10 Finalists Announced For The 2025 Music Educator Award
By Nina Frazier
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. These finalists were selected from more than 2,400 nominations submitted from 49 states.
The Music Educator Award honors teachers who have made a significant and lasting contribution to music education and demonstrate a deep commitment to maintaining music programs in schools. Finalists for the award will be announced in December, and the ultimate recipient will be recognized during GRAMMY Week 2025, just before the 2025 GRAMMYs.
Nominations for the 2026 Music Educator Award are now open.
The full list of the 2025 Music Educator Award semifinalists is as follows:
| 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 |
The 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 can also nominate themselves. All nominated teachers are notified and invited to submit an application.
Each year, the Music Educator Award recipient is selected from 10 finalists and receives a $10,000 honorarium, along with a matching grant for their school's music program. The nine remaining finalists will each receive a $1,000 honorarium with matching school grants. The 15 semifinalists who are not selected as finalists will receive a $500 honorarium and a matching grant for their school.
The award program is supported by The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation, with additional support from the American Choral Directors Association, National Association for Music Education, NAMM Foundation, and National Education Association.
As a professional music educator, all semifinalists are eligible to apply for Professional Membership with the Recording Academy, which gives members opportunities to advocate for music creators, support future music leaders, and participate in GRAMMY Awards considerations.
Learn more about the Music Educator Award and apply to the 2026 Music Educator Award program now.
https://www.grammy.com/news/music-educator-award-2025-finalists-grammy-museum-recording-academy