Ford Musician Awards for Excellence in Community Service

• Five musicians will be selected through a competitive application process.
• Each musician winner will receive a cash award of $2,500 and a complimentary registration to the League’s National Conference. 
• The winning musician’s orchestra will receive a grant of $2,500 to support professional development for its roster of musicians and a complimentary registration for one staff member to attend the League’s National Conference. 

• Your orchestra must be a League member in good standing. (Youth, collegiate, and international orchestras are not eligible.)
• The community engagement work you do is performed under the umbrella of your orchestra, but need not be a paid position. 
• You must be a full-time member of the orchestra, with at least one year’s employment at the time of application. (Substitute musicians and conductors are not eligible.) 
• You have been performing this community engagement work for at least one full calendar year. 
• At the League’s online National Conference, June 7-17, 2021, you agree to participate as a panelist in an education and community engagement session featuring the Ford Musician Awards winners and to attend a session to be recognized and accept your award. 
• Awardees and their orchestras are required to produce a 3-minute video showcasing their work to be presented during the National Conference and featured on the League’s website.
  • A $1,000 honorarium will be provided to assist in the production of this video. 
  • Examples can be found by visiting our Ford Musician Awards website. 
• The League welcomes applicants from all backgrounds. Past applicants are encouraged to apply again. Previous winners are not eligible. 

For a deeper look into the impact Ford musicians are making in their communities, check out these two resources: the 2017-2019 winner videos, and this article highlighting the 2017 awardees (PDF) in the League’s Symphony magazine.