Ten Music Teachers Will Receive Cash Honorariums Provided by The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation; One Award Winner to Be Announced During GRAMMY® Week
GRAMMY Museum®:
WHO: |
A total of 10 music teachers from 10 cities across eight states have been announced as finalists for the Music Educator Award™ presented by the Recording Academy® and GRAMMY Museum®. In total, more than 2,400 initial nominations were submitted from 49 states. Nominations for the 2026 Music Educator Award are now open at www.grammymusicteacher.com. A complete list of finalists is below: |
Name |
School Name |
City |
State |
Justin Antos |
Eisenhower High School |
Blue Island |
Illinois |
Stephen Blanco |
Las Vegas High School |
Las Vegas |
Nevada |
Ethan Chessin |
Camas High School |
Camas |
Washington |
J.D. Frizzell |
Briarcrest Christian School |
Eads |
Tennessee |
Bernie Hendricks, Jr. |
Ocoee High School |
Ocoee |
Florida |
Jennifer Jimenez |
South Miami Sr. High School |
Miami |
Florida |
Adrian L. Maclin |
Cordova High School |
Memphis |
Tennessee |
Coty Raven Morris |
Portland State University |
Portland |
Oregon |
Matthew Shephard |
Meridian Early College High School |
Sanford |
Michigan |
Katie Silcott |
Olentangy Shanahan Middle School |
Lewis Center |
Ohio |
WHAT: |
The Music Educator Award recognizes current educators who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the music education field and demonstrate a commitment to the broader cause of maintaining music education in the schools.
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.
Each year, one recipient is selected from 10 finalists and recognized for their remarkable impact on students' lives. They will receive a $10,000 honorarium and matching grant for their school's music program. The 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 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. |
|
WHEN: |
The recipient will be recognized during GRAMMY® Week 2025. For more information, please visit www.grammymusicteacher.com. |
ABOUT THE RECORDING ACADEMY
The Recording Academy represents the voices of performers, songwriters, producers, engineers, and all music professionals. Dedicated to ensuring the recording arts remain a thriving part of our shared cultural heritage, the Academy honors music's history while investing in its future through the GRAMMY Museum®, advocates on behalf of music creators, supports music people in times of need through MusiCares®, and celebrates artistic excellence through the GRAMMY Awards® — music's only peer-recognized accolade and highest achievement. As the world's leading society of music professionals, we work year-round to foster a more inspiring world for creators.
For more information about the GRAMMY Awards and the Recording Academy, please visit GRAMMY.com and RecordingAcademy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @RecordingAcad on X, "like" Recording Academy on Facebook, and join the Recording Academy's social communities on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and LinkedIn. For media assets, please visit the Recording Academy Press Room.
ABOUT THE GRAMMY MUSEUM
The GRAMMY Museum, currently celebrating its 15th anniversary, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to celebrating and exploring music from yesterday and today to inspire the music of tomorrow through exhibits, education, grants, preservation initiatives, and public programming. Paying tribute to our collective musical heritage, the Museum values and celebrates the dynamic connection in people’s diverse backgrounds and music’s many genres, telling stories that inspire us, and creative expression that leads change in our industry.
For more information, visit www.grammymuseum.org, "like" the GRAMMY Museum on Facebook, and follow @GRAMMYMuseum on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.
ABOUT THE CHUCK LORRE FAMILY FOUNDATION
The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation is dedicated to funding innovative and compassionate organizations in the areas of education, health and the arts. Reflecting the values and unique experiences of the Lorre family, the foundation supports programs, services and opportunities for those struggling with less and striving for more.
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Contacts
Shakearah Winston
Communications, Recording Academy
shakearah.winston@grammy.com
Jasmine Lywen-Dill
Sr. Director of Communications, GRAMMY Museum
T. 213.725.5703
jlywen-dill@grammymuseum.org
Julie Mutnansky
Director of Education, GRAMMY Museum
T. 310.581.8668
jmutnansky@grammymuseum.org
