Recording Academy's Black Music Collective & Amazon Music Announce Scholarship Recipients

The Recording Academy®'s Black Music Collective (BMC), and partner Amazon Music, announced Jawan Davidson (North Carolina Central University), Akeal Evans (Morehouse College) and Nyah Hardmon (Howard University) as the recipients of their "Your Future Is Now" scholarship, aimed for students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) with the opportunity to learn all facets of the music industry. The recipients were announced during the BMC's June 29 event, Protect Black Music... Preservation, Legacy and Protecting the History of Black Music.

The scholarship, first announced on Feb. 22, offers students the chance to receive $10,000 for the 2021/2022 school year and the opportunity to be part of a two-week immersive rotation program with Amazon Music department leads, providing each student a detailed look at their particular field work at Amazon Music. To coincide with these scholarships, the BMC and Amazon Music will also award two HBCUs a $10,000 grant each for equipment for their music programs to be announced later this summer.

Additional highlights of Protect Black Music... Preservation, Legacy and Protecting the History of Black Music included remarks by Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer Valeisha Butterfield Jones, Executive Director, Washington, D.C. Chapter and Executive Sponsor of the Black Music Collective Jeriel Johnson, SVP of A&R, Atlantic Records, New York Chapter Trustee and BMC Chair Riggs Morales, and Recording Academy President/CEO Harvey Mason jr. The event also featured a spoken word performance by Chicago Chapter Trustee and BMC member J. Ivy and a special appearance announcing the recipients by four-time GRAMMY® Award winner, H.E.R.

A panel of the same name featured Founder of Black Music History Library Jenzia Burgos; two-time GRAMMY Award winner Patti LaBelle; NPR Reporter and Editor Sidney Madden; GRAMMY Award-winning, GRAMMY Legend Awards® and Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Smokey Robinson; and GRAMMY Award-winning artist Raphael Saadiq.

The Recording Academy's Black Music Collective is a group of prominent Black music creators and professionals who share the common goal of amplifying Black voices within the Academy and the music community. For more information on the Black Music Collective, visit here.The Recording Academy®'s Black Music Collective (BMC), and partner Amazon Music, announced Jawan Davidson (North Carolina Central University), Akeal Evans (Morehouse College) and Nyah Hardmon (Howard University) as the recipients of their "Your Future Is Now" scholarship, aimed for students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) with the opportunity to learn all facets of the music industry. The recipients were announced during the BMC's June 29 event, Protect Black Music... Preservation, Legacy and Protecting the History of Black Music.

The scholarship, first announced on Feb. 22, offers students the chance to receive $10,000 for the 2021/2022 school year and the opportunity to be part of a two-week immersive rotation program with Amazon Music department leads, providing each student a detailed look at their particular field work at Amazon Music. To coincide with these scholarships, the BMC and Amazon Music will also award two HBCUs a $10,000 grant each for equipment for their music programs to be announced later this summer.

Additional highlights of Protect Black Music... Preservation, Legacy and Protecting the History of Black Music included remarks by Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer Valeisha Butterfield Jones, Executive Director, Washington, D.C. Chapter and Executive Sponsor of the Black Music Collective Jeriel Johnson, SVP of A&R, Atlantic Records, New York Chapter Trustee and BMC Chair Riggs Morales, and Recording Academy President/CEO Harvey Mason jr. The event also featured a spoken word performance by Chicago Chapter Trustee and BMC member J. Ivy and a special appearance announcing the recipients by four-time GRAMMY® Award winner, H.E.R.

A panel of the same name featured Founder of Black Music History Library Jenzia Burgos; two-time GRAMMY Award winner Patti LaBelle; NPR Reporter and Editor Sidney Madden; GRAMMY Award-winning, GRAMMY Legend Awards® and Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Smokey Robinson; and GRAMMY Award-winning artist Raphael Saadiq.

The Recording Academy's Black Music Collective is a group of prominent Black music creators and professionals who share the common goal of amplifying Black voices within the Academy and the music community. For more information on the Black Music Collective, visit here.