The recording industry’s Music Performance Trust Fund Pledges $150,000 to Support Music Scholarships in 2026
Music’s Future and Music Family Scholarships available March 1 to students pursuing higher education in the United States and Canada
(New York, New York, March 2, 2026) The recording industry’s Music Performance Trust Fund (MPTF), a leading non-profit organization enriching lives and uniting communities through the power of music, will begin accepting applications for its two college scholarship tracks on March 1, 2026. Applications will be accepted through May 31, 2026.
Since the scholarship initiative was launched in 2020, over 550 students attending colleges and universities throughout North America have received in excess of $700,000 in support.
“This investment represents our unwavering belief in the resilience of human artistry,” said Greg Linn, Trustee the MPTF. “We know that music is the audible signature of the human soul,” said Linn. It is one way we archive our history and navigate the future when words are not enough.”
There are two scholarship tracks, both of which require personal essays in response to particular writing prompts that change annually. Applicants’ essays are scored on the originality of their answers, not on a broad analysis of the topic being explored and will be screened for an over-reliance on AI writing tools beyond spelling and grammar.
Music Family Scholarships of $1,000 will be awarded to 75 individual recipients. This category is open to the members in good standing of the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) and their children who will attend a college or trade school in the fall of 2026, pursuing any field of study.
Music’s Future Scholarships are open to all music students, with no union affiliations required. A total of 30 recipients will receive $2,500 toward their music degrees as they pursue careers in education, performance, therapy and conducting.
For more information and application forms, visit:www.musicpf.org/home/scholarships
About the MPTF: The recording industry’s Music Performance Trust Fund is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit public service organization whose mission is to support admission-free, live events performed by professional musicians throughout the United States and Canada. We seek to enrich the lives of the public, young and old, through music, and to contribute to the public’s knowledge and appreciation of music. We also seek to make music and music education an exciting experience, and to expand it to every child’s life experience. The MPTF was established 75 years ago by recording companies including Sony Music, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group. Interested parties may contact Natty Hepburn-Beaty, Marketing Manager, at nhepburnbeaty@musicpf.org or visit www.musicpf.org.