The Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum recently announced its quarterfinalists for the 2023 Music Educator Award. The Music Educator Award™ was established to recognize current educators (kindergarten through college, public and private schools) who have made a significant and lasting contribution to the field of music education and who demonstrate a commitment to the broader cause of maintaining music education in the schools. A joint partnership and presentation of the Recording Academy® and GRAMMY Museum®, the recipient will be recognized during GRAMMY® Week 2023.

The award is open to current U.S. music teachers, and anyone can nominate a teacher — students, parents, friends, colleagues, community members, school deans, and administrators. Teachers are also able to nominate themselves, and nominated teachers are notified and invited to fill out an application.

Each year, one recipient is selected from 10 finalists and recognized for their remarkable impact on students’ lives. The 10th annual honoree will be flown to Los Angeles to attend the 65th Annual GRAMMY Awards® and a range of GRAMMY Week events. The nine additional finalists will receive a $1,000 honorarium, and the schools of all 10 finalists will receive matching grants.

Fifteen semifinalists will receive a $500 honorarium with matching school grants. The matching grants provided to the schools are made possible by the generosity and support of the GRAMMY Museum’s Education Champion Ford Motor Company Fund. In addition, the American Choral Directors Association, National Association for Music Education, NAMM Foundation, and National Education Association support this program through outreach to their constituencies.

A total of 207 music teachers from 180 cities have been announced as quarterfinalists for the Music Educator Award presented by the Recording Academy and GRAMMY Museum. In total, nearly 1,500 initial nominations were submitted. In addition to our quarterfinalists, 125 legacy applicants from 2022 will also be eligible to win the award this year.

Congratulations to our Louisiana educators who made the cut:

• Calandria Allen, West Feliciana Middle School, Saint Francisville
• Emmanuel Hudson, Booker T. Washington High School, Shreveport
• David Moore, Inspire Charter Academy, Baton Rouge
• Robert Pate Jr. , L.W. Higgins High School, Marrero
• Nikia Russell, Success Preparatory @ Thurgood Marshall, New Orleans
• Emily Maurer, Slidell Junior High School, Slidell