The Grammy Museum Grant Program

The GRAMMY Museum Grant Program is an annual grant program funded by The Recording Academy that awards grants to organizations and individuals for scientific research on the impact of music on the human condition and for the archiving and preservation of the recorded sound heritage of the Americas. Now in its 37th year, the program awarded $200,000 across 15 recipients in 2025. This is not a scholarship for individual music students. It is a research and preservation grant program.

Application Details

The program has two grant categories with separate application processes. Both require a Letter of Inquiry (LOI) as the first step.

Scientific Research Projects

• Maximum award: $20,000
• Focus: Research on the impact of music on the human condition, including effects of music on mood, cognition, healing, and the medical and occupational well-being of music professionals
• Required LOI materials: Project contact and overview, research question, methodology outline (number of subjects, control groups), impact/application of research, existing project partners and financial support, dissemination plan, and biographies of key personnel
• Priority: Given to projects with strong methodological design and innovative research questions

Preservation Projects

• Preservation Implementation Grant: $20,000 maximum award. For organizations or departments within an institution (library, museum, etc.) where archiving and preservation experts are accessible. Project materials must be identified and in possession of the applicant.
• Preservation Assistance Grant: $5,000 maximum award. For individuals and small to mid-sized organizations to enhance their ability to preserve recorded sound collections. Covers planning, assessment, and preparation stages.

The 2025 grant cycle is closed. The 2026 cycle dates have not yet been announced. Check the GRAMMY Museum Grants Program page for updates.

Key Benefits

• Up to $20,000 for research projects examining music's impact on human health and cognition
• Up to $20,000 for preservation implementation projects at established institutions
• Up to $5,000 for preservation assistance at small organizations or individual archivists
• Funded by The Recording Academy, which adds institutional credibility
• Grants have supported preservation at the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian, and numerous universities
• Research grants have studied music therapy, early childhood education, and treatments for illnesses common to musicians

Drawbacks / Things to Consider

• This is not a scholarship or grant for individual musicians seeking career funding or tuition support. It funds research and preservation projects only.
• The application process requires a detailed Letter of Inquiry with methodology, dissemination plans, and personnel biographies. This is a professional academic grant application, not a simple form.
• Grants are focused on North American recorded sound heritage. International projects outside this scope are not eligible.
• The program runs on an annual cycle. If you miss the deadline, you wait a full year.
• The 2025 cycle is already closed, and 2026 dates have not been announced. Planning ahead is necessary.
• Preservation Assistance Grants are capped at $5,000, which may not cover the full cost of cataloguing and stabilizing a large collection.

Why It Matters for Independent Artists

This grant program is not designed to fund individual artists directly. However, it matters to the music community in two specific ways.

First, if you are a musician who also conducts research (for example, studying the effects of music therapy on a specific population, or researching occupational injuries among performers), you can apply for up to $20,000 to fund that research. Second, if you own or manage a collection of historically significant recordings, the preservation grants can help you archive and protect those materials.

For individual musicians seeking tuition or career development funding, look at the ASCAP Foundation Scholarships or Help Musicians UK instead.

Related Opportunities

• ASCAP Foundation Scholarships for individual songwriters and composers
• Help Musicians UK for postgraduate study funding in the UK
• Music Scholarships Directory for the full list of funding opportunities
• Visit the GRAMMY Museum Grants Program page for official guidelines and application materials