Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation Launches The Nicky Jam Scholarship For Music Students In Need
Nicky Jam performs with the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation at the 23rd Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards.

Photo: Gabo Buchelli

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Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation Launches The Nicky Jam Scholarship For Music Students In Need

Beginning in the 2023 fall semester, the Nicky Jam Scholarship provides up to $200,000 in financial aid for music students in need. Find out more about how to apply for all 2023 scholarships here.

Recording Academy/Dec 16, 2022 - 07:24 pm

Latin GRAMMY winner Nicky Jam is sponsoring the Prodigy Scholarship toward a bachelor's degree at Berklee College of Music starting in the fall 2023 semester. The four-year scholarship — this year, renamed the Nicky Jam Scholarship — is presented by the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation.

The Foundation's scholarship provides up to $200,000 in financial aid for music students in need, aged 17 to 25. Created eight years ago, it has been co-sponsored by Latin artists Sofia Carson (2022), Juanes (2021) Julio Iglesias (2020), Emilio and Gloria Estefan (2019), Carlos Vives (2018), Miguel Bosé (2017), Juan Luis Guerra (2016), and Enrique Iglesias (2015).

“Music has always been there for me; it has been the fuel that has kept me going even during the hardest moments of my life,” Nicky Jam said. “By providing the Prodigy Scholarship in partnership with the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation, I get to share my passion for music and give back to the next generation of Latin music makers on their journey to achieving their dreams.”

The Puerto Rican reggaeton and Latin trap singer pledged to support music students at the 23rd Annual Latin GRAMMY Awards, where he performed alongside Foundation scholarship winners. Watch the performance and see his special message here.

Additionally, CEO of La Industria Inc. Juan Diego Medina is sponsoring one of the Gifted Tuition Scholarships of up to $100,000.

Applications for all of the 2023 scholarships are now open, and are available to music students between the ages of 17 and 25. The scholarships available in addition to the Nicky Jam Scholarship are as follows:

  • Three (3) Gifted Tuition Scholarships of up to $100,000 each will be awarded to students to cover tuition costs towards a four-year bachelor's degree in music starting in fall 2023 at the university of their choice.

  • Forty (40) Tuition Assistance Scholarships of up to $10,000 each will be awarded to students pursuing a degree in music. This is a one-time award that will cover tuition costs over one year (fall 2023 and spring 2024 semesters).

To date, the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation has awarded over $7.6 million in scholarships, grants and musical instrument donations through their global programs and events.

“When it comes to pursuing a career in music, finances should not be a deterrent to cultivating talent,” said Raquel “Rocky” Egusquiza, Executive Director of the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation. “We are grateful for Nicky Jam’s generosity, which makes music education a reality for future generations of Latin music creators and preserves our legacy for years to come.

The Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation is accepting applications for all 2023 scholarships from Dec. 15, 2022 to April 10, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Apply here with two audition videos, two letters of recommendation, two essays, and an acceptance letter from an accredited university. Materials can be submitted in English, Spanish or Portuguese.

For information and the latest news, please visit the official Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation website.

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Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation Awards Nicky Jam Scholarship To Pianist Leomar Cordero
(L-R) Luis Cobos, Chairman of the Board, Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation; Nicky Jam, Latin GRAMMY winner and 2023 Prodigy Scholarship sponsor; Raquel “Rocky” Egusquiza, Executive Director of the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foudnation; and Leomar Cordero, recipient of the 2023 Nicky Jam Scholarship from the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation

Photo: Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation/John Parra/Getty Images

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Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation Awards Nicky Jam Scholarship To Pianist Leomar Cordero

The foundation also bestowed an additional 43 scholarships to music students the world over and announced the institution of its Scholarship Alumni Network.

Recording Academy/Aug 24, 2023 - 08:24 pm

The Latin Recording Academy is about much more than the Latin GRAMMYs; the organization enriches and sustains the entire Latin music community. And the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation is a major component of that mission.

The Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation just awarded a Nicky Jam Scholarship to Dominican pianist Leomar Cordero during a special presentation with the artist in Miami. There, Jam — a Latin GRAMMY winner — performed alongside Cordero and additional scholarship recipients.

