippi
Michael Francis Smith Bourne Intermediate School Bourne Massachusetts
Derek Smith Hickory Ridge Middle School Harrisburg North Carolina
Patrick Smith Cooperative Arts & Humanities Magnet High School New Haven Connecticut
Jordan Stehle Matthew Whaley Elementary School Williamsburg Virginia
Cindy Stone Belgrade Middle School & High School Belgrade Montana
Elizabeth Taylor La Crosse Elementary School La Crosse Virginia
Laura Taylor Unity Junior High Cicero Illinois
Bill Tiberio Fairport High School Fairport New York
Sarah Todd Mary Lyon Elementary School Chicago Illinois
Michael Tosh Chapel Hill High School Mount Pleasant Texas
Julie Trent Glendale High School Glendale Arizona
Patrick Van Arsdale Ben Davis High School Indianapolis Indiana
EJ Villanueva Orange Grove Elementary School Anaheim California
Derrick Walker Cedar Hill High School Cedar Hill Texas
Heaven Watson-Weary Hunter Huss High School Gastonia North Carolina
Christopher Weatherly Christopher Weatherly Washington District of Columbia
Carissa Werner Ries Elementary Las Vegas Nevada
Tammy White Kiser Middle School Greensboro North Carolina
Brian Willett Monrovia High School Monrovia Indiana
Jacquelin Witherspoon J C Magill Elementary School Loganville Georgia
Arthur Wright, III Berkmar High School Lilburn Georgia
Jayme Zimmerman Bellefonte Elementary School Bellefonte Pennsylvania

Meet The 2022 Music Educator Award Recipient: Stephen Cox On His Philosophies & Strategies For Teaching

The GRAMMY Hall Of Fame Returns To Celebrate 50th Anniversary: Inaugural Gala & Concert Taking Place May 21 In Los Angeles
The GRAMMY Hall Of Fame returns to celebrate its 50th anniversary with an inaugural gala and concert taking place Tuesday, May 21, at the NOVO Theater in Los Angeles

Image courtesy of the GRAMMY Museum

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The GRAMMY Hall Of Fame Returns To Celebrate 50th Anniversary: Inaugural Gala & Concert Taking Place May 21 In Los Angeles

Following a two-year hiatus, the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame returns to celebrate its 50th anniversary with an inaugural gala and concert on Tuesday, May 21, at the NOVO Theater in Los Angeles. Ten recordings will be newly inducted into the Hall this year.

GRAMMYs/Mar 5, 2024 - 02:00 pm

Following a two-year hiatus, the GRAMMY Museum and Recording Academy are reinstating the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame on its 50th anniversary. The momentous event will be celebrated with an inaugural gala and concert on Tuesday, May 21, at the NOVO Theater in Los Angeles; tickets and performers for the event will be announced at a later date. As part of the return, 10 recordings, including four albums and six singles, will be newly inducted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame later this year.

The GRAMMY Hall Of Fame was established by the Recording Academy's National Trustees in 1973 to honor recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance that are at least 25 years old. Inductees are selected annually by a special member committee of eminent and knowledgeable professionals from all branches of the recording arts with final ratification by the Recording Academy's National Board of Trustees. There are currently 1,152 inducted recordings in the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame. View the full list GRAMMY Hall Of Fame past inductees.

This year, the GRAMMY Museum’s GRAMMY Hall Of Fame Gala will be the first of what will become an annual event, and includes a red carpet and VIP reception on the newly opened Ray Charles Terrace at the GRAMMY Museum, followed by a one-of-a-kind concert at the NOVO Theater in Downtown Los Angeles.

The inaugural gala and concert is produced by longtime executive producer of the GRAMMY Awards, Ken Ehrlich, along with Chantel Sausedo and Ron Basile and will feature musical direction by globally renowned producer and keyboardist Greg Phillinganes. For sponsorship opportunities, reach out to halloffame@grammymuseum.org.

