American Composers Forum

American Composers Forum (ACF) is a national organization that provides grants, fellowships, and professional development resources to composers and music creators at all career stages. Its flagship program is the McKnight Composer Fellowships, which awards four fellowships of $25,000 in unrestricted funds each year to mid-career artists and culture bearers based in Minnesota. ACF also runs the ACF create program (five grants for early career artists in Minnesota or New York City) and the Recomposing America initiative (collaborative projects between artists and community organizations). All programs are funded by the McKnight Foundation.

Application Details

McKnight Composer Fellowships

Four fellowships of $25,000 in unrestricted funds are awarded annually to mid-career composers and culture bearers based in Minnesota. The 2027 cycle opens on August 10, 2026, with a deadline of October 12, 2026 (11:59pm CT). Applications are submitted through the SlideRoom online platform.

Fellows also receive:

• Up to $3,000 in financial support for professional development activities or works-in-progress
• Up to $1,500 in performance support
• Consultation, time, and resources from ACF staff
• Consultation and resources from Springboard for the Arts

Funds are distributed across four installments. Awards are subject to state and federal income tax.

ACF create

Five grants available for early career artists based in Minnesota or New York City. Supports the creation and presentation of new work. Applications are currently closed for the 2025-26 cycle, with funding allocated to collaborative projects as part of the Recomposing America initiative.

Recomposing America

An ongoing initiative that funds collaborative projects between music creators and community organizations. For the 2025-26 year, funding has been allocated to specific collaborations including Tufawon and the Duluth Art Institute, Kavyesh Kaviraj and Walker|West Music Academy, Malachi Brown and Sugar Hill Salon, and Danielle Jagelski with community partners.

Required Materials (McKnight Fellowships)

• Online application through SlideRoom
• Work samples (scores, recordings, or documentation of creative practice)
• Artist statement and resume
• Description of how the fellowship will support your artistic development
• Proof of Minnesota residency

Eligibility (McKnight Fellowships)

• Must be a mid-career artist or culture bearer (beyond emerging, with sustained experience)
• Must be based in Minnesota
• Must demonstrate achievement, commitment, and high-level proficiency in artistic or culture bearer practice
• Must contribute to your field and impact people in Minnesota
• ACF uses the terms artist, music creator, and composer interchangeably, recognizing not everyone identifies with one specific term

Key Benefits

• $25,000 in unrestricted funds (McKnight Fellowships). No restrictions on how the money is spent.
• Additional $3,000 for professional development or works-in-progress
• Additional $1,500 for performance support
• Staff consultation from ACF and Springboard for the Arts
• National recognition: McKnight Fellows are promoted on ACF's website and through their network
• Community: Access to a network of past and current McKnight Fellows
• Culture bearer recognition: The program explicitly acknowledges cultural traditions that do not use the word "artist" (such as Native American and Hmong traditions)

Potential Drawbacks

• Geographic restriction: McKnight Fellowships are only open to Minnesota-based composers. If you live anywhere else, you are ineligible.
• Mid-career requirement: Emerging composers cannot apply for McKnight Fellowships. ACF create is the alternative for early career artists, but it has limited slots (five grants).
• Taxable income: The $25,000 fellowship is subject to state and federal income tax. Plan for a tax liability of approximately 25 to 30% depending on your bracket.
• Competitive: Only four fellowships are awarded each year. The 2025 awardees were selected from a large applicant pool across Minnesota.
• No recurring guarantee: Being selected one year does not guarantee selection in future years. Each cycle uses a rotating jury.
• ACF create limited scope: The early career program is restricted to Minnesota or NYC-based artists and has only five grants available.
• Installment payments: Funds are distributed across four installments, not as a lump sum. This affects cash flow planning.

Real-World Example

A composer based in Minneapolis has been creating music for 12 years, drawing inspiration from Congolese dance music and American jazz. They have premiered works with regional orchestras and released two albums. They apply for the 2026 McKnight Composer Fellowships through the SlideRoom platform, submitting three work samples (scores and recordings), an artist statement explaining how the fellowship will allow them to complete a large-scale chamber work, and proof of Minnesota residency.

If selected, they receive $25,000 in unrestricted funds across four installments (approximately $6,250 per installment). They use $3,000 in additional professional development funds to attend a residency at a composer colony and $1,500 in performance support to hire musicians for a reading session of the new chamber work. The total package is worth $29,500. They owe approximately $6,000 to $7,500 in taxes on the $25,000 fellowship, leaving roughly $17,500 in net funds for their creative work.

Related Opportunities

• Copland House Residency Awards for composers seeking residency opportunities in New York
• Chamber Music America Grants for NYC-based ensembles and commissioning projects
• Grammy Museum Grant Program for recording and preservation projects
• Music Scholarships Directory for the full list of funding opportunities
• Publishing Royalty Split Calculator to understand how publishing income is divided
• Visit the ACF Programs page for official guidelines and application details