Nominations For First-Ever GRAMMY Music Educator Award Now Open

The award is open to current U.S. music teachers from kindergarten through college, in public and private schools. Anyone can nominate a teacher - students, parents, friends, colleagues, Community members, school deans and administrators - and teachers are also able to nominate themselves. Nominated teachers will be notified and invited to fill out an application. One winner will be selected from 10 finalists each year to be recognized for their remarkable impact on their students' lives. The first award will be presented during GRAMMY Week 2014. The winner will be flown to Los Angeles to accept the award, attend the GRAMMY Awards, and receive a $10,000 honorarium. The nine finalists will receive a $1,000 honorarium.

The honorariums provided to the winners are made possible by a grant from the Ford Motor Company Fund. This new partnership with the Ford Motor Company Fund expands their financial support of GRAMMY Foundation music Education initiatives.

The nomination process is open now and the deadline for nominations is April 15, 2013.

To view guidelines and/or to nominate your favorite music educator, visit www.grammymusicteacher.com.

The GRAMMY Foundation was established in 1989 to cultivate the understanding, appreciation and advancement of the contribution of recorded music to American culture. The Foundation accomplishes this mission through programs and activities that engage the music industry and cultural Community as well as the general public. The Foundation works in partnership year-round with its founder, The Recording Academy , to bring national attention to important issues such as the value and impact of music and arts Education and the urgency of preserving our rich cultural heritage. In recognition of the significant role of teachers in shaping their students' musical experiences, the GRAMMY Foundation and The Recording Academy are partnering to present our first Music Educator Award. Open to current U.S. music teachers in K through college, the Music Educator Award will be given out during GRAMMY Week 2014. The nomination process is online at grammymusicteacher.com and the deadline for submissions is April 15. For more information about the Foundation, please visit www.grammyfoundation.org. For breaking news and exclusive content, please like "GRAMMY in the Schools " on Facebook at www.facebook.com/grammyintheschools, follow the GRAMMY Foundation on Twitter @GRAMMYFdn at www.twitter.com/GRAMMYFdn and join us on Instagram @GRAMMYFdn at www.instagram.com/GRAMMYfdn.