Positive news for the music education world today: 25 music teachers have been announced as semifinalists for the 2023 Music Educator Award, an annual award, presented by the Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum, that recognizes current educators who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education and demonstrate a commitment to maintaining music education in schools.
The 2023 Music Educator Award semifinalists are from 25 cities across 18 states and were selected from more than 1,205 initial nominations from across 47 states. The finalists will be announced in December, and the ultimate recipient will be recognized during GRAMMY Week 2023.
The 2023 GRAMMY nominations are officially here. See the complete list of nominees across all 91 GRAMMY categories.
The annual Music Educator Award is open to current U.S. music teachers. Anyone can nominate a teacher, including students, parents, friends, colleagues, community members, school deans, and administrators. Teachers are also able to nominate themselves. 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 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.
Nominations for the 2024 Music Educator Award are now open.
See the full list of the 2023 Music Educator Award semifinalists below:
| Name | School | City | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phil Aguglia | Kenmore East High School | Tonawanda | New York |
| William Bennett | Cane Bay High School | Summerville | South Carolina |
| Ryan Bulgarelli | Loyalsock Township School District | Williamsport | Pennsylvania |
| Aaron Bush | Foxborough High School | Foxborough | Massachusetts |
| Ernesta Chicklowski | Roosevelt Elementary | Tampa | Florida |
| Cory Joy Craig | Benton Intermediate School | Benton | Louisiana |
| Christine Cumberledge | Central Junior High School | Euless | Texas |
| David Davis | Park Spanish Immersion Elementary School | St. Louis Park | Minnesota |
| Pamela Dawson | DeSoto High School | DeSoto | Texas |
| Antoine Dolberry | P.S. 103 Hector Fontanez School | Bronx | New York |
| Jack A. Eaddy, Jr. | Western Carolina University | Cullowhee | North Carolina |
| Marisa Frank | Explore! Community School | Nashville | Tennessee |
| Jorge L. Garcia | Elias Herrera Middle School | Laredo | Texas |
| Kevin McDonald | Wellesley High School | Wellesley | Massachusetts |
| Matthew McKagan | Lindero Canyon Middle School | Agoura Hills | California |
| Brian McMath | Northwest Guilford High School | Greensboro | North Carolina |
| Trevor Nicholas | Senn Arts at Nicholas Senn High School | Chicago | Illinois |
| Bethany Robinson | Noblesville High School | Noblesville | Indiana |
| Matthew Shephard | Meridian Early College High School | Sanford | Michigan |
| Katie Silcott | Olentangy Shanahan Middle School | Lewis Center | Ohio |
| Tony Small | Pallotti Arts Academy | Laurel | Maryland |
| Patrick Smith | Cooperative Arts and Humanities Magnet High School | New Haven | Connecticut |
| Wayne Splettstoeszer | Torrington High School | Torrington | Connecticut |
| Alice Tsui | New Bridges Elementary | Brooklyn | New York |
| Tammy Yi | Chapman University | Orange | California |
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