ASCAP Foundation Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Awards
Juried national competition recognizing emerging jazz composers ages 13-30 with cash awards, judged on an original score and recording submission.
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DownBeat Student Music Awards
A national jazz-education honor from DownBeat magazine open to junior high, high school, and college entries. Students submit instrumental/vocal recordings across performance, composition, arranging, and engineering categories.
Essentially Ellington
National high school big-band jazz competition/festival from Jazz at Lincoln Center. Directors submit recordings of transcribed Ellington and jazz arrangements, and top bands are invited to New York to compete at Frederick P. Rose Hall each May.
YoungArts National Arts Competition (Music)
Application-based national award for emerging musicians ages 15-18 in categories including Classical, Jazz, Voice, Popular Voice, and Singer-Songwriter. Winners receive up to $10,000, mentorship, and eligibility for U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts.
From the Top
Nonprofit known for its NPR/PBS programs showcasing pre-collegiate classical musicians ages 8-18, including instrumentalists, vocalists, and composers, who perform and share their stories to a national radio audience along with scholarships.
NFMC Junior Festivals
National Federation of Music Clubs annual Junior Festivals give young musicians (18 and under) a yearly performance evaluation, plus competitions/awards in voice, instrumental, and composition, awarding over $750,000 annually.
Bands of America Grand National Championships
America's premier national marching band championship, presented by Music for All at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Open to all high school marching bands, scored 60% music and 40% visual.