Keep watching this space for more exciting news about the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame!

2024 GRAMMYs: See The Full Winners & Nominees List

The GRAMMY Museum Celebrates Black History Month 2024 With A Series Of Special Programs And Events

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The GRAMMY Museum Celebrates Black History Month 2024 With A Series Of Special Programs And Events

Throughout February, the GRAMMY Museum will celebrate the profound legacy and impact of Black music with workshops, screenings, and intimate conversations.

GRAMMYs/Feb 9, 2024 - 08:31 pm

The celebration isn't over after the 2024 GRAMMYs. In recognition of Black History Month, the GRAMMY Museum proudly honors the indelible impact of Black music on America and the fabric of global pop culture. 

This programming is a testament to the rich heritage and profound influence of Black artists, whose creativity and resilience have shaped the foundation of American music. Through a series of thoughtfully curated events — including educational workshops, family programs, special screenings, and intimate conversations — the Museum aims to illuminate the vibrant legacy and ongoing evolution of Black music. 

From a workshop on the rhythmic storytelling of hip-hop following its 50th anniversary and the soulful echoes of Bill Withers' classics, to the groundbreaking contributions of James Brown and the visionary reimagination of "The Wiz," these GRAMMY Museum programs encapsulate the enduring legacy and dynamic future of Black music.

The GRAMMY Museum invites audiences to delve into the stories, sounds, and souls that have woven Black music into the tapestry of our shared human experience. Through this journey, the Museum and the Recording Academy honor the artists, visionaries, and pioneers whose talents have forever altered the landscape of music and culture. 

Read on for additional information on the GRAMMY Museum's month-long tribute that explores, appreciates and celebrates the invaluable contributions of Black music to our world.

Thurs., Feb. 8

History of Hip-Hop Education Workshop

WHAT: In celebration of the 50 years of hip-hop, this workshop examines the unique evolution of Hip Hop from its origin to where the genre is today. Highlighting the golden age of Hip Hop, this lesson will provide students with a greater understanding of the struggles and triumphs of the genre.

WHEN: 11 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. 

REGISTER: Click here.

Sat., Feb. 10

Family Time: Grandma’s Hands

WHAT: Join us for a very special family program celebrating the recently released children’s book Grandma’s Hands based on one of Bill Withers’ most beloved songs. Bill’s wife, Marcia, and daughter, Kori, will participate in a book reading, conversation, audience Q&A, and performance, followed by a book signing. The program is free (4 tickets per household.)

WHEN: 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. 

REGISTER: Click here.

Mon., Feb. 12

Celebrating James Brown: Say It Loud

WHAT: The GRAMMY Museum hosts a special evening on the life and music of the late "Godfather of Soul" James Brown. The program features exclusive clips from A&E's forthcoming documentary James Brown: Say It Loud, produced in association with Polygram Entertainment, Mick Jagger’s Jagged Films and Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s Two One Five Entertainment, followed by a conversation with Director Deborah Riley Draper, superstar Producer Jimmy Jam, and some surprises.

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.  

REGISTER: Click here.

Sat., Feb. 17

Backstage Pass: "The Wiz"

WHAT: Presented in partnership with the African American Film Critics Association, join us for an afternoon spotlighting the famed Broadway Musical, "The Wiz," with the producers and creative team responsible for the Broadway bound reboot. The program will feature a lively conversation, followed by an audience Q&A in the Museum’s Clive Davis Theater, and will be hosted by AAFCA President, Gil Robertson, and GRAMMY Museum Education & Community Engagement Manager, Schyler O’Neal. The program is free (four tickets per household).

WHEN: 1 p.m.

REGISTER: Click here.

Thurs., Feb. 22

History of Hip-Hop Education Workshop

WHAT: In celebration of the 50 years of hip-hop, this workshop examines the unique evolution of Hip Hop from its origin to where the genre is today. Highlighting the golden age of Hip Hop, this lesson will provide students with a greater understanding of the struggles and triumphs of the genre.

