The Lewis Prize for Music has announced grants totaling more than $3 million in support of efforts to provide young people with music education, strengthen their communities, and put music at the center of efforts to establish equity.

In partnership with Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies, the organization increased the amount it distributed in 2024. Through the organization’s annual Accelerator Awards, a five-year, $20 million commitment to creative youth development organizations across the country, organizations received grants of $500,000 for sustained progress toward community change initiatives aligned with the vision of the Lewis Prize. Recipients include the Bridge Music Project in Olympia, Washington, which teaches youth how music and songwriting can be tools to deal with life’s challenges; Neutral Zone in Ann Arbor, Michigan, a youth-driven teen center dedicated to promoting personal growth through artistic expression, community leadership, and the exchange of ideas; and Inetnon Gef Pa'go Cultural Arts Program, Inc., in Guam, which aims to promote awareness and pride in Chamorro heritage through performance arts.

In addition, the Lewis Prize announced its Infusion Awards, which provide $150,000 in multi-year support to create new musical platforms and pathways in their communities. Recipients include Juneau Alaska Music Matters, Healthy Hood Chicago, and Brandon House Cultural & Performing Arts in Little Rock, Arkansas.

“It is an honor to support this year's Accelerator Awardees as they join our equally impressive past awardees,” said co-founder Daniel R. Lewis. “I am inspired by their dedication to nurturing the musical talent and intrinsic leadership of diverse young people to overcome local and national challenges that impact us all. We've learned profound lessons since launching The Lewis Prize for Music and are convinced that comparable support is needed across all creative disciplines so we all benefit from the dreams young artists have for themselves, their communities, and our country.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/FangXiaNuo)