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Scholarship Competition

The National Association of Negro Musicians, Inc. invites you to apply for the 2025 Scholarship Competition for Piano.  Contestants will first compete on the local then the regional level.  Based on these competitions, each region will send its winning contestant to compete at the national level of the competition to be held during the 2025 National Convention in Detroit, Michigan. The required repertoire embraces the works of European and American composers while highlighting the contributions of Black composers.

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Our First Place Award is named after former NANM Scholarship winner, long-time convention pianist, and internationally renowned pianist, composer, and conductor, Joseph Joubert.   Our Second Place Award is named in honor of the esteemed music educator, pianist, and Sankofa Chorale and Academy of Fine Arts Founder/Director, Dr. Jessie Davis Owens.

 

Applications, along with the $50 application fee and copy of photo identification, are due by 11:59 PM (Pacific Time) on January 31, 2025.  Please reference the document linked below for competition rules, repertoire requirements, and other eligibility information.​

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Please direct all inquiries to the regional scholarship chairs listed below.

$7,000

Joseph Joubert National First Prize Award

$6,000

Dr. Jessie Davis Owens National Second Prize Award

$5,000

National Third Prize

$1,000

Encouragement Prize (2)

Poster for the 2025 NANM Scholarship Competition featuring an African American young woman seated at the piano.
APPLICATION CLOSED
COMPETITION DATES

Regional Scholarship Chairs

Dr. Walter McLean, Central Region Scholarship Chair

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin

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Osceola Davis-Smith and Monica Sylvester, Eastern Region Scholarship Co-Chairs

Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey,

New York, Pennsylvannia, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington D.C.

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Gregory Thompson, Southeastern Region Scholarship Chair

Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia

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Barron Coleman, Southwestern Region Scholarship Chair

Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Mississippi, New Mexico, and Texas

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Joyce Norfleet and Byron J. Smith, Western Region Scholarship Co-Chairs

Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming

© 2025 NANM  |  National Association of Negro Musicians, Inc.  All rights reserved.

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