25 Semifinalists Announced For The 2026 Music Educator Award

The Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum have announced 25 semifinalists for the 2026 Music Educator Award, which recognizes teachers who have made a lasting impact on music education and demonstrate a steadfast commitment to keeping music in schools. See the full list of semifinalists below.

Representing 23 cities across 14 states, this year’s semifinalists reflect the nationwide reach of music education and embody the spirit of the Music Educator Award. The semifinalists are teachers from across the country — spanning New York to Nevada, Tennessee, Texas, and beyond — underscoring the diverse communities where music educators are inspiring creativity every day. In total, more than 2,000 initial nominations were submitted.

What Is The Music Educator Award?

A joint partnership and presentation of the Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum, the Music Educator Award honors current U.S. music educators — from kindergarten through college, and across public and private institutions — who have made a lasting impact on students and demonstrated a deep commitment to keeping music education thriving in their schools.

The 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 may also nominate themselves. Nominated teachers are notified and invited to fill out an application.

Honoring Educators Who Inspire the Next Generation

Each year, one recipient is chosen from 10 finalists and honored for their outstanding dedication to music education and impact on students' lives. The recipient of the 2026 Music Educator Award will be recognized during GRAMMY Week 2026, days ahead of the 2026 GRAMMYs. The 12th annual honoree will be flown to Los Angeles to attend the 2026 GRAMMYs, officially known as the 68th Annual GRAMMY Awards, and participate in a variety of official GRAMMY Week 2026 events.

The nine additional finalists will receive a $1,000 honorarium, and the schools of all 10 finalists will receive matching grants. Fifteen semifinalists will receive a $500 honorarium with matching school grants.

Finalists for the 2026 Music Educator Award will be announced in November.

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.

Learn more about the Music Educator Award and see the list of past Music Educator Award honorees.

The full list of the 2026 Music Educator Award semifinalists is as follows: