During her acceptance speech at the 2026 Grammys, Laufey delivered one of the most inspiring calls to action in Grammy history. Accepting the Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for A Matter Of Time, the Icelandic singer/songwriter gave a massive thanks to all the music educators around the world.
"I owe everything to my music education, to my arts education," she passionately said from the Grammy stage. "We cannot cut arts funding. It's so important. What you all do here is so important."
Much like Laufey, the Grammy organization strongly champions the power of music education and professional development. To mark Music In Our Schools Month this March, the organization that provides year-round learning, networking, and professional development is spotlighting the life-changing impact of music learning, honoring music educators, and elevating the next generation of creators and industry professionals through curated programs and immersive initiatives. The organization's commitment to music education supports the entire music ecosystem — from classroom to career — and ensures emerging leaders are prepared to shape the future of music.
"For me, both music education and professional development are the same: It all points to continuing education," Dr. Chelsey Green, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Recording Academy, told the Grammy organization in an exclusive interview for the Gramophone newsletter. "Staying on top of your development is the holistic education needed to be as rounded and healthy as an artist as you can, especially as so many independent artists are emerging and sustaining their careers independently."
Here are six essential ways the Grammy organization and its affiliates support working professionals and emerging artists and leaders through year-round music education and professional development.
Investing In The Next Generation Through Mentorship & Career Access
The Grammy organization provides access to mentorship programs, internships, workshops, scholarships, and networking opportunities to ensure that music's next biggest stars and industry leaders are equipped with the tools, knowledge, and networks they need to thrive.
Grammy U & The Grammy U Mentorship Program
Grammy U is the Grammy organization's premier membership program for the emerging music community, designed to help aspiring creators and professionals launch their careers. One of its flagship initiatives, the annual Grammy U Mentorship Program Presented by Amazon Music connects eligible Grammy U members with Recording Academy members for a six-month mentorship session, during which participants build relationships that often extend well beyond the program, with some mentees landing their first industry roles through the Grammy U Mentorship Program.
In celebration of Music In Our Schools Month, the Grammy U Mentorship Program will continue to host virtual programming for mentees this month, as well as Grammy U Mentorship Mixers across Chapters nationwide.
Leading Ladies of Entertainment Mentorship Program & Symposium
@latingrammys Así se ve cuando las mujeres en la música se reúnen. Les dejamos un vistazo al Leading Ladies of Entertainment Symposium ✨🎶 #LatinGRAMMYFoundation #LatinGRAMMY #LeadingLadiesSymposium
Created by the Latin Recording Academy in 2016, the Leading Ladies of Entertainment initiative bridges the gender gap in the music industry by honoring influential women and empowering future leaders. Paying-it-forward and forging opportunities for future generations is a core pillar of this initiative, and in 2021, the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation established its Mentorship Program, where past honorees and industry professionals provide personalized guidance to selected mentees over three months, offering insights into entrepreneurship, branding, career navigation, and leadership. Applications for the fifth cohort of the Leading Ladies of Entertainment Mentorship Program are open now through Monday, April 6.
In March 2026, the initiative launched its inaugural Leading Ladies of Entertainment Symposium, an inspiring, all-day gathering focused on mentorship, leadership, networking, and the advancement of women in music.
Opening Doors Through Scholarships & Financial Support
The Grammy organization actively works to remove barriers to opportunity via its various scholarship programs, which ensure talented students can pursue their dreams without financial limitations standing in the way.
Your Future Is Now
@grammys 🌟 When your excellence takes you to New York... Recording Academy style. 🎶 Meet @Chrysta⭐️, a Senior Journalism student at North Carolina Agriculture and Technical State University, the largest HBCU in the nation. She is a #BlackMusicCollective 'Your Future is Now' scholar who is passionate about all things media and how it intersects business and law. 🎶 Chrysta's goal is to become a media and entertainment attorney to advocate for creators. She is a content creator herself who loves to highlight her #HBCU journey, personal style, and everyday lifestyle through authentic, engaging videos.
Presented by Amazon Music and the Recording Academy's Black Music Collective (BMC), the Your Future Is Now scholarship program awards scholarships and hands-on, immersive professional development experiences to students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The program will return for its fifth year in 2026.
Quinn Coleman Memorial Scholarship
Established in 2021 in honor of late music executive and DJ Quinn Coleman, the Quinn Coleman Memorial Scholarship, presented by the Grammy organization and Grammy Museum, provides professional development and resources that prepare students for full-time careers in music; resources include scholarships, stipends, wellness seminars, and internship opportunities at the Recording Academy or Latin Recording Academy.
Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation Scholarships
@latingrammys Los becados de la Fundación Cultural Latin GRAMMY también hacen parte de esta 26ª edición del #LatinGRAMMY desde Las Vegas 🎶❤️
The Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation is a global champion of music education and empowers communities through Latin music and culture. For over a decade, the Foundation has fostered the next generation of Latin music creators through scholarships, education programs and grants that advance Latin music, such as:
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The Prodigy Scholarship, also known as the 2026 Noel Schajris Scholarship, which offers financial support toward a bachelor's degree at Berklee College of Music for the 2026 fall semester
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Gifted Tuition Scholarships awarded to students to cover tuition and housing costs, as well as wrap-around services provided by the Foundation, toward a four-year bachelor's degree at the institution of their choice
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Several Tuition Assistance Scholarships, which offer financial support to students pursuing or starting a degree in music in the 2026 fall semester
Learn more about and apply to the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation scholarship programs.
