ASCAP Foundation Scholarships are awards funded by the ASCAP Foundation for songwriters, composers, and lyricists across pop, jazz, musical theatre, and concert music. The Foundation administers more than 40 named scholarship and award programs, with individual awards ranging from $1,000 to $30,000. In 2025, the ASCAP Foundation celebrated its 50th anniversary as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to supporting American music creators.
How ASCAP Foundation Scholarships Work
The ASCAP Foundation operates separately from ASCAP (the performing rights organization). It funds scholarships, awards, workshops, and education programs through contributions from ASCAP members and music lovers worldwide. According to its most recent IRS filings, the Foundation provides scholarships to 48 recipients ranging from $1,000 to $10,000, plus cash awards to 106 emerging composers and lyricists ranging from $125 to $10,000.
Major Scholarship and Award Programs
- Morton Gould Young Composer Awards: Up to $30,000 in total awards for concert music composers under age 30. The 2026 winners were announced in June 2026, with 17 recipients selected by a jury of professional composers. The Leo Kaplan Award, given to one recipient among the Morton Gould winners, provides additional recognition and funding.
- Leiber and Stoller Scholarship for Songwriters: $10,000 over four years of college or university study for young aspiring songwriters, musicians, and vocalists. The 2026 deadline is May 21, 2026. High school seniors planning to major in music are eligible to apply.
- Rudolf Nissim Prize: $5,000 cash prize for an ASCAP member composer for an orchestral work written for a large ensemble requiring a conductor, which has not been performed professionally.
- Young Jazz Composer Awards: Up to $25,000 available to encourage talented young jazz composers. Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents under age 30.
- Tu Musica Scholarship: Two $2,500 awards for undergraduate or graduate students of Latin descent pursuing a career in songwriting.
- Richard Rodgers Award: Recognizes achievement in musical theatre composition.
- Michael Masser Scholarship: Supports emerging songwriters.
- Rudy Perez Scholarship: Supports an aspiring Latino songwriter.
Additional Named Scholarships
The Foundation also administers scholarships honoring legendary songwriters and composers, including the Henry Mancini Music Scholarship, Frederick Loewe Scholarship, Max Dreyfus Scholarship, Ira Gershwin Scholarship, Irving Berlin Summer Camp Scholarship, Louis Armstrong Scholarship, and the Steve Kaplan TV and Film Studies Scholarship, among others.
ASCAP commissioned the short film "Why We Create Music" to celebrate its centennial in 2014. The companion song "More Than the Stars" was written and recorded during the film shoots, featuring contributions from ASCAP songwriters and composers including Ne-Yo, Dan Wilson, Aloe Blacc, and Bill Withers:
Past Recipients
The ASCAP Foundation publishes recipient lists for its major programs each year. The Morton Gould Young Composer Awards are the most widely covered.
2026 Morton Gould Young Composer Award Recipients
The 2026 cycle selected 17 recipients: Zixuan Chen, Sophia Kunxu Dou, Bobby Ge, Jacob Harrison, Oswald Huynh, Maya Miro Johnson, Kai Kubota-Enright, Jacky Jiaqi Liu, Daniel Lubin, Matthew Huang Mailman, Aaron Nichols, Paul Novak, Luca Pasquini, Sofia Rocha, Cyrano Jett Rosentrater, Dylan Tyree, and Vincent Zhang. Honorable Mentions went to Benjamin Coble, Oliver Dubon, Henry Golden, Cem Guven, Patrick Holcomb, Isaiah Saranow, and Jason Zhang.
2025 Morton Gould Young Composer Award Recipients
The 2025 cycle selected 16 recipients: Corey Chang, Kai Kubota-Enright, GianCarlo Lay, Grace Ann Lee, Emily Liushen, Quinn Mason, Paul Novak, Nathaniel Parks, Jaebong Rho, Cyrano Rosentrater, Alex Tedrow, Isaac Thomas, Max Vinetz, Brady Wolff, Yiqi Xue, and Jihwan Yoon.
Notable Past Recipients
Several Morton Gould Young Composer Award recipients have gone on to win major career distinctions:
- Gabriela Lena Frank: 2026 Pulitzer Prize in Music winner
- Michael Abels: Pulitzer Prize-winning composer (co-winner for Omar)
- Jennifer Higdon: Pulitzer Prize-winning composer
- David Lang: Pulitzer Prize-winning composer
- Melinda Wagner: Pulitzer Prize-winning composer
- Julia Wolfe: Pulitzer Prize-winning composer
- Emily Bear: Grammy-winning composer and pianist, ASCAP Foundation program alum who performed at the Foundation's 50th anniversary celebration in 2025
The ASCAP Foundation also supports the Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award, which includes an opportunity to perform at the Newport Jazz Festival. ASCAP's VERSED podcast featured a conversation with Esperanza Spalding about the program and its recipient Michael R. Dudley, a trumpet player and composer who performed at the Newport Jazz Festival:
50th Anniversary
The ASCAP Foundation celebrated its 50th anniversary on June 10, 2025, in New York City. The event honored composer Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Godspell) and philanthropist Chandrika Tandon with the ASCAP Foundation Champion Award. Foundation program alumni Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (Dear Evan Hansen, La La Land) performed a tribute, and Emily Bear (Moana 2) performed and discussed her creative journey. In 2024 alone, the Foundation's programs reached more than 300,000 individuals, including 60,000 K through 12 students. The Foundation was established in 1975 with a bequest from the estate of Jack Norworth, the songwriter behind "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."
Real-World Example
A 22-year-old composer studying concert music at a US conservatory could submit an original orchestral work to the Morton Gould Young Composer Awards. If selected as one of the 17 recipients in 2026, they would receive a cash prize from the total $30,000 pool. If their work is further recognized with the Leo Kaplan Award, they gain additional prestige and funding. The award is announced publicly by ASCAP, which builds industry visibility.
A high school senior planning to major in music and pursue songwriting could apply for the Leiber and Stoller Scholarship. If selected, they would receive $10,000 distributed over four years of college, sent directly to their school for tuition assistance. At $2,500 per year, this could cover a meaningful portion of tuition at a state university.
Why It Matters for Independent Artists
The ASCAP Foundation offers more named scholarship programs than almost any other music organization in the US. If you are a songwriter, composer, or lyricist, there is likely a program matched to your genre and career stage.
Most awards require US citizenship or permanent residency. Many are restricted to composers under 30, which means you should apply as early as possible in your career. The Morton Gould Awards accept works from composers as young as 13, making them one of the few national competitions open to pre-college students.
For songwriters, the Leiber and Stoller Scholarship is one of the few multi-year awards specifically for aspiring songwriters, musicians, and vocalists. The $10,000 over four years can meaningfully reduce student debt. The 2026 deadline is May 21, 2026. The ASCAP Foundation also opened the Music Is Our Foundation Scholarship in July 2026, available to all undergraduate and graduate students studying music (including performance, composition, education, and music production).
ASCAP also runs the ASCAP Experience conference, which covers practical skills for songwriters and composers. The following session from ASCAP Experience 2026 covers how to create a winning song pitch for film and television placements:
Check the ASCAP Foundation website each January for updated deadlines. Most programs have application windows between January and May, with winners announced in late spring or early summer.
Related Opportunities
- ABRSM Scholarships for musicians studying in the UK
- ACDA Scholarships for choral conductors and educators
- Music Scholarships Directory for the full list of funding opportunities
- Performing Rights Organizations Directory to understand how ASCAP and other PROs support musicians
- Streaming Royalty Calculator to estimate your earnings as a songwriter
- Visit the ASCAP Foundation Scholarships page for official details and deadlines