WHEN: 11 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. 

REGISTER: Click here.

Reel To Reel: A Hip Hop Story

WHAT: In conjunction with the GRAMMY Museum's exhibit, Hip-Hop America: The Mixtape Exhibit, the GRAMMY Museum is thrilled to host a special screening of A Hip Hop Story with a post-screening conversation featuring Affion Crockett to follow.

WHEN: 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.  

REGISTER: Click here.

Sun., Feb. 25

Lunar New Year Celebration

WHAT: Join us for a special program celebrating Lunar New Year as we usher in the Year of the Dragon with a performance by the South Coast Chinese Orchestra. The orchestra is from Orange County and uses both traditional Chinese instruments and western string instruments. It is led by Music Director, Jiangli Yu, Conductor, Bin He, and Executive Director, Yulan Chung. The program will take place in the Clive Davis Theater. This program is made possible by the generous support of Preferred Bank. The program is free (four tickets per household).

WHEN: 1:30 p.m.

REGISTER: Click here.

Tues., Feb. 27

A Conversation With Nicole Avant

WHAT: The GRAMMY Museum is thrilled to welcome best-selling author, award-winning film producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Ambassador Nicole Avant to the museum’s intimate 200-seat Clive Davis Theater for a conversation moderated by Jimmy Jam about her new memoir Think You’ll Be Happy – Moving Through Grief with Grit, Grace and Gratitude. All ticket buyers will receive a signed copy of the book.

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.  

REGISTER: Click here.

GRAMMY.com’s 50th Anniversary Of Hip-Hop Coverage: A Recap

Teezo Touchdown, Tiana Major9 & More Were In Bloom At The 2024 GRAMMYs Emerging Artist Showcase
Musical group Aint Afraid

Photo: Unique Nicole/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

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Teezo Touchdown, Tiana Major9 & More Were In Bloom At The 2024 GRAMMYs Emerging Artist Showcase

Part of the all-new GRAMMY House programming for GRAMMY Week 2024, PEOPLE and Sephora teamed up to highlight some promising new talent from around the country with the Beats & Blooms Emerging Artist Showcase.

GRAMMYs/Feb 7, 2024 - 12:00 am

Artists on the rise got their metaphorical flowers on Feb. 1, when GRAMMY House played host to the Beats & Blooms Emerging Artist Showcase. The performance-heavy event was produced in conjunction with PEOPLE and Sephora and hosted by comedian Matt Friend.

Some took the floral theme quite literally — like Texas rapper and singer Teezo Touchdown, who took to the stage clasping a giant flower bouquet, his microphone tucked somewhere inside. With his crisp white leather jacket and white gloves, Teezo looked fresh as he performed tracks from his recently released debut album, How Do You Sleep at Night? It wasn't hard to see how late legends like Prince and Rick James have influenced his artistry, and the audience appreciated his fly sartorial style.

Another dynamic performance came from Cocoa Sarai, a Jamaican-American singer/songwriter who has worked with artists such as Dr. Dre and Anderson .Paak (the latter of whom helped Sarai earn a GRAMMY in 2020 for her work on his Best R&B Album-winning project, Ventura). The Brooklyn-born artist — who is part of the new Music Artist Accelerator initiative presented by MasterCard, GRAMMY House’s primary sponsor — delivered an impactful set that included her bird-flipping anthem "Bigger Person" and was assisted by a great beatboxer named Fahz.

As many attendees got glammed up at Sephora's makeup station, the event co-sponsor also presented one of the night's performers. Sephora Sounds highlighted twin sisters Inah and Yahzi of the viral group Ain't Afraid, whose energetic performance hit home. During their charismatic set, which featured the sisters both singing and rapping, the pair told the crowd that their lighthearted stage presence is a way to turn some of their trauma into positive art.

