BMI Composer Awards (Student Composer Awards)

This is a real program, but some details for the current cycle are not published or not yet confirmed. Check the official source before you plan around it.

Award

Awards totaling $20,000 each year, including the Ellen Taaffe Zwilich Prize for the top work and the Carlos Surinach Prize for the youngest winner

Deadline

2027 deadline not yet posted; the 2026 cycle measured age as of February 15, 2026. Sign up on the BMI Foundation site for deadline notices.

How to apply

Submit an anonymized score and an audio rendering (MIDI is fine) of one original, unpublished composition through the application portal when it opens.

What you'll need

• A portfolio

Who can apply

Composers under age 28 who live in the U.S. or its territories or are citizens of a Western Hemisphere country; no more than two prior BMI Composer Awards.

Good to know

Open to a wide age range, so high-school entrants compete with college and graduate composers.

Details

Arts