Amazon Music and the Recording Academy’s Black Music Collective are back with the fourth annual Your Future Is Now scholarship program, created to give students at historically Black colleges and universities a chance to explore the music industry. The program provides a $10,000 scholarship to five HBCU students and a $10,000 grant to two historically Black colleges or universities.
“Every Homecoming season, HBCU students and alumni come together not only to celebrate our community but also [to] give back and strengthen the bonds that connect us. That’s why Amazon Music and the Recording Academy’s Black Music Collective are so honored to use this moment to renew our ‘Your Future Is Now’ scholarship,” said Phylicia Fant, Amazon Music’s head of industry and culture collaborations. “We’ve worked together on this scholarship for four years, and we’ve seen how former scholarship recipients become budding members of the music industry. It’s that kind of meaningful impact on students’ lives … that we set out to foster with this program.”
“We are thrilled to continue our work with Amazon Music for the fourth consecutive year to launch the ‘Your Future is Now’ scholarship program,” added Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy. “The program’s impact on our student cohorts has been nothing short of remarkable, and I couldn’t be prouder. It’s crucial that we continue investing in the next generation [of] Black music creators and professionals, equipping them to lead and shape the future of the music industry.”
The program was launched with Big Sean‘s performance on Amazon Music Live, which featured North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University’s band — the Blue and Gold Marching Machine — and Fellowship Gospel Choir.
At the event, Harvey Thompson, drumline coordinator at North Carolina A&T, was the first to receive a $10,000 scholarship.
The scholarship application closes Dec. 13. For more information, visit airtable.com.
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