Sponsored annually by a Latin music icon, the Nicky Jam Scholarship — also known as the Prodigy Scholarship — was created nine years ago to support music education and Latin music genres. It holds a maximum value of $200,000 and allows Cordero to pursue a bachelor's degree at Berklee College of Music in Boston, starting this fall.

Previous sponsors include: Sofia Carson (2022), Juanes (2021), Julio Iglesias (2020), Emilio and Gloria Estefan (2019), Carlos Vives (2018), Miguel Bosé (2017), Juan Luis Guerra (2016) and Enrique Iglesias (2015).

Cordero, a 19-year-old musician from La Romana, was selected by the Foundation's Scholarship Committee from a highly competitive, global group of hundreds of applicants.

Since its establishment, the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation has committed an extraordinary sum of more than $9.3 million in scholarships, grants, musical instruments, and educational programs throughout the United States and Ibero America.

"Since our inception nearly a decade ago, the Foundation's unwavering mission has been to support and cultivate the next generation of Latin music creators. I am humbled to announce our ninth Prodigy Scholarship winner and continue this mission," Raquel "Rocky" Egusquiza, Executive Director of the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation, said in a statement.

"With the extraordinary generosity of respected artists such as Nicky Jam, we have the unique privilege of fostering the education of future generations," Egusquiza continued, "paving the way for their dreams to flourish and carry forward the rich legacy of Latin music."

"My heart swells with joy as I join the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation in awarding the Nicky Jam Scholarship to the extraordinary pianist Leomar Cordero," offered Nicky Jam. "This is more than a scholarship; it's a symphony of dreams harmonizing with dedication. To witness the power of music uniting us all, to be a part of Leomar's journey, is an honor beyond words.

"Through education, we nurture the melodies of tomorrow and keep the soul of Latin music alive," Jam continued. "Congratulations, Leomar — let your music paint the world with colors only your heart can imagine."

"I am beyond thankful to the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation and Nicky Jam for rewarding my efforts and motivating not just me, but also a large number of passionate young musicians who share an infinite love for music and our rich culture," said Cordero. "I am committed to making the most out of this incredible opportunity and leaving a lasting impact in the world of music."

The Foundation also announced the recipients of its annual Gifted Tuition Scholarships and Tuition Assistance Scholarships, which award 43 talented students from diverse backgrounds the opportunity to pursue an education at some of the most prestigious music institutions in the world.

In addition, upon completing their studies, Cordero and all the Gifted Tuition and Tuition Assistance scholarship recipients listed below will have the opportunity to join the newly formed Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation Scholarship Alumni Network.

This network formalizes the Foundation's ongoing commitment to serve beyond scholarships by providing graduates opportunities to mentor current scholarship recipients, network with industry professionals, access exclusive events and resources as well as give back to the community.

The following three students will each receive the Gifted Tuition Scholarship, with a maximum value of $100,000, which will support the tuition costs of four years of study at the university, college or music institution of their choice are:

  • Gabriel Américo, guitarist from Brazil 

  • Camilo Astiazarán, guitarist from Uruguay

  • Olivia Soler Espinosa, tres cubano from Cuba 

Tuition Assistance Scholarship Recipients:

In addition, the following 40 students will each receive the Tuition Assistance Scholarship, a one-time scholarship with a maximum value of $10,000 toward the tuition costs for the university or college of their choice:

Name Country Instrument College / University
Sofía Almeida Portugal Voice Berklee College Of Music
Juan Diego Alván Madueño Peru Piano Los Angeles College
Cobe Isai Banda Salcido Mexico Guitar Tecnológico de Monterrey
Gabriel Braga Brazil Trombone Faculdade de Música Souza Lima
Sebastián Castillo Panama Piano Boston Conservatory
Pedro Henrique Cheik Costantin Brazil Guitar Faculdade de Música Souza Lima
Lorenzo Argentina Drum Set Berklee College of Music
Abner Felipe Dos Santos Martins Brazil Electric Guitar Faculdade de Música Souza Lima
Juan Pablo Faundez Chile Drum set Berklee College of Music
Marien Femerling García Mexico Piano Manhattan School of Music
Rodrigo García Vargas Mexico Piano Manhattan School of Music
Yandy García-Palacio Cuba Drums Berklee College of Music
Francisco Garrido Venezuela Guitar Conservatorium van Amsterdam, Netherlands
Luis González Venezuela Cello Chicago College of Performing Arts
Andres Guerra Venezuela Guitar Mannes School of Music at The New School
Sebastián Guerrero Colombia Electric Bass Longy School of Music
María Insuasti Colombia Voice Concordia University Irvine
Julieta Iricibar Argentina Voice The New School
Pau Jorba Bonastre Spain Saxophone The New School
Marina Marchi Silveira Brazil Voice Faculdade de Música Souza Lima
Simon Martínez Ecuador Piano Berklee College of Music
Laia Martínez Gelabert Spain Electric Bass Berklee College of Music
John Maruri United States Drums Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University Bloomington
María Medina Almaguer Cuba Piano Berklee College of Music
Pedro Mujica Venezuela Flute Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University Bloomington
Rafael Ernesto Cuba Piano Berklee College of Music
Daniel Olivero Venezuela Voice Berklee College of Music
Estevan Olmos United States Percussion University of Southern California
Andrés Felipe Palacios Rodas Colombia Guitar Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University
Andy Popescu Australia Electric Bass Berklee College of Music
Murilo Reis Teixeira Brazil Piano Faculdade de Música Souza Lima
Kalebe Requena Brazil Trumpet Faculdade de Música Souza Lima
Oscar Rojas Mexico Piano Berklee College of Music
Juan Sebastián Sánchez Colombia Percussion Berklee College of Music
Arthur Scarpini Brazil Guitar Faculdade de Música Souza Lima
Kristalis Sotomayor Matos Puerto Rico Flute Boston Conservatory
Cristian Tamblay Chile Drum Set NYU Steinhardt
Gustavo Tenes de Oliveira Brazil Bass Faculdade de Música Souza Lima
Guillermo Wan Ecuador Electric Bass Berklee College of Music
Tianxiang Ni  China Piano Bard College

Congratulations to all involved, and keep watching this space for more news and information about the Latin Recording Academy!

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4 Ways To Maximize Your Recording Academy Membership
Recording Academy Membership

Graphic Courtesy of the Recording Academy

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4 Ways To Maximize Your Recording Academy Membership

Here is a thorough guide to the primary ways all Recording Academy members can use their platform, maximize their membership, and get involved with the Academy's various divisions and initiatives.

Recording Academy/Aug 9, 2023 - 07:29 pm

If you're reading this, chances are you've decided to become a member of the Recording Academy. You are to be commended for this decision!

As part of the world's leading society of music people, you are in a unique position to make your voice heard — and effect change that not only manifests during the GRAMMYs show, but ripples throughout the music industry and world at large.

As such, becoming a member is merely the first step: it's time to use your platform to the fullest and get involved with the Academy's various divisions and initiatives. Below is a handy guide to the primary ways you can maximize your Recording Academy membership.

Fight For Music Creator's Rights

One of the most crucial divisions of the Recording Academy is Advocacy, which fights to protect the rights of music makers and advance their interests in the realms of /ocal, state and federal policy.

Additionally, Advocacy works to educate the public about key legislation and policy issues that affect everyone in the music community.

As an Academy member, you can get involved with Advocacy in a number of ways. One is by familiarizing yourself with GRAMMYs On The Hill, a two-day event consisting of the GRAMMYs on the Hill Awards and subsequent Advocacy Day.

Over the course of these events, music creators come together with Members of Congress to celebrate those who have been exceptional in their support of creator's rights and to advocate for the passage of legislation that will further improve those rights.

Read More: Everything You Need To Know About GRAMMYs On The Hill 2023: What It Is, Who It Benefits & What It Has Accomplished

Another important component of Advocacy is District Advocate, the largest grassroots advocacy movement for music and its makers.

This manifests every year in District Advocate Day, where Recording Academy members across the U.S. met virtually with their Senators and Congressional Representatives to fight for change for the music community.

Other facets of Advocacy to get acquainted with include the GRAMMY Fund For Music Creators and the quarterly advocacy newsletter and annual magazine. Furthermore, click here for a helpful landing page that features practical routes to support Advocacy initiatives.

Support The Next Generation of Music

The GRAMMY Museum's education initiatives aim to keep music in our schools and introduce music as a profession to young people.

