New Music USA Announces 2024 Creator Fund Awardees

Written By

Kate Dreyfuss

Total of $208,000 awarded to 62 creators from across the US

New Music USA is thrilled to announce the selection of 62 grantees for the New Music Creator Fund, which helps individual music creators working in any genre to get to the next stage of their creative practice. Totaling $208,000 in funding, this year’s awards support a range of activities that span the musical spectrum, with collaboration around new music creation as a central element.

This year’s grantees, who represent 21 states, reflect a broad range of perspectives and styles and exemplify the expansive and equitable ecosystem for new music that New Music USA is dedicated to supporting.

Creator Fund grants will support costs that relate to the development of new and existing ideas and projects, collaboration with other artists and practitioners, and any activities that help creators realize their goals, including childcare costs, technical assistance/skills building, and more.

See the full list of awardees below and on the New Music Creator Fund Program Page, and discover their work on these playlists:

2024 Creator Fund Spotify Playlist

2024 Creator Fund Youtube Playlist

New Music USA is committed to making all its grant programs equitable, by removing barriers in the application process and by elevating all artists and organizations that receive our support.

Creator Fund applicants are given straightforward guidelines and are asked to supply a brief project description (either written or video recorded) and work samples.

Applications are reviewed by a sizable pool of independent peers from our community who help us in our ongoing efforts to dismantle bias. For this round, which attracted 1,553 applications, New Music USA engaged 65 artists, composers, musicians, and administrators from locations around the country to build a panel with 61% of people identifying as women, non-binary, genderqueer, gender non-conforming, or transgender, and 64% identifying as BIPOC.

The application review was split into two stages: an artistic review of the applicants’ musical samples, followed by a second stage review involving the full application. To be more transparent in separating out New York-based funding, New Music USA collected applications through two program strands: Creator Fund New York and Creator Fund National.

Vanessa Reed, President & CEO of New Music USA, says,

“I am beyond impressed by the captivating and imaginative work of this year’s Creator Fund awardees and applicants. The exceptional breadth and quality of their music and collaborations reaffirms that the United States is a wellspring of extraordinary new music. I’m proud that our grants are empowering over 60 creators per year to propel their own artistic pursuits and collaborations. The unprecedented demand for this fund also points to the challenging economic climate for artists. I hope we can find ways to support more of the many deserving creators who apply in the years to come.”

New York-based Creator Fund awardee Stephanie Chou shares,

“I’m so excited to receive support from the New Music Creator Fund: it will allow me to record a studio version of my first composition for erhu and string trio, ‘Dragon’, grow my new partnership with the INTERWOVEN ensemble, and help us attract co-commissioners to develop the full Zodiac Suite, which is an exploration of the myth behind the ancient Chinese Zodiac. The New Music Creator Fund is critical to bringing this project to life! We are so excited to get into the studio and record the piece! Thank you, New Music USA!”

Creator Fund awardee Salar Ansari of Dearborn, MI adds,

“We plan to use these funds to take our cherished project to the next level by producing our inaugural 12″ release, featuring four meticulously curated extended play tracks designed for the underground dance music community and its DJs. This award will cover production costs and will provide a platform for three talented local musicians from the Metro Detroit area. Thanks to this grant, we will have the chance to work on a project that inspires us while also gaining valuable opportunities for career advancement. I’m grateful for this support, which will undoubtedly fuel our passion and contribute to the vibrant music scene in our community.”

Charlottesville, VA-based Creator Fund awardee Molly Joyce says,

“This award provides a singular opportunity to highlight the work of poet Hannah Emerson in a musical setting, and specifically advancing disability-forward projects and in disabled/nondisabled collaboration with soprano Mikaela Bennett and producer Candace Feldman. I am incredibly grateful for New Music USA’s support, without which this project would not continue.”

2024 Creator Fund Grantees

Creator Fund National:

A’Jon Jones – Philadelphia, PA
Alyssa Wang – Roslindale, MA
Aurora Nealand – New Orleans, LA
B.K. Zervigón & Luca Hoffmann – Jefferson, LA
Brent Birckhead – Baltimore, MD
Cecilia Kang – Baton Rouge, LA
Dai Wei – Lawrenceville, NJ
Dina Maccabee – Brandeis, CA
Divinity Roxx – West New York, NJ
Dustin Dale Gaspard – Abbeville, LA
Edward Simon – Emeryville, CA
Elisabet Curbelo – Steilacoom, WA
Ethan Soledad – Houston, TX
Fahad Siadat – Los Angeles, CA
Halley Elwell – Medford, MA
Hannah Juanita – Madison, TN
Jerod Impichcha̱achaaha’ Tate – Oklahoma City, OK
Jeoffrey Arrington – Chicago, IL
John Driscoll & Cecilia Lopez – Littleton, CO
José G. Martínez – Waterville, ME
Joshua Kohl – Seattle, WA
Juliette M. Jones – Los Angeles, CA
Juraj Kojs – Miami, FL
Kurt Rohde – San Francisco, CA
Laura Strickling – Racine, WI
LuFuki – Detroit, MI
Mehmet Ali Sanlıkol – Belmont, MA
Mel Hsu – Philadelphia, PA
Molly Joyce – Charlottesville, VA
Molly Pease – Los Angeles, CA
Richard K Thomas – W Lafayette, IN
Salar Ansari – Dearborn, MI
TJ Cole – Louisville, KY
Tyler Taylor & Adam Sadberry – Louisville, KY
Weston Olencki & TAK Ensemble – Spartanburg, SC

Creator Fund New York:

alexa dexa – Long Island, NY
Charlene Jean – Brooklyn, NY
Danae Greenfield – Queens, NY
Daniel Reza Sabzghabaei – Ithaca, NY
Erini – New York, NY
Firas Zreik – Brooklyn, NY
Immanuel Wilkins – Brooklyn, NY
Iwo Jedynecki – Brooklyn, NY
James Budinich – Binghamton, NY
Jamie Baum – New York, NY
Jennifer Williams – Brooklyn, NY
Jhoely Garay – New York, NY
Jo Whang – Port Washington, NY
John Popham – Brooklyn, NY
Lachi – New York, NY
Laura Elkeslassy – Brooklyn, NY
Ludovica Burtone – Brooklyn, NY
MESAFA\\مسافة – Brooklyn, NY
Michael R. Dudley Jr. & Arnie Sainz – Hannawa Falls, NY
Oscar Peñas – Brooklyn, NY
Piper Hill – Brooklyn, NY
Queen Esther – New York, NY
Raymond Pinto – Brooklyn, NY
Sonya Belaya – Brooklyn, NY
Stephanie Chou – New York, NY
Veena Chandra – Latham, NY
Vicki Leona Nguyen – New York, NY

About New Music USA

New Music USA is a national non-profit organization dedicated to advancing new music in all its forms. Our mission is to nurture a vibrant and inclusive community for artists and listeners by supporting the creation, performance, and appreciation of new music throughout the United States. Through responsive grant-making; skill-building; mentorship and convenings for creators from all backgrounds; and platforms designed to connect music-makers with organizations and their audiences, New Music USA works to ensure a thriving, connected, and equitable ecosystem for the music of our time. newmusicusa.org

For more information about the New Music Creator Fund, please reach out to Kate Dreyfuss, Communications Director at New Music USA, at [email protected].

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