Inah and Yahzi weren't the only sibling duo to take the stage at Beats & Blooms. Brandon and Savannah Hudson — aka BETWEEN FRIENDS — first got national attention as quarter-finalists on "America's Got Talent" in 2013, and have since racked up millions of monthly plays on Spotify for what they like to call "laptop dream pop". BETWEEN FRIENDS performed songs from their 2023 album, I Love My Girl, She's My Boy.

Tiana Major9 closed out the event with an exciting performance that featured a song debut and a sing-along. After premiering a new track called "Braids," the Motown artist got everyone to join together for an exquisite cover of Faith Evans' smoldering "Soon As I Get Home". 

GRAMMY House's three days of events are a place for a diverse array of music industry professionals, musicians and social creators to immerse in the pulse of culture, take the torch and carry it forward — and Beats & Blooms was a powerful example of just that.

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Virginia's Annie Ray To Be Honored With 2024 Music Educator Award
Annie Ray

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Virginia's Annie Ray To Be Honored With 2024 Music Educator Award

Presented by the Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Museum, 2024 Music Educator Award recognizes educators who have made a significant contribution and demonstrate a commitment to music education.

GRAMMYs/Feb 1, 2024 - 02:32 pm

Ahead of the 2024 GRAMMYs, Virginia educator Annie Ray will receive the 2024 Music Educator Award during the Recording Academy's Special Merit Awards Ceremony on Sat, Feb. 3.  

Ray is both the Orchestra Director and Performing Arts Department Chair at Annandale High School in Virginia's Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) system. She advocates for universal access to quality music education, and has developed creative opportunities to make music accessible to students of all demographics. 

For example, her FCPS Parent Orchestra enables just under 200 caregivers to learn to play their child’s instrument each year. Ray also created the Crescendo Orchestra program to bring the joy of orchestra to high school students with severe developmental or intellectual disabilities. In January 2022,  the program was featured in The Washington Post. 

Based on this work, TEDx reached out and asked Ray to give a talk in April 2022. She has presented at numerous colleges and conferences on the topic and was named the 2023 FCPS Outstanding Secondary Teacher of the Year for her work on equity in education. Ray is also a member of the StringRise professional development team and was a 2023 Wolf Trap Educator Guarantee for the AHS partnership with GRAMMY-nominated artist Christylez Bacon

She currently resides in Arlington, Virginia, with her husband Irving and their girls Eloise and Millie. She is an adventurer at heart, and her biggest bucket list item is to one day win "The Amazing Race."

As the Music Educator Award recipient, Ray will receive a $10,000 honorarium and matching grant for her school's music program. Nine additional finalists will receive a $1,000 honorarium and matching grants. The remaining 15 semifinalists will receive a $500 honorarium with matching school grants.

The nine semifinalists are:

Meg Byrne: Pleasant Valley High School  Bettendorf, Iowa

Ernesta Chicklowski: Roosevelt Elementary   Tampa, Florida

Michael Coelho: Ipswich Middle and High School Ipswich, Massachusetts

Antoine Dolberry: P.S. 103 Hector Fontanez School  Bronx, New York

Jasmine Fripp: KIPP Nashville Collegiate High School   Nashville, Tennessee

J.D. Frizzell: Briarcrest Christian School  Eads, Tennessee

Coty Raven Morris: Portland State University  Portland, Oregon

Kevin Schoenbach: Oswego High School  Oswego, Illinois

Matthew Shephard: Meridian Early College High School  Sanford, Michigan

The award is open to current U.S. music teachers, and anyone can nominate a teacher — students, parents, friends, colleagues, community members, school deans, and administrators. Teachers are also able to nominate themselves, and nominated teachers are notified and invited to fill out an application. Initial nominations were submitted from all 50 states.

Nominations and applications for the 2025 Music Educator Award are now open via grammymusicteacher.com.

The Music Educator Award program, including honorariums, is made possible by the generosity and support of The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation. In addition, the American Choral Directors Association, National Association for Music Education, NAMM Foundation, and National Education Association support this program through outreach to their constituencies.

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