John Lennon Award
Direct application
Eligibility
About this scholarship
U.S. residents ages 17 to 24 may submit one original, unpublished song in contemporary genres such as alternative, pop, rock, indie, electronica, R&B, or experimental to the BMI Foundation's John Lennon Award. Works must not be assigned to a major music publisher or record label. Prior winners are ineligible, though honorable mention recipients may reapply.
Three scholarships totaling $20,000 are awarded annually for the best original songs. Co-written works may have up to three writers, and awards are split evenly among co-writers.
Submit an online application through the BMI Foundation portal with an audio file and lyric sheet by the January 15 deadline. The award was established in 1997 by Yoko Ono in memory of John Lennon.
Essay questions
What else to submit
- One audio file of the original song
- Lyric sheet; non-English lyrics require an English translation
- Submit one audio file of an original song
- Submit a lyric sheet of the original song (non-English lyrics must include an English translation)
- Co-written works may have no more than three writers.