Immersive Learning: Real-World Industry Experiences
Professional development comes alive when students and rising professionals step into real music spaces and attain real-world experiences from working artists and executives. Here are a few examples the Grammy organization provides:
Grammy Camp
@grammymuseum Career prep meets creative passion 💫 Follow Vocal Performance track student Naylah Campechano's journey through a day at #GRAMMYCamp Miami, which included lectures from real industry professionals, collaborative music sessions, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. #musiceducation
The music industry's only summer camp dedicated to delivering direct, real-world insight from working music makers, Grammy Camp is a national summer program for high school students. Led by Grammy winners, Grammy nominees, and music industry professionals, the program provides hands-on training and insider access across multiple disciplines — from performance and songwriting to production and music business.
Presented by the Grammy Museum, Grammy Camp is expanding to four U.S. cities for the 2026 summer season: Nashville, Miami, Los Angeles, and New York City.
Grammy In The Schools
The Grammy Museum's Grammy In The Schools program is a regional music industry career day, presented in partnership with a local Recording Academy Chapter, that provides insight to high school students about diverse career options in the music industry and direction on how to prepare for them.
The Grammy In The Schools Music Industry Career Day program connects high school students with Grammy winners, Grammy nominees, and working professionals across disciplines, offering candid conversations about what it takes to build a sustainable career in music. The program also features keynote panels as well as hands-on, interactive workshops where students can learn about producing a track, writing a song, and navigating the industry.
For Music In Our Schools Month, Grammy In The Schools 2026, in partnership with the Recording Academy's New York Chapter, heads to New Haven, Connecticut, this month for a day of hands-on learning and interactive sessions.
Professional Development & Networking At Every Stage
The Grammy organization prioritizes professional development for its members, as well as the creative community and the music industry at large, throughout the year, providing hands-on access to career pathways across the industry and helping emerging professionals build the networks and skills that shape long-term careers.
The Los Angeles Chapter's NEXT Class program, founded in 2014, provides real-life experiences and mentorship and networking opportunities for emerging Recording Academy members as they begin their paths as future leaders of the music industry.
The monthly Level Up series, one of the Grammy organization's many exclusive membership programs, engages Recording Academy members through purposeful programming focused on professional development and member networking. For Music In Our Schools Month, the Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. Chapters will collaboratively host a special edition of Level Up featuring Education Committee Members discussing music and health spaces.
In 2024, the Grammy organization established the Music Education & Professional Development Committee (MEPD), a hub to centralize its efforts and facilitate collaboration regarding education and professional development initiatives across the Recording Academy and its affiliates. Currently led by Co-Chairs and industry executives Nikisha Bailey and Riggs Morales, the MEPD Committee amplifies the organization's mentorship and education initiatives for its collective +29,000 members across its Chapters, Wings and affiliates, including Grammy U, the Grammy Museum, MusiCares, the Latin Recording Academy, and the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation. The MEPD Committee includes Recording Academy members from across the country and activates locally at each of the Academy's 12 Chapters and on a national level.
Honoring The Educators Who Inspire The Next Generation
Every year, the Grammy organization proudly celebrates music educators through awards that spotlight the changemakers shaping the future of music and ensuring the impact and longevity of music education in the classroom.
Music Educator Award
Presented by the Recording Academy and the Grammy Museum, the Music Educator Award honors current educators who have made a significant contribution to music education while demonstrating a deep commitment to ensuring music education remains a vital part of school communities.
Jennifer Jimenez, of South Miami Senior High School in Miami, Florida, received the 2026 Music Educator Award; she was honored at the annual Special Merit Awards ceremony in January during Grammy Week 2026.
Applications for the 2027 Music Educator Award are now open. Nominations are due March 15, 2026. Applications are due March 31, 2026.
Latin Music Educator Award
In 2025, the Latin Recording Academy, in partnership with the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation, launched the Latin Music Educator Award to honor educators from the global music community who are making a significant impact by incorporating Latin music into their curriculum.
Luciana Ortega, of the Instituto Santa María de San Carlos in Chile, was honored with the inaugural Latin Music Educator Award during Latin Grammy Week 2025 last November.
The Impact Of Music Education: By The Numbers
The Grammy organization's commitment to music education and professional development is reflected not only in its programs, but in the thousands of lives they impact every year. Here's a look at the organization's impact on music education and professional development by the numbers:
Grammy Museum (in the last year alone)
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18,000: Number of K-12 students who attended a workshop, field trip, or program at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles
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+38,000: Number of students and teachers who were impacted by 446 music education programs and initiatives at the Grammy Museum and across the country
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$200,000: The amount awarded in grants for music research and sound preservation by the Grammy Museum
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In 2025, the Grammy Museum announced free youth admission (17 and under), generously underwritten by the Stengaard Gross Family Education Initiative
Grammy U
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+8,000: The amount of Grammy U members worldwide
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+2,000: Participants in the current Grammy U Mentorship Program Presented by Amazon Music
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+130: Programs in 2025
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700: Schools with members represented in Grammy U
Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation
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+$15 million: The amount the Foundation has awarded to students, schools, music programs, musicologists, and researchers from around the world to date
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New programs launched by the Foundation in 2025
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Leading Ladies of Entertainment Fireside Chat
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Latin Grammy In The Schools Learning Session and After School