Here are four ways they do this:

Education

The GRAMMY Museum's K-12 educational outreach and funding efforts ensure the future of music is only as strong as the next generation of creators. Last year alone, the Museum reached more than 700,000+ students through their free virtual education programming by way of GRAMMY Museum At Home and online streaming service, COLLECTION:live

Community Engagement

Their many public programs range from panels on the state of the music industry to intimate performances.

On-Site Exhibits

The Museum's Los Angeles location offers a variety of interactive and educational experiences that provide insights into artists who have shaped music history — as well as the creative process itself.

COLLECTION:live

Re:live Music Moments on COLLECTION:live, the official streaming service from the GRAMMY Museum featuring artist interviews, performances, and livestreams.

Support Music Makers

As a freshly minted member of the Recording Academy, you can help spread awareness of resources that aid all music makers in need.

Founded by the Recording Academy in 1989, MusiCares is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to supporting the health and welfare of the music community through preventative care, crisis relief and recovery support.

Here are just some of the ways MusiCares is here to support you and your peers in the music community:

Mental Health & Addiction Recovery Services

Support, referrals, and emergency financial assistance for counseling, psychiatric care, inpatient treatment, coaching, intensive outpatient care, group therapy, sober living and more.

Health Services

Financial assistance during medical crises and preventive services such as dental and medical screenings, hearing clinics, vocal health workshops, and assistance obtaining low-cost health insurance.

Human Services

MusiCares provides humanitarian disaster relief, and emergency financial assistance for basic living expenses like rent, utilities, car payments and insurance premiums. 

They can also assist with funeral costs, or instrument replacement/repair if stolen or damaged in a natural disaster — excluding wear and tear. 

The human services team also offers preventive programs addressing financial literacy, affordable housing, career development, legal issues, and senior services.

Support The Academy's Future & Evolution

As a member, you have the ability to make big moves at the Academy by:

  • Recommending fellow music peers to become members

  • Submitting projects for GRAMMY Awards consideration

  • Proposing amendments to GRAMMY Awards rules

  • Voting in the GRAMMY Awards process (if you're a voting member; key dates here)

  • Getting involved in the Academy's DEI efforts

  • Running for a Recording Academy board and/or participating on advisory committees

  • Joining local chapters and voting in chapter elections

  • Participating in members-only programs

  • Supporting the Producers & Engineers (P&E) and Songwriters & Composers (S&C) wings

Additionally, you can become eligible to purchase GRAMMYs tickets and join the Latin Recording Academy as a dual member.

The Recording Academy is thrilled to have you as a member — whether you've already joined, or plan to join in the future! Watch this space for further news about Recording Academy membership and all other goings-on with the world's leading society of music people.

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The Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation Announces Winners Of Its Research And Preservation Grant Program

Photo courtesy of the Recording Academy

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The Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation Announces Winners Of Its Research And Preservation Grant Program

This program provides grants to music institutions, nonprofit organizations, musicologists, and researchers around the world who are enhancing and preserving Latin music heritage.

Recording Academy/Feb 16, 2023 - 09:20 pm

The Latin Recording Academy may be most visible during the Latin GRAMMYs, but what they do during the other 364 days of the year is just as crucial — including this precious grant.

The Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation has announced the winners of its Research and Preservation Grant program. This program provides grants to music institutions, nonprofit organizations, musicologists, and researchers around the world who are enhancing and preserving Latin music heritage.

In 2023, an eclectic group of institutions and scholars will receive this support. The four grants, with a maximum value of $5,000 each, support diverse initiatives: The Preservation Grants fund the archiving and preservation of Latin music and its attendant customs, while the Research Grants support projects that emphasize historical and anthropological research, in addition to documenting traditions and Latin folklore.

"For the eighth consecutive year, we have the pleasure and privilege of awarding Research and Preservation Grants to deserving Latin music creators," said Raquel "Rocky" Egusquiza, the Executive Director of the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation. "We are pleased to celebrate this year's honorees and their respective projects which seek to uphold the legacy of Latin music through their creative and innovative endeavors inspiring and educating future generations of creators." 

Awarded Presentation Grants:

Andrew Skinner, Clayton, GA, United States, and Daniel Zanessi, Mendoza, Argentina – Through the project "Preservation and Distribution of the Studio Zanessi Collection" (Rescate y Difusión de la Colección del Estudio Zanessi), the goal is to digitalize, promote, and distribute unpublished recordings of invaluable cultural and historical significance to Argentina's interior, archived in quarter-inch tape in Mendoza's historic music studio, Zanessi Studios. This collection has been declared of national interest by the Province of Mendoza, and as its tape nears 50 years old, it is in urgent need of being preserved. The musicians who recorded at Zanessi, from around western Argentina, were foundational in shaping the sound of contemporary Argentine folk music.

Many of these musicians formed part of the Nuevo Cancionero Movement, a social artistic movement founded in Mendoza in 1963 that sought to represent the lives and experiences of everyday Argentinians, promote Pan-Americanism, and bend traditional folk music rules. The movement, with the voice of Mercedes Sosa, the poetry of Armando Tejada Gómez, the melodies of Oscar Matus, and the compositions of virtuosic guitarist, Tito Francia, inspired and linked with other "New Song" movements around Latin America. The project to digitalize the Zanessi Collection is a collaboration between Andrew Skinner, a mastering engineer and Nuevo Cancionero researcher with the University of Cuyo, and Daniel Zanessi, the owner of Zanessi Studios, who helped record many of the sessions the team is now working to digitalize. They will work with the musicians or their descendants to publish the music alongside related photos and stories.

Gustavo Ahualli, Latin American Music Center, The Catholic University of America – For many years, the Latin American Music Center (LAMC) at the Catholic University of America has suffered from a lack of resources to devote the proper time and attention towards the process of cataloging and maintaining its specialized library of Latin American sheet music, books, and recordings. The LAMC has responded to this issue by developing a multi-phase project focused on the process of cataloging and digitizing the complete collection while preserving its fragile materials.

One of the primary goals of the LAMC is to continue to create opportunities for the broad dissemination of Latin American music and culture through the resources and multifaceted activities of the Center, which include numerous institutional collaborations, cultural exchanges and world-class musical performances. The complete cataloging of this unique collection is critical for the LAMC to move forward with its plan of digitizing and preserving the materials of the Center while making this important musical treasure available to the students and faculty and the worldwide community of musicians, researchers, and performing artists. In 2021, a Preservation Grant from the Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation supported the launch of Phase 1 of the LAMC's archival and preservation project.

Awarded Research Grants:

Gabriela Gómez Estévez, Louisiana State University – "Dicotomía: Contextualizing the Symphonic Works of Margarita Luna García" is a project that analyzes the life of Dominican composer and pedagogue Margarita Luna García, who was one of the most notable figures of avant-garde music in the Dominican Republic in the 20th century. Her works synthesize vernacular musical material and modernist techniques. The lack of availability of published materials restricts the performance of Luna's symphonic works. The study aims to produce performance and audiovisual materials to improve access to her music and promote its study and performance. This project is partially funded by the Dominican Studies Institute of the City University of New York through their Research Fellowship program in the amount of $10,000 which covers two thirds of the $15,000 total needed for the project.

Dr. Sang Woo Kang, Seoul, South Korea – Musical borrowing is a pervasive aspect of musical creation in all genres and periods. Musicologists use several terms to describe composers' uses of existing works, including borrowing, self-borrowing, transformative imitation, quotation, modeling, emulation, decomposition, influence and indebtedness. The goal of the project "Appropriation and Multiculturalism of Latin Influence in early American Music" will be to show Latin American influence on early American music through explanatory text and recordings while also highlighting the composer Louis M. Gottschalk, one of the founding fathers of classical music in the United States, including his influences and use of folk tunes, and the Latin composers who inspired him.

This project will provide a basis for discography and teaching resources for those interested in the study of diverse influences in early American music. Gottschalk was important to the development of American musical history during a time when many people were emigrating from Latin American countries. Scholars have discussed the importance of race and racialization especially in understanding popular music of the American south.

A committee of experts from Latin America, the Iberian Peninsula, and the United States selected the recipients among numerous qualified candidates. Since its inception in 2015, the program has awarded more than $175,000 in grants to support projects, one of which received a Latin GRAMMY and GRAMMY.

Keep checking RecordingAcademy.com for more information on how the Latin Recording Academy does important work to elevate all music people worldwide!

Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation Launches The Nicky Jam Scholarship For Music Students In Need